Eppes Essen

January 2002 - Kasha Varnishkes

by Ellen Saxe

Winter, time for comfort food. I don't think my ancestors in Lithuania were very comfortable, otherwise, why come here? Russian, Lithuanian, and Polish Jews ate a lot of kasha, a staple of the poor. There is a Yiddish saying, "The man who earns water for his kasha (buckwheat) earns next to nothing." So I'm guessing that kasha (buckwheat) wasn't held in very high regard. My mother didn't make kasha but I've eaten it many times prepared by other people. I got hungry for it recently and looked in "The Jewish Home Beautiful" for a recipe. There it was mentioned as an ingredient and a side dish but there were no instructions for preparation. I suppose that in 1941 anyone reading "The Jewish Home Beautiful" knew how to make kasha. "The Lexicon of Jewish Cooking" provided me with a simple recipe for the bowtie noodles that make it Kasha Mit Varnishkes.

Noodle Dough:

2 cups semolina flour
2 eggs
4 tsp. salt

Mix the eggs, salt, and water, work them into the flour.
Knead a bit.
Roll out the dough.
Cut into rectangles and twist to form a bow.
Dry while preparing dinner.
Cook in boiling salted water until just done, drain.

By then I was picturing "Litvak Night" for the upcoming Shabbat. I told Ronnie I would make Kasha Varnishkes and one of the big cabbages from our garden. He looked less than excited. "Will there be brisket too?" he asked. I thought that sounded amusingly hopeful especially because I so rarely cook beef. So we had "Lucky Litvak Night" and along with our freshly baked challah we had roast chicken served on a bed of shredded white cabbage which had cooked under the chicken (absorbing it's juices and the white wine used in basting) and a glorious big pan of:

Kasha Varnishkes

1 cup coarse kasha (buckwheat groats) toasted dry in a cast iron skillet over high heat for 2-4 minutes until they give a nice kasha smell. This keeps them from getting mushy.
2 large onions coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 beaten egg
2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 lb. mushrooms sliced (optional)

Saute the onion in the oil until golden. Set aside,
Saute mushrooms if using and set aside.
Stir the beaten egg and kasha together thoroughly.
Pour into the hot dry pan and stir, and break up so that the egg has dried on the kasha and the kernels are separated.
Add the stock and salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Add the onions, mushrooms, and any of their juices to the pan, stir and cover tightly.
Cook over low heat to steam the kasha for about 10 minutes.
When the liquid is absorbed and the kernels are tender add the cooked noodles and chopped parsley.
Toss and serve.

Ess Gesunter Haidt.

- Ellen

updated 01/31/2002 - rge

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