Scottsdale’s Congregation Beth Israel (CBI) member Janie Kuznitsky once taught Hollywood celebrities how to cook as a culinary instructor in California and worked alongside chef icons James Beard and Julia Child.
Kuznitsky worked for the upscale kitchenware store Williams-Sonoma when she first met Child at a cooking demonstration show in California. They started chatting and whenever Child needed a specialty item for the kitchen, Kuznitsky would get it for her.
“She was just a wonderful person. I spent many, many happy times with Julia,” said Kuznitsky. “She used to call me whenever she needed someone to come and help at a book signing. I just had all sorts of great adventures with her.”
“Our CBI Table,” a CBI cookbook, was used as a fundraiser for the restoration of the synagogue’s social hall. Kuznitsky served as committee co-chair and co-editor, along with Gale Gradus. The book was also in keeping with a CBI tradition of publishing a cookbook every 25 years. The synagogue’s centennial celebration in 2020 happened during the pandemic, so the fourth iteration was delayed until 2023.
“When we put out the word that we wanted to do a cookbook and recipes were welcome, it was a resounding success. We had over 150 participants; we had 12-year-olds and we had 90-year-olds contribute,” she said. The 200-page cookbook took four months to complete and in addition to the new submissions, Kuznitsky went back to the last cookbook and included some recipes in memory of members who had passed.
“The book is not only a cookbook; it is also filled with cooking hints such as everything you need to have in your pantry, food quantities for large servings, cooking terms, measurements, substitutions and equivalency charts,” said Kuznitsky.
CBI member Christine Leva created the art on the cover of the cookbook. Before moving to Scottsdale, Leva took a beginning watercolor class in 2005 at Spokane Arts Studio in Washington State and has continued to study the medium.
The cover “needed to showcase Shabbat with candles, wine and challah in a natural, peaceful setting to recite the Hebrew blessings,” as stated inside the book, she said.
Leva shared that she has had the chance to try many of the recipes in the cookbook.
“They are all totally delicious because they’ve been made over and over again,” she said. “There’s a lot of history and tradition behind these recipes.”
Leva said that although many of the recipes in the cookbook can be modified for Passover, the recipes shared in this piece are specifically geared toward the holiday.
To order “Our CBI Table,” visit cbiaz.org.
GRANDMOTHER PAULA’S PASSOVER MANDEL BREAD
By Sam Klein
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
4-5 large eggs
2 cups matzah cake meal
3/4 cup potato starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon reserved
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts or slivered almonds (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, cream together the melted butter, 1 cup sugar, vanilla and almond extract. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until combined, then mix in the chocolate chips and nuts (if using).
Depending on the consistency, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill until firm. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On the prepared sheet, form the dough into 2 or 3 logs (2 inches by 13 inches by 1 inch). Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Bake for 23-35 minutes or until lightly golden, rotating the pans midway through. Remove from the oven and slice logs while still warm.
Note: To make a crunchy cookie more like a traditional biscotti, return the cookies for a second bake after slicing. The timing depends on how hard you want the cookies to be. They will get crunchier the longer they stand.
PASSOVER VEGETABLE CUPS
By Roberta Scharf
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons margarine
20 ounces frozen chopped spinach
4 carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup matzah meal
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons Passover instant chicken soup mix
Margarine to grease muffin tins or use paper liners
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sauté onions in 2 tablespoons margarine. Cook spinach until defrosted. Drain and squeeze out all water. Add grated carrots to the spinach. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Pour mixture into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 40-50 minutes.
GEFILTE FISH LOAF
By Laurie Schwartz
Ingredients:
1 (6.4 ounce) can or jar white pike fish
2 large onions
2 large carrots
2 large stalks celery
1/2 cup parsley
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup matzah meal
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
Paprika
Directions:
In a food processor, mix all vegetables until fine. Mash the fish in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup reserved jelly from fish, then add the vegetable mixture. Add the eggs. Add the matzah meal, mayonnaise, pepper and sugar to the mixture. Spread in a 9x13-inch baking pan sprayed with nonstick vegetable oil. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 1 hour. Cool and refrigerate. Best made 24 hours in advance to allow the flavors to mellow.
PASSOVER BAGELS
By Jacki Cohen
Ingredients:
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups matzah meal
4 eggs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring oil, water, salt and sugar to a boil. Add matzah meal and mix well. Beat in one egg at a time. Allow to stand for 15 minutes. With wet hands, make small balls and put on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 50 minutes.
Note: Do not double this recipe. JN
