A Passover Classic Gold's Horseradish

Passover is a time when generations old recipes are used for Seder. One is Gold's Horseradish, beloved for decades. It is a condiment, full of meaning and importance.

Weekly contributor and cookbook author, Joan Nathan wrote about the holiday table classic in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Ironically the root was never used by ancient Jews and is not mentioned in the Old Testament. They ate their lamb and matzoh with maror, bitter herbs like endives and wild bitter lettuce. Horseradish may have joined the tradition in the 10th century when there was migration from the warmer Mediterranean to the colder areas of northern France and Germany. Horseradish grew in abundance there, a turnip like root whose leaves broke ground in April. It was easy to harvest and the root, an isothiocyanate (a cousin of wasabi) had the symbolic bitterness needed for the Seder. Jews of Sephardic and Middle Eastern descent aren't familiar with the root so they use romaine endives and chicory for their bitter herbs) . Horseradish was brought to the States where it became a staple , not only for Passover but in Polish Catholic Easter dinners where home chefs served the red variety.

Horseradish can be a pain to prepare. Slicing it can cause watery eyes and runny noses.Thankfully there is Gold's already prepared . It started with Hyman and Tilly Gold, grinding the root with vinegar and salt along with a fight and a jail term. According to the Gold's grandson, Jason, the couple had started out selling and repairing radios. They lost the shop during the Depression. At this time. Hyman's brother who was grinding horseradish on a Borough Park, New York street got into a fight which landed him in jail. Hyman bailed him out and got the grinder as a possible thank you gift. This  prompted the Golds to continue the horseradish business. Tilly would grind it in their Coney Island Avenue apartment while her husband filled four ounce bottles one by one. He would later sell them in a pushcart, hitting local stores. Later their sons would deliver the bottle by bikes. The business grew. They relocated the business to a store below their apartment and later to a factory. The family sold it in 2015 to La Salle Capital. Gold's  first used horseradish from Long Island farms and from Poland. Now the roots are grown and shipped from Oregon and Norther California along with Missouri and southern Illinois.

Tradition is important in the Passover Seder. Gold's Horseradish carries on that tradition using classic ingredients. It has been around for generations and will be around for many many more.

A New Flip On Latkes

Hanukkah is the time for traditional recipes such as latkes. These potato pancakes have been associatd with the Festival of Lights for well over a century. Yet there is a whole new generation that want this standard but want it with a twist. Luckily , like any recipe it can be tweaked and updated.

Revamped potato pancakes were the subject of Melissa Clark's A Good Appetite column in today's New York Times Dining section. She changes them to be not only hip but tasty as well. Most traditional latke recipes calls for a crisply fried potato pancake that is topped with either applesauce or sour cream.Sometimes it's a combo of the two together. However she zings some different ingredients in it. There is Swiss chard along with celery root parsnip shreds added to create an earthier fritter.

As for toppings Ms Clark decides to switch  it up a bit. She does recommend sour cream but also a small slice of lox for a burst of flavor. There is also a topping made with beets, yogurt and garlic. This is made with the low cal  but sinfully thick Greek yogurt  for a nice thick creaminess. The beets are mixed with garlic and walnuts  along with dill and horseradish. It can also be used as a dip for raw veggies too. If the beets are too much then just add the garlic and olive oil along with the yogurt. This to is Israeli style and makes for a smoother topping.

Latkes are a true tradtion that has been enjoyed for generations. Spark it up by subbing in different root veggies to add some zest. Then add an unusual topping or stick with the usual sour cream or applesauce for extra flavor.