Hi! I'm Lynn Tenenbaum, one of the daughters of Frieda Solomon and the owner of
Solomon’s Gourmet Cookies. Besides sharing all these wonderful
cookies, bars and brownies that we make here at Solomon’s, I wanted to share with you some of our other wonderful family favorites. My mother was not only an outstanding baker, but she was also a fabulous cook. Many of these recipes come from our holidays, family dinners, and the many dinner parties that she had over the 48 years that she and my father were together. These are the delicious recipes that I have eaten and made for my family and friends for many years now. I hope that Jason and Adam will continue to pass these down to their children and for many generations to come. Now you'll be able to, as well!
I hope everybody enjoys this part of Solomon’s history, and would love to hear about your stories, family traditions and recipes. I look forward to hearing from you!
For our first recipe, I would like to share one of our favorite Passover recipes: Gefilte Fish. I realize that this recipe will not appeal to everyone; gefilte fish is an acquired taste, but this is a very good version, and a great way to first try it. Even if you've had Gefilte Fish from a can or a jar before, you still haven't
really tried it!
Now, there are a couple of different versions of Gefilte Fish. When my husband, Marvin, and I realized that we wanted to spend our future together and began to incorporate our families we would each talk about our favorite things about the holidays, including the food that we would eat. We each felt that our own mother made the best gefilte fish. We tried each recipe and .... of course we each stood by our families! Eventually, though, we had to tell the truth: we had come to enjoy each others' version just as much as our own. Fortunately, I was able to get my mom's recipe before she passed away. Unfortunately, I was not able to get my mother's-in-law, which is a deep regret. I'm sure many of you share similar situations. My mother-in-law, made a sweeter version than my mother's. Here is my mother’s recipe that I have been making for many years, now and will be making again this year. I hope you enjoy it!
Lynn Tenenbaum
Gefilte Fish
yield - ~30 pieces
11 ½ - 12 pounds of fish* (5.5-6 lb fish meat &5.5-6 lb of bones)
[Frieda used a blend of white fish, trout and pike. Have the fish deboned and ground at the fish market so you don't have to! But, save the bones to use when boiling the fish stock.]
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1 cup matzah meal
8 eggs (slightly beaten)
2 cups of water
2 – 4 grated onions (depending on the size)
1 Teaspoon of salt per pound of fish
¼ Teaspoon of pepper per pound of fish
[When you are measuring out the salt and pepper, the measurement comes from the total weight of the fish, including the bones. This is just a guideline, use to your own preference.]
Fish Stock
fish bones
2 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
2 onion, peeled and cut in half
Directions - Fish Stock
This recipe is pretty large and you'll probably need to use at least 2 pots. After the fish has been de-boned and ground, you should have approximately 5 ½ -6 pounds of fish meat and 5 1/2 - 6 lb of bones. Set meat aside. In each pot put 1 teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and 1 onion peeled and cut in ½ . Divide the bones into each pot, and fill with water to cover the bones by at least 2 – 3 inches. You can add more water, if needed. Let the water come to a boil, and skim the surface and reduce the water to a simmer.
Directions - Gefilte Fish
Meanwhile, put the ground fish into a large bowl. [If you don’t have a mixing bowl big enough, you can divide the fish and all of the ingredients evenly into 2 separate bowls.] Add the salt, pepper and the sugar, and mix well. Add the onions, the eggs, matzah meal, and the water, and mix well. Shape the fish mixture into oval-shaped balls. Put the fish into the prepared pots, cover the pots and simmer for about 1 ½ - 2 hours. When done remove the pots from the heat and let cool. [I usually lift the covers off slightly to let the steam escape. You will notice when the fish is cooling the top pieces will turn a slightly darker color. This does not change the taste of the fish whatsoever.] Let the fish cool at room temperature for at least one hour. Put the fish in a single layer in a pan. Cover and cool the fish overnight in the refrigerator. Serve with horseradish if desired.
[I have also started to use just white fish, not the trout and the pike, and it has been tasting quite good!]
*Fun Fact: When Marvin was growing up his mom, Chana Tenenbaum, would get live fish for the recipe and keep it in the bathtub until she needed it!
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