Tunisia’s holiday table
Alain Cohen holds out a gorgeous spiral-shaped loaf of challah, the color of cherry wood. On the top of the bread is a graceful open hand made of dough. Cohen and his baker, Yuri Amsellen, have been experimenting again. From the crowded kitchen of Cohen’s Pico Boulevard takeout shop, Got Kosher? Provisions, comes the hypnotic smell of yeast.
In the weeks before the Jewish new year, the store has baked loaves in the shape of Jacob’s ladder, and others in a circle with a well in the center, meant to hold honey for dipping. They’ve added dried fruits, apples and raisins.
For Rosh Hashana, which begins Friday at sunset, challah is essential. The braided oval bread that Jews break and share after lighting candles each Sabbath gets reworked once a year into a spiral to call to mind the cycle of life.
A loaf topped with an open hand, however, is uncommon. But in this, as in other food customs, Tunisian Jews have their own way.
“It’s something from Djerba, to mark a period of reflection before Yom Kippur, a time when Jews are asking for and receiving judgment from God,” says Cohen, whose mother’s family comes from that island, located off the coast of Tunisia, where a small community of Jews traces its heritage back more than 2,500 years.
Cohen, who with a partner made the short documentary film “The Jews of Djerba,” today is the chef-owner of Got Kosher? Provisions, in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood, and is working to spread the word about Tunisian food.
“Kosher food can be great,” but in the United States, it too often is not, he says. “It should be something you don’t have to apologize about.”
Sephardic Jews, those from the Mediterranean region including North Africa and Spain, were blessed with the region’s bounty of ingredients; Ashkenazi Jews, who come from Eastern Europe and make up the majority of Jews in this country, had a smaller palette from which to work.
There’s a joke that’s told of a Jew who invites a non-Jewish friend to a Passover meal. Afterward, the guest remarks that the food wasn’t too good. “It’s not supposed to be,” the Jew says.
That joke “never would have been told in a Sephardic community,” says Clifford Wright, a Santa Monica cookbook author, teacher and expert on Mediterranean food. In Tunisia, “the food is so exotic and interesting and spicy hot,” Wright says.
For this Rosh Hashana, a couple of dozen people will join Cohen and his partner in life and in business, Evelyn Baran, at their table. Like for a Passover Seder, many Tunisian holiday tables will hold about a dozen symbolic foods over which prayers are said.
Figs, apples and honey are there for prayers for a sweet year. Dates are included so “that we elevate ourselves like palm trees and that our sins disappear forever,” Cohen says. Sesame seeds suggest a proliferation of virtues. A fish symbolizes fertility.
Most powerful to Cohen are spinach leaves, thinly sliced pumpkin and garlic cloves, which are fried in an egg batter and dipped in honey or a sugar syrup. The garlic and pumpkin are to ward off enemies, the spinach a symbol of renewal.
“Just an amazing taste. It’s amazing. For me, it’s like Proust’s memories,” says Cohen, 53. “It is those tastes I am looking forward to.” He also recalls that Jews would pierce a quince with cloves, to make a pomander they’d keep for the nine days from Rosh Hashana to Yom Kippur.
Jews fast on Yom Kippur, and the smell of the pomander worked to ward off feelings of hunger, he says.
In his childhood home in Paris, he says, neighborhood women would come to cook with his mother, who would send the men off to Rosh Hashana services. The feast would include fava beans with cumin; grilled lamb’s liver stew; a frittata with ground chicken and lemon juice; a selection of salads; and t’fina pkaila, a stew of spinach, beef, sausage and beans, served over couscous.
Not a week goes by without couscous, with meat or fish, beans and vegetables.
“Every Tunisian family, every Friday night of their life, eats it. There is no escape. There is no need for escape. Everyone is happy to eat it,” Cohen says.
“Some people have milk when they’re growing up. We had couscous,” says Amsellen, the baker at Got Kosher? His family moved from Morocco to Lyon, France, where he was raised and went to cooking school.
In Paris, where Cohen’s father had a kosher restaurant, now run by his brother, called Les Ailes (the Wings). It was next door to the Folies Bergere cabaret, and Cohen says that as a child he was told there was a hole in a restaurant wall through which he could see the showgirls next door. He jokes that he looked for that hole for 20 years but never found it.
He started busing tables at age 9, and later became a waiter, bartender, chef and manager.
Twenty-eight years ago, he came to Los Angeles to attend the American Film Institute.
“I came here to escape the food business, Tunisia and the French. I put a continent and an ocean between myself and my family,” he says.
And, of course, he eventually found himself back in the food business -- at first, he says, out of necessity; later, it became a joy.
Got Kosher? began as a wholesale business, with the store opening in July 2008. It stocks items that Tunisian Americans will recognize, such as fish roe called boutargue (similar to Italian bottarga) and the “Tunisian sandwich,” which holds tuna, egg, potato, olives, peppers and other ingredients. The shop’s harissa is made on premises , and, with advice from Cohen’s father’s butcher in Paris, Cohen has developed a line of sausages that includes kosher merguez and andouille.
And word has been spreading fast about their pretzel challah, which is a sellout most weeks.
Cohen and Amsellen worked furiously for 2 1/2 months to develop the bread and began selling several versions in January, plain and with chocolate chunks, sesame seeds or green olives, among others. The dough is eggless and lighter than traditional challah.
“I spent hours and hours and hours tasting challah. In the end, I couldn’t even feel it anymore,” Amsellen says.
For Rosh Hashana, there will be spiral-shaped pretzel challah in several varieties, as well as traditional sweetened dough challah -- one with apple, raisins and honey and one with only raisins. The bakers plan to top them all with open hands.
But the point is to share the bread with others.
His father’s restaurant, Cohen says, was a second home to Tunisian immigrants and gave him a sense of community that he couldn’t find in this country until he began cooking Passover Seders for upward of 50 people -- mostly Jews who also felt rootless in Los Angeles.
“It was so wonderful that every year it became bigger,” Cohen says, with guests from France, Colombia, Mexico and northern Africa all telling the stories of their heritage, their families.
Still, it wasn’t enough.
“The rest of the year I was missing Tunisian food. If you grow up with it, this food really marks you,” he says.
“I realized that my father, despite my resistance, gave me a beautiful gift -- cooking and tradition. You try to escape your destiny, but it always catches up with you.”
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Artichoke salad with harissa
Total time: About 1 hour
Servings: 8
Note: Adapted from Got Kosher? Provisions.
2 lemons, each cut in half, divided
4 artichokes
2 red boiling potatoes
1 quart water
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 tablespoon harissa
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1. Squeeze the halves of 1 lemon into a large bowl filled with water.
2. Trim the artichokes: Hold an artichoke in one hand with the stem facing toward you and the tip facing away. Peel or trim away the tough outer leaves. Keep peeling or trimming until you’ve cut away enough of the tough leaves so that you see only light green at the base. Cut away the top half-inch or so of the tip of the artichoke and dip the artichoke into the lemon water to keep the cut surfaces from discoloring. With a paring knife, trim away the very tip of the stem, then peel the stem and base of the artichoke, going from the tip to where the base meets the leaves. When you’re done, there should be no dark green tough spots left, only pale green and ivory.
3. Dip each artichoke in lemon water to prevent browning, then cut in half lengthwise. Remove the hairy choke in the center of the heart (a serrated grapefruit spoon is easiest; a teaspoon will work too). Put the cleaned halves in the lemon water and repeat for the remaining artichokes.
4. Peel the potatoes and dice them into one-half inch pieces. Place the potatoes in a medium pot with the quart of water, garlic, oil, harissa, juice from the remaining lemon, paprika and salt. Drain the artichokes and quarter them lengthwise (if the artichokes are large, cut them lengthwise into eighths). Add the artichokes to the pot.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer until the artichokes and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
6. Strain the potatoes and artichokes from the pot into a serving dish or bowl. Bring the remaining liquid to a gentle simmer and cook until the liquid reduces to a glaze, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and pour the glaze over the artichokes and potatoes, tossing to coat. Serve warm or cold.
Each serving: 102 calories; 3 grams protein; 16 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 689 mg. sodium.
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Turnip and red pepper salad
Total time: 15 minutes plus wilting time for the vegetables and chilling time for the salad
Servings: 8
Note: Adapted from Got Kosher? Provisions.
2 turnips
1 small red bell pepper
1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided, more to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
1. Stem the turnips, then peel their white outer skin, leaving as much of the purple skin attached as possible. Quarter the turnips lengthwise, then slice them lengthwise as thinly as possible, no thicker than one-eighth inch, preferably on a mandoline.
2. Stem and seed the bell pepper and slice similarly into very thin lengthwise strips.
3. In a large bowl, combine the turnip and pepper slices. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt over the slices and toss to completely combine. Set the mixture aside for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour, until the slices are wilted.
4. Place the wilted slices in a colander and run under cold water to remove all traces of salt. Drain and place in a medium bowl.
5. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
Each serving: 13 calories; 0 protein; 3 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 0 fat; 0 cholesterol; 457 mg. sodium.
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T’fina pkaila with beef
Total time: 3 hours, 15 minutes plus 2 to 2 1/2 hours cooking time for the spinach.
Servings: 8
Note: Adapted from Got Kosher? Provisions. The original recipe includes osbana, a homemade sausage, in place of the kosher smoked andouille.
3 pounds fresh spinach leaves
3 cups olive oil
2 quarts water
1/2 pound navy beans, large if possible, preferably soaked overnight
2 large onions, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 fresh mint leaves, or 3 teaspoons dried mint
1 stick cinnamon, or 1/8 teaspoon ground
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 calf’s foot, optional
1 pound boneless beef shank, cut into 3- to 4-ounce pieces, or beef cheeks (use 3- to 5- ounce cheeks, depending on your preference)
1 pound couscous
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt, divided
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound kosher sausage, preferably smoked andouille
2 cups boiling water
1. Stem the spinach and wash it thoroughly. Drain.
2. Place a large, heavy-bottom pot over high heat and add the olive oil and spinach. (You may need to add in batches, stirring until each batch wilts before adding the next.)
3. As soon as any remaining water has evaporated from the leaves and they just begin to fry, lower the heat. Gently cook the leaves, stirring frequently. (If they burn, the dish must be started over again.) Cook the leaves until they are of an almost jam-like consistency and are greenish-black in color (this is called the “black gold” stage), about 1 1/2 to 2 hours (timing will vary depending on the heat of the oil and thickness of the pot).
4. Remove the pot from the heat. Strain the spinach from the oil, and place the spinach in a bowl. To the oil in the pot, add 2 quarts water, the beans, onion, garlic, mint, cinnamon and black pepper. Stir in the calf’s foot if using.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, stir in the spinach and beef, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, until the meat is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (The liquid level will reduce as the t’fina cooks and should ultimately have a sauce-like consistency; if the liquid evaporates too quickly, add additional water as needed until the meat is tender.)
6. Meanwhile, make the couscous: Place the couscous in a large shallow glass baking pan and stir in 1 tablespoon salt and the canola oil. Spread the couscous into a thin, even layer, then pour over the 2 cups boiling water and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set the couscous aside for 5 to 10 minutes until the water is absorbed, then uncover and fluff the couscous gently with a fork. Set aside in a warm place until the t’fina is ready.
7. When the meat is tender, stir in the sausage and remaining teaspoon salt. Continue to cook the t’fina until the sausage is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Strain any excess oil from the pan and discard. Season to taste with additional salt if desired.
8. On a large plate or platter, mound the couscous. Using a slotted spoon, plate the t’fina on another platter (a deep, pasta-style platter) with the meat, sausage and optional calf’s foot arranged on top. Spoon additional sauce, as desired, over the dish. Serve immediately.
Each serving: 727 calories; 39 grams protein; 72 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams fiber; 33 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 54 mg. cholesterol; 1,775 mg. sodium.
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Apple and honey challah
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes plus rising times
Servings: 10
Note: Adapted from Got Kosher? Provisions. This recipe requires the use of a stand mixer.
1 tablespoon instant yeast
3 cups (13.5 ounces) bread flour, divided, plus extra for kneading
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon honey, divided
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 apples, preferably Braeburn or Golden Delicious
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer using a whisk attachment, combine the yeast, one-fourth cup flour and the warm water, whisking until smooth. Set aside until the yeast begins to foam, about 10 minutes.
2. Whisk in one-fourth cup honey, the oil and 2 eggs until well-incorporated. In a separate medium bowl, sift together the remaining flour with the salt and sugar.
3. Replace the whisk with the dough hook and begin mixing at low speed. Add the flour mixture, 1 spoonful at a time, until all is incorporated. Mix the dough for 6 to 8 minutes at medium-low speed to develop the dough; it will be very wet and sticky and will not form a ball. Remove to a well-floured surface and gently knead, adding a little flour at a time (up to one-half cup), until the dough is elastic, soft and only slightly sticky, 1 to 2 additional minutes. (The more flour you incorporate, the firmer the dough, resulting in a denser final loaf.)
4. Place the dough in a large, clean, oiled bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel or with a loose sheet of plastic wrap. Set the bowl aside in a warm place until the dough is doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
5. While the dough is rising, prepare the apples. Peel and core the apples, then cut each into 8 slices. Cut each slice crosswise into 4 pieces. Toss the apples with the lemon juice to prevent them from coloring. You should have 1 3/4 cups diced apple (discard any extra apple).
6. Whisk the remaining egg and teaspoon of honey in a small bowl to form the egg wash.
7. Roll the dough on a well-floured surface into a long strand 2 1/2 to 3 feet in length and 6 inches wide. Scatter the apples and raisins over the length of the dough, then roll the dough crosswise over the apples (as with cinnamon rolls), and seal the ends with the egg wash.
8. To make the high-rising spiral shape common for Rosh Hashana, wind the strand to form a spiral (the tighter the spiral, the higher the final loaf), making sure the outer end of the spiral is tucked under to prevent it from unraveling while the challah bakes.
9. Place the challah on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush it with the egg wash, then scatter the sesame seeds evenly over the top.
10. Cover the challah loosely with greased plastic wrap and proof until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours. When the challah is almost proofed, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
11. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the challah in the center of the oven until browned on top, the bottom of the loaf is dry when lifted, and a thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reaches 190 degrees, about 35 to 45 minutes. (Timing will vary depending on the tightness of the spiral and density of the loaf). Rotate the challah after the first 20 minutes for even coloring. Remove the challah from the baking sheet, and cool on a rack before serving.
Each serving: 313 calories; 8 grams protein; 57 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 63 mg. cholesterol; 373 mg. sodium.
