In this issue
Issue #134
These Roman-style biscotti are a favorite of Nick Malgieri's for their distinctive anise flavor and atypical baking method: the loose batter is poured onto a baking sheet and baked like a cake. The result is light biscotti with large chunks of almonds and hazelnuts.
A specialty of the Netherlands and Belgium, these are cousins of gingerbread, only lighter and more delicately spiced. They're also showstoppers, thanks to the intricately carved wooden molds used to make them, which form the cookies into bas-relief images of characters and symbols from stories about Saint Nicholas, or Sinter-klaas, whose name day, December 6, kicks off the Christmas season in that part of the world.
These Norwegian wafer cookies, eaten across Scandinavia during the Christmas season, are light and crisp and perfumed with cardamom. They're made like waffles on a special griddle that imprints an intricate design, and then they're rolled and filled with whipped cream.
Tiny, ring-shaped butter cookies like these are a popular holiday treat in Mexico. They're typically decorated with chocolate sprinkles, but green, red, and white ones transform them into festive Christmas wreaths.
The recipe for this slow-cooked dish of beans, brisket, and vegetables was inspired by one that András Singer serves at Fülemüle, his restaurant in Budapest.
We've adapted this recipe by using fresh cabbage leaves rather than the more traditional pickled cabbage. To add a pleasant sourness to the dish, top the stuffed cabbage in the pot with 2 cups sauerkraut before baking, if you like.
Freshly grated nutmeg rounds out the flavor of this shaken rum-and-citrus juice cocktail from Cienfuegos, a bar in New York City.
The recipe for this traditional Hungarian dessert was inspired by one from Budapest food blogger Eszter Bodrogi and calls for four layers of jammy filling between sheets of pastry.
We learned about these miniature savory knishes from Bucharest home cook and kosher caterer Silvia Weiss.
The recipe for this comforting soup is based on one from Budapest chef András Singer, who crumbles matzo to make his matzo balls, giving them a striated texture. We found that using baking powder makes them even more springy and airy.
Halved hard-boiled eggs are a great vehicle for scoops of chopped liver.
Author Roberta Corradin's mother, Lucia Gros Corradin, serves these ravioli in chicken or veal broth.
The recipe for this deli staple comes from Silvia Weiss, a kosher caterer in Bucharest.
The recipe for these flaky crescent pastries was inspired by one from Karmela Bàlò, owner of the Cari Mama bakery in Budapest.
