food

Significance of the holiday table

While the symbolism of dipping apples in honey for a sweet new year is well-known, many other foods have added meaning at this time of year, too. (photo from pxhere.com)

To prepare for the most holy days of the Jewish calendar, many people reflect on the past year and some contact those in their lives they may have wronged, asking for forgiveness. Another set of people may be planning what to wear to shul for the two regular annual appearances they make, and some are just doing their best to get back in to the swing of the school year. One of the only things we all do, every single one of us no matter how observant we are of Jewish laws and customs, is eat.

This year, Congregation Beth Israel offered a cooking series for anyone interested in getting in touch with the food side of the holidays. I had the privilege of conducting this three-part series for members of the shul, touching on three distinct ways of looking at holiday cooking.

Jewish cuisine is incredibly diverse, so it was difficult to narrow the themes and recipe choices. I didn’t want to omit the important contributions that Ethiopian Jews or Jews from India have made to the range of recipes we call Jewish food, but, with only three classes, choices had to be made. Luckily, the classes were so popular, the cultures that were underrepresented this time will be explored in classes to come. Hopefully, there will be classes at many different synagogues around the Lower Mainland in the coming year.

The first class at BI focused on Sephardi-Mizrachi food. Sephardi cooking is specifically the cuisine of Jews who trace their heritage to Spain, those Jews who ended up in North Africa, the western parts of the Middle East, as well as some places in Europe, such as Greece. Mizrachi Jews are from farther east, those who may trace their lineage back to the expulsion of Jews from Israel after the destruction of the First Temple, the Babylonian exile. This ancient community spread to other parts of Asia and has a delicious set of foods as well.

A uniting factor for all the cuisines, if one keeps kosher, is the adherence to the laws of kashrut. Availability of ingredients is always a factor when preparing food and, as evidenced by the similarity of Jewish foods to the cuisine of our non-Jewish neighbours, Jewish food is, in essence, food of the world interpreted through a kosher or cultural lens. For example, Italian Jews have their own unique traditions, tracing back to their expulsion from Israel after the destruction of the Second Temple. One creative interpretation of a locally popular Italian food that would have been off limits to observant Jews is prosciutto. Innovative medieval Jews in northern Italy created goose prosciutto, making a trayf delicacy kosher.

My second class in the series centred on Ashkenazi cooking for the High Holidays. Originating in Eastern and Central Europe, these foods are heavily influenced by Slavic and Germanic cuisines. The availability of spices was more limited in Europe back in the day, and the traditional recipes are relatively bland and, in many cases, simple compared to those of our coreligionists to the east.

Unfortunately, the dearth of ingredients had no bearing on the eagerness of our Ashkenazi sages and scholars for limiting the foods to be eaten on various holidays. Many people know of the stringent restrictions on kitniyot for Passover, for example: the beans, lentils, corn and rice that Ashkenazi Jews are traditionally forbidden to eat during Pesach while other Jews happily eat pilafs and lentil soup. Rosh Hashanah is no different.

While not forbidden, there is a strong recommendation to avoid eating nuts. Why? Two reasons. Nuts were understood by medieval scholars to create extra phlegm and would, therefore, cause nut-eaters to disturb the fervent prayer of fellow congregants. Second, and more universally applicable, the sages attributed mystical meaning to the words for many foods, counting the numerical value of their letters (known as gematria) and equating it with other words of significance. The Hebrew word for nut, egoz, has a value of 17, which is the same as the word for sin, or chet, in Hebrew. Therefore, it was concluded that Jews should avoid eating “sins” so close to the time of judgment.

Gematria is also infused into many of the foods we consider symbolic for our spiritual well-being. Gourds and pumpkins are thought to bring us victory over our enemies, beans multiply our merits, and leeks and cabbage are lucky. Round foods like peas, or foods made round, like the challahs this time of year, symbolize the continuing cycle of life. There are many more examples. So, eat up! We want to get as many of these good things in before the final judgment comes down at the end of Yom Kippur!

Pomegranate is also traditionally eaten for Rosh Hashanah. There are two reasons for this. It is one of the seven species listed in the Torah that will be found in the Land of Israel but, also, mystically, it has been said that there are 613 seeds in a pomegranate: the same number of mitzvot in the Torah. Therefore, eating this fruit at this time of year symbolically gives us a leg up on fulfilling as many of the commandments from the Torah in the coming year as possible.

The final class in my series focused on embracing the local food scene and bringing locally available seasonal produce to the High Holiday table because the basis of this series was showcasing new recipes imbued with the kind of Jewish reasoning that has kept the Jewish people both rooted in tradition and relevant to our current time and place. Food is one of the things that unites and gives us a sense of belonging – to our culture, our family and potentially, our spirituality.

Michelle Dodek attended culinary school before the pandemic. She is a long-time contributor to the Jewish Independent, an educator and a balabusta, to boot. Watch for her Jewish food classes.

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photo - carrots — Carrots have lots of symbolism related to this time of year, including the resemblance of a round slice to a coin (prosperity) and, for Ashkenazi Jews, the similarity of the word for carrot (mern) to the word for increase/multiply (mehr), as in our good deeds should be multiplied in the coming year. *(photo from pexels.com)*

MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD
(Adapted from Adeena Sussman’s Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals from My Table to Yours, this recipe takes about 50 minutes to prepare and yields 4 cups.)

1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled, if necessary
2 tsp honey or silan
1 large lemon or lime
1 clove garlic, grated (optional)
1 tsp cumin (or up to 1 1/2 tsp)
1-2 tsp harissa (to taste)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)*
1 tsp kosher salt
4 Medjool dates pitted, sliced

Cook carrots in salted water until just fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Watch that you don’t overcook them, nobody wants mushy carrot salad. Drain and cool. Meanwhile, mince the herbs and zest then juice the lemon into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk in oil, salt, honey, cumin and garlic. Cut the carrots into coins and coat with dressing. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Serve immediately or hold in the fridge for up to five days. The flavours benefit from a day or two to mellow in the fridge, which is excellent when you need to prepare ahead for a large group.

*Some people intensely dislike cilantro. Make a few portions without it if you’re having a lot of people over for dinner and you don’t know their preferences, or omit it if you’re one of those people.

Victoria’s new market

The grand opening of Essential Kosher on March 26. Cutting the ribbon are Rebbetzin Chani and Rabbi Meir Kaplan, centre, and Essential Kosher co-managers Zev Kantorovich, left, with wife Andrea and daughter Stephie, and David Franco, second from the right, with his wife, Claudia, and son, Jacob. (photo by David J. Litvak)

Victoria’s observant Jewish community can now do one-stop shopping – at a new kosher market.

Essential Kosher opened March 26. The brainchild of Rabbi Meir Kaplan of Chabad of Vancouver Island, the market is co-managed by two Mexican Jews, David Franco and Zev Kantorovich, who came to Victoria with their respective families to embark on a Canadian adventure together.

Until now, Jewish residents of Victoria had limited options in purchasing kosher food. They could buy challah from Chabad before Shabbat, a selection of kosher products from Fernwood General Store, and products with hechshers (kosher certifications) in various local supermarkets. Kosher meat and poultry would have to be shipped in from places like Omnitsky’s in Vancouver.

photo - Essential Kosher in Victoria, adjacent to Chabad of Vancouver Island, is open Sundays to Fridays — Essential Kosher in Victoria, adjacent to Chabad of Vancouver Island, is open Sundays to Fridays. *(*photo by David J. Litvak*)*

Kaplan said he conceived of the idea of a kosher market after concluding that “no affordable kosher food was available on the island, which made it very difficult for people to keep kosher in Victoria and the rest of Vancouver Island.

“The idea became a reality once we realized that we had a space next to the synagogue that could accommodate a market, and we had two Jewish families who moved here from Mexico and who were looking to do something for the community,” he said. “It turned out be a great opportunity and a match made in heaven for all of us.”

Both the Franco and Kantorovich families had established businesses in Mexico.

Kantorovich’s grandfather, Kiva, migrated from Russia during the Second World War and, starting from scratch, opened a hardware store in downtown Mexico City. The store survived for more than 70 years and could have continued, but, after managing it for 30 years, Kantorovich decided to sell the business, hoping for a fresh start someplace else.

Franco had a company that sold plastic bags used for food packaging but decided to leave Mexico, he said, because of “the growing insecurity and increasing crime rates” and out of a desire “to look for a better place for our son to grow up.”

The two families chose to move to Victoria because Franco’s wife, Claudia, and Kantorovich’s wife, Andrea, both had an opportunity to pursue master’s degrees at Royal Roads University. While the Franco family had never been to Victoria before, the Kantoroviches had fallen in love with the city when their cruise ship to Alaska stopped there for a day. This short stay was the catalyst for the two families, who are close friends, to move to Victoria together.

The families were invited by Kaplan for a Shabbat dinner, and their connection to Jewish life in Victoria began.

The Chabad community “has been especially kind to us, even though we are not Orthodox,” said Franco. “They include all kinds of Jewish families in their programs and events and make everyone feel at home.”

Franco likes that the Victoria Jewish community is growing, and offering more educational opportunities and activities for children. He remarked “how warm and welcoming people have been here.

“Back home, people tend to be a bit more distant or indifferent,” he said.

Mexico City’s Jewish community is much larger than that of Victoria.

“Victoria feels calm, friendly and full of nature,” said Franco.

Initially, Franco and Kantorovich were thinking about opening a business on their own, however, Kaplan convinced them to open a kosher store “because the community really needed one and he also explained how kosher supplies were missing.”

The three of them decided to run the store together.

“Rabbi Kaplan supports and guides the store, and we manage the store on a day-to-day basis,” said Franco.

The market, which is open Sundays to Fridays, offers a variety of kosher items, including meat, cold cuts and poultry, Chalav Yisrael dairy products, grape juice and gefilte fish, Israeli snacks and fresh baked challah every Friday, which is baked by Rebbetzin Chani Kaplan, with her family sometimes sharing baking and cooking duties with her. Soon, customers should be able to shop online, and additional products will be available. Opening just prior to Passover, Essential Kosher offered customers kosher-for-Passover items.

For more information about the market, visit chabadvi.org or email [email protected].

David J. Litvak is a prairie refugee from the North End of Winnipeg who is a freelance writer and publicist, and a mashgiach at Louis Brier Home and Hospital. His articles have been published in the Forward, Globe and Mail and Seattle Post-Intelligencer. His website is cascadiapublicity.com.

Ex-pats make good in Israel

Former Montrealers Shmarya and Lainie Richler opened their first Muffin Boutique in Jerusalem in 2014; their second, in 2023. (photo by Adina Horwich)

My interview with Muffin Boutique owners Lainie and Shmarya Richler took place on the afternoon following the US airstrike on Fordow and other Iranian nuclear facilities. It was 2 o’clock on Sunday and the couple took time out from their breathlessly busy schedule to sit with me at their Talpiot location, minutes from Haas Promenade, aka Tayelet Armon Hanetziv, in Jerusalem.

I have been coming to this coffee shop almost every Tuesday afternoon for almost a year. As a participant in the Anglo Women’s group, which was initially supported by the local community centre, we are encouraged to meet and eat. Facilitated by Helena Flusfeder and Rachel Beenstock, we enjoy a hot or cold beverage, salad, bagel with a variety of spreads, a slice of cake or a muffin, good company and laughs. Another of the members is native Montrealer Paula Dubrow, Lainie’s mother.

photo - A Canadian flag flies beside the province of Quebec’s fleur-de-lis — A Canadian flag flies beside the province of Quebec’s fleur-de-lis. *(photo by Adina Horwich)*

The café, which has indoor and outdoor seating for about 30 people, was busy, while the rest of the city felt deserted. I introduced myself, sharing my own Montreal experiences as an adolescent from 1969 to 1975. While the younger Richlers used to live in the very Jewish neighbourhoods of Côte Saint-Luc and adjacent Hampstead, I had lived in the suburbs, with a much smaller Jewish presence.

Shmarya hails from the large and prominent Richler family, most famous of whom was his first cousin, author Mordecai Richler. Shmarya’s mother, a survivor from Hungary, immigrated after the Second World War. Lainie’s paternal grandmother was English, as was my paternal grandfather.

We discussed their decision to make aliyah. It was always in the cards, they said, both having been raised in Modern Orthodox and Zionist homes. They studied at Jewish day schools and attended Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem Synagogue in Montreal. As teens, both were active in the Bnei Akiva youth movement, which is where they met and later started dating. Lainie studied and completed a master’s in psychology, while Shmarya majored in commerce. They married and had three children.

In 1995, they moved to Israel, living at first in Beit Shemesh, later and currently, in Efrat. Two more children were born here.

Lainie had intended to work in her field, but, as is wont to happen for immigrants to many countries, ran into the profession’s licensing body demands that, for her credentials to be recognized, she would need to take further studies. Since Lainie was trying to acclimatize to life’s challenges with a newborn, she preferred to shift her focus to that and raising the other children.

She became involved in various exercise classes, giving them at community centres and other venues around Gush Etzion. Nutrition was a subject that had captured her interest, too, so she delved into that, taking a training course and becoming a certified alternative nutrition counselor.

Shmarya worked at first for a foreign company, then at a few Israeli startups, in high-tech, but the sector was continually growing and the jobs became increasingly demanding.

Needing to support a family of five kids, while coping with the everyday adjustments of aliyah, the couple began to wonder what to do. Their vision for retirement had been to run a B & B in the Galil or Golan. They thought, why not bring that idea forward, adapting it to their current situation.

Friends and family were skeptical, saying they were unrealistic, out of their depth; many a naysayer told them it would never work. But Lainie was determined to give it a go. She had always loved baking and cooking, informally making and selling muffins to friends and neighbours. She improved by testing many a recipe and soliciting feedback.

Shmarya was reluctant at first, but soon agreed. He took a government-sponsored course at MATI (Jerusalem Business Development Centre), which trains and assists people interested in starting a small business. He was mentored by someone who took a serious interest and fully backed the couple’s plans, believing they could and would succeed.

photo - A Quebec licence plate – sporting the Quebecois nationalist slogan “Je me souviens” (“I remember”) – is prominently displayed behind the counter — A Quebec licence plate – sporting the Quebecois nationalist slogan “Je me souviens” (“I remember”) – is prominently displayed behind the counter. (photo by Adina Horwich)

Their first shop opened in 2014 on Jerusalem’s fashionable and ever-popular Ben Yehuda Street, a key menu component being Montreal-style bagels. And the store is replete with Canadiana. A Quebec licence plate – sporting the Quebecois nationalist slogan “Je me souviens” (“I remember”) – is prominently displayed behind the counter. It brings a half-smile to my face.

The second location, where I was conducting my interview, opened nearly two years ago. Scheduled to open Oct. 10, 2023, just days after the tragic events of Oct. 7, the opening was delayed – but only by a couple of weeks. When the doors opened on Oct. 23, the Richlers could barely keep up with the crowds. Locals warmly welcomed a chance to reaffirm their lives.

Ever since, this has been the local go-to café – the place is open 11 hours a day. Behind the register, a Canadian flag flies beside the province of Quebec’s fleur-de-lis.

photo - Both Muffin Boutiques prominently features the Richlers’ Canadian roots — Both Muffin Boutiques prominently features the Richlers’ Canadian roots. *(photo by Adina Horwich)*

Shmarya runs between the two branches, overseeing operations, keeping an eye on inventory, dealing with suppliers, expenses and all matters related to the running of the business.

Lainie is in charge of getting the daily, on-site baking up and running, with the help of a dedicated and hardworking staff. The restaurant serves coffee and breakfast from 8 a.m., while also accepting orders from their dairy menu for events, be they an office party or a family simcha. This aspect of the business comprises some 30% of its income. Everything is prepared fresh daily, using only natural ingredients, under Lainie’s expert watch and Badatz Mehadarin hechser (kosher certification).

Many employees have worked at both of the locations, most are native or near-native English speakers. This is vital, as the clientele is largely Anglo olim (immigrants).

Every effort is made to maintain a family atmosphere – two of the Richlers’ children regularly work the counter – with friendly, personal service.

When you come to Jerusalem, do pay a visit to the Muffin Boutique, either at 16 Ben Yehuda or 13 Daniel Yanovsky, and have a nosh. Tell them Adina sent you!

Adina Horwich was born in Israel to Canadian parents. In 1960, the family returned to Canada, first living in Halifax, then in a Montreal suburb. In 1975, at age 17, Horwich made aliyah, and has lived mostly in the Jerusalem area. She won a Rockower Award for journalistic excellence in covering Zionism, aliyah and Israel for her article “Immigration challenges.”

Love and learning

People from many cultures show love via food and, of course, Jews are no exception. And what a palate our culture has, since we have lived in so many places. Two children’s books from Collective Book Studio, one new and one from recent years, highlight the flavourful diversity of Jewish culture, while teaching other valuable lessons.

Coming out this August, Tali and the Timeless Time by Mira Z. Amiras, with illustrations by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne, shares the love of a granddaughter for her grandmother, and vice versa. Every Friday, Tali helps her nona get ready for Shabbat. Nona gives hugs, tells stories, still tries to get Tali to nap, even though she’s older now. When Nona dozes off, Tali explores in the backyard, cleans up the small fountain there, feeds the goldfish. When Nona awakes, it’s time to cook.

“We bake!” says Tali. “Today, it’s bourekas, yummy for eating. Nona makes them with filo (which it turns out is cheating). She says her nona let her ’cause it doesn’t need kneading.”

The week before, the pair made stuffed grape leaves – yaprakas, dolma or dolmades. Nona’s favourite dish is huevos (eggs) cooked in tomatoes with feta and arroz (rice).

While Tali’s grandmother might get Tali’s name wrong, or forget a word or two, she has these recipes ingrained in her.

“I’m having big thoughts,” says Tali, “but Nona’s not listening – she’s singing ‘chakchouka,’ it’s sometimes called, not just huevos, in the Holy Land, Tunisia and the land of the pharaohs. In Mexico, it’s a lot like huevos rancheros….” But Nona loses focus, she starts dancing with “her zills and her fans.” Tali finishes making dinner, the pair eat together, then dance some more.

In another role reversal, Tali tucks Nona into bed for the night, not sure she should leave her alone. Luckily, Tali and her family live nearby.

It’s a lovely book, “timeless time” being a beautiful description of a day spent with a loved one, doing this and that, in no particular order, sharing stories, mixing up past with present, making memories that will adapt over time.

Family and food are also at the heart of 1, 2, 3 Nosh with Me, written by Micah and Joshua Siva, and illustrated by Sviatoslav Franko, which was published a couple of years ago. In it, the dog Buckwheat shows us the yummy food the family eats, starting with the “One golden challah, to celebrate Shabbat…” We work our way up to “Ten crispy latkes, served by candlelight.” In between, we have matzah balls, matzot, kugel, knishes, apples for a sweet new year, sufganiyot, bagels and hamantashen. (It’s not clear why the Hanukkah treats are separated, but that’s a quibble.)

Tali covers a few Sephardi staples and Buckwheat has the Ashkenazi favourites down. Between the two books, the breadth of world Jewry, as seen through just some of its traditional foods, is impressive.

From the JI archives … yum

While the odd recipe or food-related article can be found in the Jewish Western Bulletin even before it became the Bulletin, regular food columns or special sections seemed to have become a part of the paper under Sam and Mona Kaplan, who owned the paper from 1960 to 1999. The Independent has carried on the tradition, with its annual Food & Drink issue, which you hold in your hand, and with the inclusion of recipes in our three holiday issues, Rosh Hashanah, Hanukkah and Passover. One thing that becomes apparent in flipping through the archives is that tastes change, and not every recipe, or recipe name, withstands the test of time.

Unique meals for Passover

Ilan Rabchinskey’s photograph of Tamarind Street Corn Cups in Sabor Judío: The Jewish Mexican Cookbook inspired me to make them. (photo by Ilan Rabchinskey)

Since reviewing Sabor Judío: The Jewish Mexican Cookbook by Ilan Stavans and Margaret E. Boyle for the Independent’s Hanukkah issue, I’ve tried several more recipes. And I’ve really enjoyed everything. So much so, that I pulled out the cookbook to try some Passover meals, and found some foods I would never have thought to make.

Stavans and Boyle have a section on Passover (Pésaj) in which they discuss some of the Mexican Jewish traditions. For example, some families incorporate Mexican history into the seder discussions, and the bitter herbs on the seder plate can include a variety chiles. They list 12 seder favourites, but, throughout the cookbook, they point out which dishes – like Stuffed Artichoke Hearts – are considered essential components of the Passover meal by some.

photo - Snapper Ceviche con Maror, from Sabor Judío: The Jewish Mexican Cookbook by Ilan Stavans and Margaret E. Boyle — Snapper Ceviche con Maror, from Sabor Judío: The Jewish Mexican Cookbook by Ilan Stavans and Margaret E. Boyle. *(photo by Ilan Rabchinskey)*

Of the seder favourites, I made Snapper Ceviche con Maror, Tamarind Street Corn Cups, Apricot Almond Charoset Truffles and Tahini Brownies. The photos by Ilan Rabchinskey drew me into the corn cups, as I’m not a huge corn fan and might not have made them otherwise. I will do so again, however – they were easy, and they were a very tasty break from the ordinary. The snapper ceviche, too, will be a repeat, and the brownies were some of the best I’ve tasted, not too sweet, and very light, almost fluffy, but moist – I broke up a chocolate bar instead of using chocolate chips, which worked really well, and the sea salt on the top tasted so good. While the truffles were also delicious, they tasted more familiar, and were very date forward – I might try to mix up the date-apricot balance when I make them again.

The Jewish connections were obvious for some of these recipes, not so much for others. The snapper is served with a dollop of horseradish: “The use of maror, or horseradish, in this recipe was an invention during a Passover seder in Mexico City, creating a savoury contrast among the fish, the jalapeño and the horseradish,” write Stavans and Boyle.

The Jewish link to the corn cups is that the tamarind-flavoured hard candies the recipe calls for – Tamalitoz – were created by Jack Bessudo, who is of Mexican Jewish descent, and his husband, Declan Simmons. Since Tamalitoz are not available here, I bought another tamarind-flavoured candy from a local Mexican store and it worked quite well.

The brownies recipe comes from Israeli immigrants to Mexico, who shared with the cookbook writers that “tahini is also infused into their adaptations of mole, the sesame flavour substituting for more common varieties that rely on peanut or almond.”

Chag sameach!

SNAPPER CEVICHE CON MAROR
(serves 6; prep time 25 min plus chilling)

3/4 cup fresh lime
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 small jalapeño chile, seeds removed, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 small yellow bell pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 small garlic clove, minced, grated, or pushed through a press
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 pound red snapper fillets, skin removed
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
prepared horseradish, for topping (optional)

1. In a large bowl, stir together the lime juice, lemon juice, jalapeño chile, red and yellow bell peppers, red onion, garlic, cumin and salt.

2 . Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut the fish fillets into 1/2-inch pieces and add to the citrus mixture, stirring to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Just before serving, stir in the cilantro and oil. Serve immediately, dolloped with horseradish, if desired.

TAMARIND STREET CORN CUPS
(serves 4; prep time 40 min)

for the corn
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 large white onion, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 serrano chile, seeds removed, if desired, and finely chopped
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 fresh epazote leaves (whole) or 1 tsp dried oregano
5 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 10 cobs of corn, or use frozen corn kernels)
2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup mayonnaise

for serving
crumbled Cotija cheese
crushed chile piquin or red pepper flakes
crushed Tamalitoz candies, tamarind flavour
fresh lime juice

1. Melt the butter in a large frying pan set over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the serrano chile, salt and epazote leaves (or oregano), followed by the corn kernels and the water. (The water should barely cover the mixture.) Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is tender and the liquid has almost completely evaporated, 30-35 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

3. Remove from the heat and discard the epazote. Add the mayonnaise and stir to combine.

4. Divide the corn mixture into four tall cups. Top with the Cotija cheese, chile piquin and crushed tamarind candies, to taste. Drizzle each cup with a little lime juice just before serving.

TAHINI BROWNIES
(serves 6; prep time 15 min, baking time 22 min)

3 tbsp almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup well-stirred tahini
4 ounces baking chocolate, roughly chopped
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips
flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

1. Heat the oven to 350˚F and lightly grease an 8-by-8-inch dish. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder and kosher salt and set aside.

2. Combine the oil, tahini and chopped baking chocolate in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat and cook, stirring often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the eggs and sugar until frothy, 3-5 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla, followed by the cooled chocolate mixture.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine, then fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top, then sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt. Bake until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean, 18-22 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

APRICOT ALMOND CHAROSET TRUFFLES
(makes about 3 dozen; prep time 15 min plus chilling)

2 cups pitted and chopped medjool dates
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup roasted salted almonds
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp sweet red wine (or grape juice)

1. Working in batches, add the dates, apricots, raisins, almonds and honey to a food processor and pulse until a textured paste forms. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the wine, 1 tablespoon at a time.

2. Scoop out tablespoons of the mixture and, using lightly moistened hands, roll them into balls. Place the truffles on a baking sheet or large plate lined with parchment paper as you go.

3. Refrigerate the truffles (uncovered is fine) for 2 hours, then transfer to a container with a lid and continue to refrigerate until needed. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy weekend in Montreal

A bike tour with Fitz Montreal. (photo © Fitz and Follwell Co)

There’s nothing like a weekend in Montreal, whether you’re in the mood for a classic bagel, a mouthwatering babka dripping with chocolate, or a heaping smoked meat sandwich from Schwartz’s Deli. Now that Porter Airlines has launched direct daily flights between Vancouver and Montreal, it’s a great time to explore this fabulous city, which oozes with personality, culture, history and great food.

We joined a fast-paced bike tour to see the city’s highlights, pedaling 15 kilometres through green alleyways, busy boulevards and along the Lachine Canal to get a broad overview of Montreal’s history. We rode through the Old Quarter, with its ancient stone buildings, following the canal past factories and warehouses reincarnated into swanky apartments. We puffed up the hill to the base of Mount Royal and zipped back down past the austere buildings of McGill University.

At Place d’Armes, we stopped to gaze at a pair of statues called “The Two Snobs.” On one side, a Francophone woman holds her poodle, looking with contempt at the head office of the Bank of Montreal, a symbol of English power. On the other, an Anglophone holds his pug, looking with similar disdain at the Notre-Dame Basilica, a symbol of the Catholic Church in Quebec. The statues hint loudly at the enduring, simmering tensions between English and French in Montreal.

photo - The Old Quarter of Montreal — The Old Quarter of Montreal. *(photo © Freddy Arciniegas – Arcpixel – Tourisme Montréal)*

We escaped the tourist crowds in the Old Quarter by heading to Mile End to join a food and history tour offered by the Museum of Jewish Montreal. Our guide, Avery Monette, a 23-year-old master’s student at Concordia, led us on a gastronomic feast as she described the city’s Jewish origins in 1760. That’s when Jews first arrived in Montreal to work as fur trade merchants. The community stayed small until the 1880s, when pogroms drove Eastern European Jews to the safety of Montreal’s Mile End. Over the next 90 years, it would become the largest Jewish community in Canada.

We bit into a sweet, rich cheese crown from Boulangerie Cheskie, a small kosher bakery in the neighbourhood, and then braved the cold wind to line up outside St-Viateur Bagel, one of Montreal’s two most famous bagel shops. Established in 1957 by Hyman Zeligman and Myer Lewkowicz, the store never closes. Ever. “In April 2023, there was an ice and snowstorm that knocked out all the electricity in the area,” Monette recalled. “Even then, this place was open!”

We strolled along rue Jeanne-Mance in Mile End, where frum families pushed strollers alongside us and a man wearing a shtreimel strode by, headed for the synagogue with his tallit tucked under his arm. The Jewish influence was easily spotted, with most houses having mezuzot on their doors and many with the skeleton of a sukkah in their front yard.

By the 1950s, Jews in Montreal had migrated to the middle class, and many left Mile End for larger homes in Côte Saint-Luc, Hampstead and Côte-des-Neiges. We passed the College Français, once the home of the B’nai Jacob Synagogue, which was known as the Carnegie Hall of cantorial singing in its heyday.

Our Vancouver jackets were feeling pretty inadequate in Montreal weather by the time we arrived at Fairmount Bagel, where the line out the door was even longer than at St-Viateur. Once inside, we were surrounded by garlic, pumpernickel, cranberry and muesli bagels, as well as matzah with sesame, onion and poppy seeds. While none of it is kosher, the store is still owned by the same Shlafman family that first opened it in 1949.

A few doors away is Wilensky’s, a small restaurant with origins in 1932 and family members still at the helm. With its Formica counters, bar stools and what could easily be the world’s tiniest washroom, the store feels like a 1930s time capsule. Monette orders the Wilensky Special, an original family recipe featuring beef salami, beef bologna and mustard on a grilled roll. No special requests or modifications are allowed, not for us or for Anthony Bourdain and Mordecai Richler, both of whom were customers.

On Boulevard Saint-Laurent, new stories mingle with the old. We picked up a babka at Hof Kelsten, where Jeffrey Finkelstein is turning heads with his challah, rugelach and rye. We passed Leonard Cohen’s grey-stoned triplex, a house he lived in from 1968 and that’s still owned by his family. “He was well known for padding around the streets in the slippers he bought right here,” Monette says, gesturing at J. Schreter, a shoe shop on the corner.

photo - Lunch at Schwartz’s Deli — Lunch at Schwartz’s Deli. *(photo © Eva Blue)*

Between the bagels, the babkas and the Wilensky Special, it’s hard to make room for more food, but the length of the line outside Schwartz’s Deli tells us this one is not skippable, so on we go. Famous for its smoked meat sandwiches since its inception in 1928, the deli is now owned by Celine Dion and her partners, who have kept things much the same, adding a smoked meat poutine to the menu. Take a bite of one of Schwartz’s sandwiches, which literally bulge with hefty portions of meat, and you understand precisely why the little deli is such a cultural icon in the city. Quite simply, it’s unforgettable. It’s a fitting symbol for the city of Montreal, which is bursting with flavour.

Whether you come for the food, the history, the arts scene or the culture, Montreal is charmingly seductive, and so vastly different from Vancouver that it feels like an entirely different country. Now just four-and-a-half hours away, it’s an easy decision to put this sophisticated French city on the itinerary.

If you go …

• In April, Porter Airlines launched its daily round trip service between Vancouver and Montreal (flyporter.com)

• A bike tour with Fitz Montreal is a great way to explore Montreal’s highlights, with many sights packed into an exhilarating, fast-paced ride (fitzmontreal.com)

• Museum of Jewish Montreal offers regular Beyond the Bagel Tours in the spring, summer and fall. The three-hour tours include food and range from $79-$95 per person (museemontrealjuif.ca/beyond-the-bagel)

• Humaniti Hotel offers sophisticated accommodation in the heart of the city, steps from Old Montreal, the Palais des congrès and the Quartier des Spectacles (humanitihotel.com)

Lauren Kramer, an award-winning writer and editor, lives in Richmond.

Omnitsky Kosher Deli sold

Eppy Rappaport with daughters Aviva, left, and Lauren before the opening of Omnitsky’s. (photo from Eppy Rappaport)

Omnitsky Kosher Delicatessen, which, since 1910, has fed generations – first in Winnipeg and, from 1995, in Vancouver – is entering the next phase of its storied existence. Efrem “Eppy” Rappaport, the owner of the landmark establishment for the past 40 years, is preparing for a well-earned retirement as he passes the apron over to the new proprietor, Richard Wood.

Rappaport’s last day at the Omnitsky helm was on Dec. 8 and there is a strong chance that, when this article goes to print, he may be lining up a putt on a Florida golf course.

When the Independent caught up with Rappaport earlier in the month, he was in tremendous spirits as he was getting set for life after Omnitsky’s.

“I feel fortunate, I feel good, I feel exhilarated. I feel blessed to have had all this mazel,” he said, reflecting on his four decades of running the business.

The story of Rappaport’s involvement with Omnitsky’s begins in Winnipeg in the fall of 1979, when he was pursuing a master’s degree in sociology at the University of Manitoba but had decided to take a year off from his studies.

photo - Omnitsky’s was established in Winnipeg, where Eppy Rappaport ran it for 12 years. Former Vancouver staff member Danny Simons is pictured in the photo — Omnitsky’s was established in Winnipeg, where Eppy Rappaport ran it for 12 years. Former Vancouver staff member Danny Simons is pictured in the photo. *(photo from Eppy Rappaport)*

Rappaport’s father, Sidney (Shalom) Rappaport, the rabbi at Winnipeg’s Rosh Pina Congregation, was asked by William Omnitsky, the then-owner of the deli, if he might know of someone who could take over the business. At the time, Omnitsky, whose father Louis founded the deli in 1910, was preparing for his own retirement.

The rabbi suggested his son. Soon afterwards, the young Rappaport met Omnitsky in the store’s small office, and they spoke about the business’s potential and the responsibilities that ownership would entail.

“The story of this place, and keeping the original Winnipeg name, comes from the respect I had for Bill Omnitsky. When I started, I did not have the money to buy a business. He took back the purchase price as long as I trained with him. Four years later, I was able to take it over,” Rappaport said.

In 1995, after operating Omnitsky’s in Winnipeg for 12 years, Rappaport decided that the Jewish community in Greater Vancouver would present a better fit for his family – wife Ellen Rappaport (née Lowe) and daughters Aviva and Lauren. The deli initially settled on Cambie Street, near West 41 Avenue, before moving to Oak Street in 2014.

During his tenure, Rappaport expanded Omnitsky’s at both the retail and wholesale level. As the only full-service kosher store this side of Toronto, Omnitsky’s has a clientele that comes from numerous points on the western North American map. Regular patrons often drop in from Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria and Seattle.

Besides the kosher grocery store, Rappaport added a restaurant with a soup and sandwich bar. As a result, a loyal customer base was established for those fond of soups made from scratch and sandwiches the size one finds in New York and Montreal.

The deli, open Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., features a wide selection of favourites, from pastrami sandwiches to knishes, matzah ball soup to a chopped liver “appy.”

With his wholesale operation, Rappaport began making gluten-free hot dogs with no MSG. Several of his products, such as wieners, jumbos and salami, can be found in grocery stores throughout the Lower Mainland, as well as Vancouver Island, under the Eppy’s Kosher label.

Rappaport’s products are also sold to cruise ships, airlines, hospitals, nursing homes and prisons. They have even found their way to possibly his most famous customer, Bette Midler.

From the time he first took over the business from the Omnitsky family, Rappaport has worked long hours, getting in at 6 a.m. and frequently staying until 6 p.m., sometimes even longer into the night, six days a week.

One story that jumps out at him is when the deli had to move from its Cambie Street location to its current location, in 2014. It was in the period leading up to Rosh Hashanah.

“Just as Rabbi [Yechiel] Baitelman was about to place the mezuzah on the doorpost, he looked up and noticed the number 5755 [Oak St.] outside the building, the same year, 5755, which was about to be marked on the Hebrew calendar,” said Rappaport.

photo - In 1995, Eppy Rappaport moved to Vancouver and opened the deli on Cambie Street, where it was located until 2014 — In 1995, Eppy Rappaport moved to Vancouver and opened the deli on Cambie Street, where it was located until 2014. *(photo from Eppy Rappaport)*

In its 113 years of operation, Omnitsky’s has managed to last through the Great Depression, foreign wars, recessions, inflation, challenges from large grocery stores and, of course, changes in ownership.

In late 2022, Rappaport, who was turning 65, felt it was the right time for him to retire. He placed an advertisement in the Canadian Jewish News to find a buyer for the store, factory, name and delivery trucks. Had a buyer not come forward, Rappaport would have shut the business down.

In an interview last year, Rappaport told a reporter that potentially shuttering Omnitsky’s weighed heavily on him.

“There are a lot of people sitting on the fence of whether they want to keep kosher or not. If they lose the ability to just pop in on their way home from work in order to have something for dinner, then that falls by the wayside,” he said. “The only people who are left are the ones who care and truly want kosher food because it becomes a conscious effort to order it. It becomes more difficult, and a lot of people may use this as an excuse.”

However, a new owner did come along in the form of Wood, the business director at BC Kosher. Rappaport expressed hope that the community would continue to support Omnitsky’s.

“Richard’s passion and commitment to kashrut will continue to strengthen and fulfil the community’s needs,” Rappaport said.

In November, Rappaport wrote a thank you letter to the Vancouver community, published in the Jewish Independent, in which he said it was “impossible to convey the incredible 40-year journey this has been. I truly believe that this labour of love was what I was destined to do in life.”

In that letter, Rappaport said he would treasure the relationships formed with customers and the community over the years, the depths of which exceeded his “wildest dreams.”

photo - Eppy Rappaport with his wife Ellen and daughters Lauren, left, and Aviva after the sale — Eppy Rappaport with his wife Ellen and daughters Lauren, left, and Aviva after the sale. *(photo from Eppy Rappaport)*

“The warmth of so many customers filled my heart on a daily basis,” he said. “I want to thank each and every person who always made me feel that my life’s work was important to them, myself and the community at large. This will stay with me forever.”

Besides golfing, Rappaport said he plans to do some food and time management consulting in retirement. But, he stressed, family time is presently top of his list. And, he adds, he will continue to be a presence in the community.

As is the case with their father, Rappaport’s daughters are both involved with food. Aviva works in dietetics at Fraser Health, while Lauren is a senior scientist for Starbucks in Seattle.

There is no doubt Rappaport will be missed by customers who have long frequented Omnitsky’s. As one transplanted Winnipegger noted nostalgically, “Thanks to Eppy, we had a slice of Jewish Winnipeg in Vancouver. Every time I step into Omnitsky’s, I am transported back to Winnipeg’s North End.”

Sam Margolis has written for the Globe and Mail, the National Post, UPI and MSNBC.

Celebration of Israeli culture

Mark your calendars for May 14. The Festival of Israeli Culture, a one-day free series of events at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, is a multicultural celebration of music, dance, art, sports, food and drink.

photo - Kids enjoying last year's Festival of Israeli Culture — Kids enjoying last year’s Festival of Israeli Culture. *(photo by Galit Lewinski)*

Get ready for community drumming by the Drum Café, Israeli dance, Mediterranean belly dancing, flamenco and the Israeli Choir, followed by a sing-along with well-known Israeli musician Elad Shtamer. And that’s not all! Join Maccabi-Mania with gym-based activities for all ages, the sassy sesame cooking workshop, intuitive painting, and calligraphy workshops.

photo - Dancers at last year's festival — Dancers at last year’s festival. *(photo by Galit Lewinski)*

For adults, there is a range of 19+ programs, including an Israeli wine tasting and cocktail party to sample some arak-based cocktails (arak is an alcoholic drink made primarily with aniseed and grapes) followed by an exhibition of video art from Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Israel.

photo - Music is a part of the celebrations — Music is a part of the celebrations. *(photo by Galit Lewinski)*

In addition to the performances and activities, the festival will have a market featuring a variety of eats from local vendors and food trucks, along with hand-poured candles, jewelry, clothing, arts and crafts, Judaica, and more.

The Festival of Israeli Culture on May 14 runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the JCC. While all events are free of charge, food donations to the Jewish Food Bank are encouraged. For more information, visit israelifestival.com.

– Courtesy Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver

Customs from around world

There are as many ways of celebrating Passover and the Pesach seder as there are Jews, and then some. Over the years, I have collected articles on different customs from around the world. Here are just some of the traditions surrounding food and the seder that I found unique.

Afghanistan

Haroset may contain walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pomegranates, apples, sweet wine and black pepper. The seder meal begins with arak-like liqueur, hard-boiled eggs, fruit, cucumbers, fried fish, cold omelette, lettuce and potato pancakes. The main course is meat soup with vegetables then fruit and nuts. The seder in Afghanistan was conducted with people sitting on carpets.

Belgium

Sedarim were communal in small towns, conducted according to Orthodox customs. Chickens and meat were killed according to kashrut, and live carp swam in the bathtub until it was time to make the gefilte fish.

China

Passover candy called pasla was made of minced prunes, boiled in honey with nuts dropped in. When it began to harden, it was rolled up, so there would be nuts on the inside and outside, and sliced.

Cuba

The oldest member held the seder for the entire family, with all the food home-made except for the matzah, which was imported.

Egypt

Haroset is made with raisins and dates or figs mixed with wine and chopped walnuts. Raisins were also used to make wine. For the meal, there would be fish with lemon sauce, meat casserole and matzah, as well as meat-and-leek patties.

Jews of Egyptian-descent wrap the matzot in a sack-like package, which is passed to each member of the seder. While each member holds the sack in turn, the other attendees ask him in Arabic: “Where are you coming from?” to which he replies, “From Egypt.” “What are you carrying?” they ask. “Matzot.” “Where are you going?” “Jerusalem.”

Ethiopia

Everyone made their own matzah consisting of wheat or legume flour, water and salt, baked in very thin slices and eaten almost immediately to eliminate the possibility of leavening. They also interpreted the Hebrew word hametz, to rise or leaven, to mean kept or not fresh, so they would only eat fresh produce, fresh milk and freshly slaughtered meat.

Since the Ethiopian Jewish community – believed to be either descendants of the Israelite tribe of Dan or progeny of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba – practised a pre-talmudic form of Judaism, the Ethiopian seder was a less-structured affair with an informal, festival air, more like a springtime celebration. Events were focused on those in the Torah – the slaughtering of the paschal lamb, the Ten Plagues and Exodus itself. Since arriving in Israel, many families recount their own exodus from Ethiopia as part of the seder.

Germany

Men wore kittels for the seder. Sauerkraut was part of the meal along with kloesse, a dish made of soaked matzah, eggs and fried onions, made into a big ball and cooked in boiling water. This was eaten in place of potatoes, topped with brisket gravy.

Greece

Popular seder dishes include roast leg of lamb strongly flavoured with garlic; lamb pie with the animal’s heart, liver, lungs, kidney and intestines inside; and lamb stew with artichokes, served with an egg and lemon sauce.

India

The seder meal consisted of spinach baked with eggs, fried matzah with leeks and eggs, and a pudding made of matzah, meat and eggs. The seder plate was passed around the table, and each guest held it for a minute above their heads.

Iran

The youngest member of the family conducts the seder. When the plagues are mentioned, a pinch of salt is added to the wine. During the song “Dayenu,” long-stemmed onions are put together in a bunch and one person “whips” the person next to them and then passes on the bunch of onions, to be similarly used by all the guests, until the onions make their way around the table. Often family members act out the Exodus, sometimes in costumes.

Italy

Squares of matzah, soaked in capon broth, browned in goose fat and baked in alternating layers with cooked greens or poultry giblets was a seder favourite. Other unusual Italian dishes are rib chops from lambs, ground chicken or ground beef meatballs.

In Venice, the squares were cooked in a pan with legumes such as peas, fava beans or lentils. Venice was famous for unleavened cakes in the shape of snakes, unleavened cakes stuffed with marzipan and doughnuts rolled in sugar and cinnamon.

Passover pasta in broth, boiled meat with goose salami, salad and a marzipan or matzah meal dessert and quince preserves were part of the Urbino seder.

Boiled chestnuts were used in haroset in northern Italy. Tuscan Jews made matzah and egg cakes. Ferrara Jews made matzah fritters with egg, honey, cinnamon, candied citron, pine nuts and raisins. Jews in Rome made lemon sorbet, almond cookies and wet matzah, squeezed dry and fried in olive oil then served with pine nuts, raisins and heated honey.

The table is adorned with long-stemmed green onions. During the chorus of “Dayenu,” everyone picks up their onion and “whips” the wrist of someone adjacent to them. This is meant to represent the sounds of whips of the slave masters in Egypt.

Mexico

No dairy products are used during Passover, tea is drunk instead of coffee and the seder meal is hot and spicy.

Morocco

Matzah is handmade, placed in ovens and allowed to cook for only five minutes. Tagine with lamb and almonds, prunes, saffron, cinnamon, ginger and honey is a Passover mainstay, as are truffles.

The seder plate was held over each person’s head while the others at the table recited in Arabic, “Just as G-d took us out of Egypt and split the sea for us, so may he save us today.”

Based in kabbalah, Jewish mysticism, they divided the soft doughy matzah they eat into the shapes of the Hebrew letters daled and vav; daled stands for doorposts of Israel that G-d watched over and vav is a symbol for G-d’s name.

Netherlands

Prior to a seder meal, a dish of sauerkraut or chard mashed with potatoes and accompanied by cold corned beef was served. For the seder, matzah balls in soup and roast meat or chicken was served. Haroset was nuts, raisins, apples, sweet wine, cinnamon and sugar. A second seder meal was dairy with matzah, butter, cheese, sometimes fish cakes, coffee and cake of ground nuts or mashed potatoes. Matzah pancakes with apple sauce or pareve lemon cream was also served. Tongue with meatballs was part of some people’s Passover meals.

Rhodes

Romaine lettuce was used instead of horseradish. Fish with a Greek-style lemon sauce or cooked with tomato sauce, or with rhubarb and tomatoes, is served at the seder meal.

Syria

Seder foods include lamb shanks and rice; haroset made from dried fruits, sweet wine, cinnamon and crushed walnuts; spinach-mint soup; and flourless pistachio cookies.

Tunisia

Lamb stew with leeks, spinach, peas, fennel, carrots, artichokes, turnips, cabbage, celery, potatoes and zucchini are flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, pepper, cilantro, dill and mint for Passover.

Yemen

The entire table is made into one big seder plate, with a border of parsley leaves all along the edges. The matzah resembles pita because they believe that, as long as the dough is continuously kneaded, it will not turn into hametz.

Sybil Kaplan is a Jerusalem-based journalist and author. She has edited/compiled nine kosher cookbooks and is a food writer for North American Jewish publications. She leads walks of the Jewish food market, Machaneh Yehudah, in English.