Lost Tzimmes recipe

[Philip & Karen Selwyn]

I used to have a wonderful recipe for Tzimmes which contained only
unsweetened pineapple as the fruit -- no prunes. I can no longer
remember whether it contained sweet potatoes only, carrots only or a
mixture of the two. I am absolutely certain that it contained pineapple
only.

I am hoping that this newsgroup will come to my rescue with a
replacement recipe as the High Holy Days are approaching.

Thanks in advance.

Karen Selwyn

[Ruth Heiges]

Karen Selwyn wrote:

> I used to have a wonderful recipe for Tzimmes which contained only
> unsweetened pineapple as the fruit -- no prunes. I can no longer
> remember whether it contained sweet potatoes only, carrots only or a
> mixture of the two. I am absolutely certain that it contained pineapple
> only.

These don't answer your quest, but they might suit someone else.

BTW, the name of the dish comes from a combination of two words
German/Yiddish, _zum essen_, meaning _for eating_. Because the dish,
whether only vegetarian version or with meat, usually involves a lot of
fussing, it yielded an expression, "machen a tzimmes," which means to make
a fuss.

For Rosh Hashanah, many make a carrot tzimmes for an additional reason.
The Yiddish for carrots is _mehren_, and is a bit of a pun on the similar
word which means _more_. So, _mehren_ symbolize bounty, and the sweetness
of the dish is appropriate for the sweetness wished for the new year.

Here are two recipes. I don't know the source for the first.

Tzimmes with Dumplings
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Serves: 6 as a main course or 8 as a side dish

2 pounds brisket
pounds carrots
4 slightly rounded tablespoons corn syrup
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1-1/2 pounds potatoes

Dumpling (optional)

3 ounces margarine
6 ounces self-rising flour or 6 ounces all-purpose flour plus
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 - 4 tablespoons water to mix

Trim excess fat off the meat, leaving a thin edging, then cut into
1-1/2-inch chunks. Peel the carrots and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Put the
carrots and meat into a pan, barely cover with hot water, add 2
tablespoons of the syrup, the pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, bring to
the boil, and simmer for 2 hours either on top of the stove or in a slow
oven. Skim, or if possible, chill overnight, so that most of the fat can
be removed.

4 hours before you want to serve the tzimmes, make the dumpling by rubbing
the margarine into the flour and salt. Mix to a soft dough with the water.
Put the dumpling in the middle of a large oval earthenware, enamel or
enamelled-iron casserole.

Lift the meat and carrots from their cooking liquid with a perforated
spoon and arrange round it. (Without a dumpling, simply put the carrots
and potatoes into the casserole.) Mix the cornstarch with enough water to
make a smooth cream, then stir into the stock from the carrots and meat.
Bring to the boil and pour over the carrots and meat.

Peel and cut the potatoes into large cubes and arrange on top, adding
extra boiling water if necessary so that they are just submerged.
Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of
syrup.

Cover and bring to the boil on top of the stove, then transfer to a slow
oven, 300-degrees F. for 3-1/2 hours. Uncover and taste, adding a little
more syrup if necessary. Allow to brown for a further half an hour, then
serve. The potatoes and the dumpling should be slightly brown and sauce
slightly thickened.

Variation:

Add 8 ounces pitted prunes and/or 8 ounces dried apricots when the dish is
cooked for the second time. You can also include 2 large sweet potatoes or
yams, peeled and cubed, as well as ordinary ones.

Mexican Beef Tzimmes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: "New Jewish Cooking" by Elizabeth Wolf Cohen

Yield: 8 servings

3 1/2 lb Boneless beef brisket
1/2 tb Flour
5 tb Chicken fat (or oil)
2 Onions, thinly sliced
3 Garlic cloves, peeled
2 Cans tomatoes (14 oz. each)
1 Mango, large
1 ts Salt
1/2 ts Dried red pepper flakes
1 ts Chili powder
1 Cinnamon stick
2 Bay leaves
4 tb Honey
4 Carrots, sliced
2 Sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
7 oz Pitted prunes
2 Cans red kidney beans, 14 oz each
4 tb Chopped fresh coriander

Rinse beef under cold running water; dry well with paper towels.

Dredge meat with flour on both sides.

Peel and puree mango and set aside.

In a large casserole with tight-fitting lid, over medium-high heat, heat 2
to 3 tablespoons chicken fat or oil. Add beef and cook until underside is
well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn beef and cook until second side is well
browned, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add remaining chicken fat or oil and onions. Cook until onion is softened
and beginning to color, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute
longer. Pour in tomatoes and their juice, stirring to break up tomatoes
and scrape any meat juices. Add pureed mango, salt, red pepper flakes,
chili powder, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and honey. Cook, stirring often,
2 to 3 minutes.

Return beef to casserole and pour in enough water to just cover meat.
Cover tightly and simmer, over medium-low heat, 1 1/2 hours. Check from
time to time to see if there is enough water.

Rinse and drain the beans, and add to the casserole with the carrots,
sweet potato chunks, and prunes. Cover and cook, over medium heat, 30
minutes longer, adding a little more water if necessary.

Remove meat to a deep serving platter. If liquid is too thin, reduce over
medium-high heat until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Spoon
vegetables and beans around beef. Pour sauce over meat and sprinkle meat
and vegetables with chopped coriander. Serve meat cut into thin slices.

Ruth