Matzoh Balls

45 minutes, plus resting time of a few hours up to overnight. Makes about 20 matzoh balls.

No book has informed my Jewish cooking more than Joan Nathan’s “Jewish Holiday Kitchen.” Her recipe inspires my matzoh ball recipe here in “Koshersoul.” I prefer schmaltz to vegetable oil, but if you want pareve or vegetarian matzoh balls, use the latter and use pareve “chicken” consommé broth. There is a saying in Yiddish cooking that a stuffed matzoh ball or one that isn’t plain has a neshamah, or a soul. I hope these count.

KITCHEN PEPPER

1 teaspoon coarsely ground

black pepper

1 teaspoon ground white

pepper

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground mace

1 teaspoon ground Ceylon

cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground ginger

MATZOH BALLS

4 tablespoons chicken broth

4 tablespoons schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1⁄4 teaspoon Kitchen Pepper

1⁄4 teaspoon ginger

2 tablespoons minced scallions

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 pinches cayenne pepper

1 4

cup matzoh meal large eggs

1 For the Kitchen Pepper: Mix all ingredients thoroughly; store in a cool, dry place. Keeps for six months.

2 Make the matzoh balls: In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the eggs. Stir in one egg at a time with a wooden spoon until all four eggs are incorporated. Refrigerate a few hours or overnight.

3 Bring an 8- to 10-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Wet your hands with warm water and form the mixture into balls the size of walnuts. Drop into the boiling water, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. The matzoh balls should be fluffy and float on top. Remove with a slotted spoon to bowls of hot chicken soup or okra gumbo.

Recipes from “Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew” (HarperCollins) by Michael Twitty.