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March 19, 2004/Adar 26 5764, Vol. 56, No. 26
Chicken soup contest for Jewish souls
E.B. SOLOMONT
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
You could smell the chicken soup before you could see it.
And after all the boiling, the stirring and one kitchen mishap, Rosely Himmelstein of New York walked away the crown princess of chicken soup, winner of a trip for two to Israel.
The first national Chicken Soup Challenge, a 500-recipe contest sponsored by the National Jewish Outreach Program, was also an advertisement for the eighth annual Shabbat Across America. That program, also sponsored by the outreach group, aims to bring tens of thousands of unaffiliated U.S. Jews into synagogues across the country on March 12.
The goal: to get Jews interested in Judaism, according to program director Rabbi Yitzchak Rosenbaum - not to mention get cooking a few pots of tasty chicken soup.
Amateur chefs from around the country sent in their recipes to acclaimed chef Jeffrey Nathan, executive chef and owner of Abigail's restaurant in New York and host of the PBS program "New Jewish Cuisine."
Nathan selected five finalists who then came to his restaurant for the Feb. 24 cook-off.
The cooks presented their versions of the traditional Jewish cure-all to a panel of judges who plunged into their steaming bowls of chicken soup with gusto.
Scores were based on flavor and presentation, and the only cooking rule was no artificial additives or meat products.
Given nearly four hours in the kitchen at Abigail's - which donated the ingredients and kitchen time - each contestant recreated their soup entries, stirring, smelling and tasting their brews before the early afternoon deadline.
The contesting cooks included Himmelstein; Gail Barzilay of Westport, Conn.; Veronica Gold of Worcester, Mass.; Jerry Greenberg of Belmont, Calif.; and Paulette Rochelle-Levy of Santa Monica, Calif.
Though there were a few culinary experts among the judges, most were self-proclaimed chicken soup connoisseurs and well-known Jewish or New York personalities.
The Brooklyn borough president, Marty Markowitz, said his qualification for judging was "59 years of Yiddishkeit." Judging alongside him were Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel; Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) and philanthropist Michael Steinhardt, among others.
As the judges spooned, sipped and slurped, they shared running commentaries on each entry.
There was the soup with Cream of Wheat, one with basmati rice, a cilantro-infused potion and one concoction with jalapeno peppers and spicy herbs inspired by Indian and Tex-Mex ingredients.
Every region of the world has its own version of chicken soup, said judge Helen Nash, an author of kosher cookbooks.
But "chicken soup started with the Chinese, not the Jews, I'm afraid," she said quietly.
Though advised to sample only two tablespoons of each soup, many judges cleaned their bowls, including Markowitz, who also snacked on the restaurant's hors d'oeuvres in between soups.
By the end of the afternoon, Himmelstein's recipe of onion, parsnip, sweet potato and cilantro was the unparalleled winner.
"I'm not going to Disney World. I'm going to Israel!" she exclaimed as she accepted a trophy and chef's hat.
Rosely Himmelstein's "Best Chicken Soup" recipe
(Serves about 6)
- 2 quarts of chicken broth (recipe follows)
- 1 chicken (about 3-4 pounds), quartered and rinsed
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut up
- 1 large onion, peeled and cut up
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 leek, white and light green parts only, washed well
- 1 parsnip, peeled and cut up
- 1 parsley root, with greens attached
- 1 sweet potato, peeled
- 3-4 stems of dill (a handful)
- 1 small rutabaga, peeled and cut a few sprigs of cilantro (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Broth: (makes about 2 quarts)
- 2 pounds of chicken
- 1 onion, studded with 4 whole cloves
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 leek
Broth:
Combine all ingredients with 10 cups of water. Bring to boil. Simmer over medium heat for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Cool, then strain. If not using immediately, refrigerate (for up to three days) or freeze.
Soup:
Put chicken broth in pot and bring to boil. Add chicken. Return to boil, lower heat. Gently simmer uncovered for 1 hour.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes more, stir occasionally. Skim fat from top.
Pour into bowls. Add a slice of carrot and a sprig of cilantro to each bowl.
If storing, let soup cool before refrigerating. When cold, remove the fat that rises to the surface. Use soup within 2-3 days or store in freezer.
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