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Schmaltzy Spotlight / Anna Gershenson: How a torch was passed from mother to daughter, through a dumpling

Schmaltzy Spotlight / Anna Gershenson: How a torch was passed from mother to daughter, through a dumpling

7 recipes
Kreplach (Chicken-Filled Dumplings in Broth)

Kreplach (Chicken-Filled Dumplings in Broth)

10-12 servings1 H, plus 3H and 15 min inactive

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 1 ¾ cups flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ tablespoons grapeseed or avocado oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon water or more, if needed to have a dough that is not dry, but moist and supple

For the Broth

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 2 large onions unpeeled, quartered
  • 4 large carrots, cut into chunks
  • 3 celery stalks, cut into pieces
  • 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise 
  • 1 bunch parsley 
  • 1 bunch dill
  • 1 sweet potato, cut in half
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns 
  • 4 ½ teaspoons salt

For the Filling

  • Cooked chicken (from broth ingredients)
  • 1 onion, medium chopped and sauteed lightly
  • ½ egg, lightly beaten
  • ⅛ cup chopped parsley
  • ¾ teaspoon salt 
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil 
  • Chicken broth to moisten the filling (from broth ingredients)
Chopped Herring (Forshmak)

Chopped Herring (Forshmak)

4 to 6 servings30 min

Ingredients

  • ½ thin slice of white bread, crust removed 
  • 12-ounce jar marinated herring
  • 1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped into quarters
  • 1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into ½ -inch pieces
  • 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half, divided
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower or vegetable oil
  • ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • Kosher salt to taste, if needed
Sweet-And-Sour Tongue with Onions and Raisins

Sweet-And-Sour Tongue with Onions and Raisins

6-8 servings30 mins + 4 H inactive

Ingredients

  • 1 whole beef tongue (about 3 lbs)
  • 2 whole onions, cut in half and peeled
  • 2 carrots, cut into large chunks
  • 1 stick celery (with leaves), roughly chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons AP flour
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped almonds
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
Braised Chicken with Onions, Olives, and Prunes

Braised Chicken with Onions, Olives, and Prunes

8-10 servings15 min, plus 1 H inactive

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds chicken leg quarters, drumsticks and thighs separated
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt 
  • ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 large onions, peeled, cut in half and sliced thinly
  • 2 bay leaves
  • peel of a lemon removed with a vegetable peeler
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • ½ cup pitted olives, green or Kalamata
  • 10-12 prunes 
  • Parsley for garnish
Arugula Salad with Fennel

Arugula Salad with Fennel

4-6 servings15 mins

Ingredients

For the Dressing

  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted in a skillet over medium heat, cooled and ground
  • 1 medium garlic clove, grated
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil

For the Salad

  • 1 small fennel head, cut in half and thinly sliced (chopped fronds saved for garnish)
  • 2 cups arugula
  • ½ large Granny Smith apple, cored and julienned
  • ½ cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 2-3 teaspoons capers
  • zest of a small lemon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Teiglach

Teiglach

20-30 cookies20 min, plus 1 H inactive

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or other neutral oil - canola, grapeseed, safflower)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt 
  • 2 ½ cups, plus additional all purpose flour

For the Syrup

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 ½ cups water 
  • 2 cups honey
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger

For the Garnish

Coconut flakes

Jam Crumble Bars

Jam Crumble Bars

18 bars15 mins + 1 H 30 min inactive

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • A pinch of salt
  • 7 ounces non-dairy butter, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12 ounce jar seedless fruit jam of your choice
  • Confectioner’s sugar for sprinkling on top
Recipes
1
Kreplach (Chicken-Filled Dumplings in Broth)

Kreplach (Chicken-Filled Dumplings in Broth)

10-12 servings1 H, plus 3H and 15 min inactive

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 1 ¾ cups flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ tablespoons grapeseed or avocado oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon water or more, if needed to have a dough that is not dry, but moist and supple

For the Broth

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 2 large onions unpeeled, quartered
  • 4 large carrots, cut into chunks
  • 3 celery stalks, cut into pieces
  • 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise 
  • 1 bunch parsley 
  • 1 bunch dill
  • 1 sweet potato, cut in half
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns 
  • 4 ½ teaspoons salt

For the Filling

  • Cooked chicken (from broth ingredients)
  • 1 onion, medium chopped and sauteed lightly
  • ½ egg, lightly beaten
  • ⅛ cup chopped parsley
  • ¾ teaspoon salt 
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ tablespoon olive oil 
  • Chicken broth to moisten the filling (from broth ingredients)
2
Chopped Herring (Forshmak)

Chopped Herring (Forshmak)

4 to 6 servings30 min

Ingredients

  • ½ thin slice of white bread, crust removed 
  • 12-ounce jar marinated herring
  • 1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped into quarters
  • 1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into ½ -inch pieces
  • 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half, divided
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower or vegetable oil
  • ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • Kosher salt to taste, if needed
3
Sweet-And-Sour Tongue with Onions and Raisins

Sweet-And-Sour Tongue with Onions and Raisins

6-8 servings30 mins + 4 H inactive

Ingredients

  • 1 whole beef tongue (about 3 lbs)
  • 2 whole onions, cut in half and peeled
  • 2 carrots, cut into large chunks
  • 1 stick celery (with leaves), roughly chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons AP flour
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ⅓ cup lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped almonds
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
4
Braised Chicken with Onions, Olives, and Prunes

Braised Chicken with Onions, Olives, and Prunes

8-10 servings15 min, plus 1 H inactive

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds chicken leg quarters, drumsticks and thighs separated
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt 
  • ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 large onions, peeled, cut in half and sliced thinly
  • 2 bay leaves
  • peel of a lemon removed with a vegetable peeler
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • ½ cup pitted olives, green or Kalamata
  • 10-12 prunes 
  • Parsley for garnish
5
Arugula Salad with Fennel

Arugula Salad with Fennel

4-6 servings15 mins

Ingredients

For the Dressing

  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted in a skillet over medium heat, cooled and ground
  • 1 medium garlic clove, grated
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil

For the Salad

  • 1 small fennel head, cut in half and thinly sliced (chopped fronds saved for garnish)
  • 2 cups arugula
  • ½ large Granny Smith apple, cored and julienned
  • ½ cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 2-3 teaspoons capers
  • zest of a small lemon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
6
Teiglach

Teiglach

20-30 cookies20 min, plus 1 H inactive

Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (or other neutral oil - canola, grapeseed, safflower)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt 
  • 2 ½ cups, plus additional all purpose flour

For the Syrup

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 ½ cups water 
  • 2 cups honey
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger

For the Garnish

Coconut flakes

7
Jam Crumble Bars

Jam Crumble Bars

18 bars15 mins + 1 H 30 min inactive

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • A pinch of salt
  • 7 ounces non-dairy butter, at room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12 ounce jar seedless fruit jam of your choice
  • Confectioner’s sugar for sprinkling on top

Read more about Anna Gershenson in "The Rosh Hashanah When Anna Gershenson Became the Family Matriarch."

Anna Gershenson is about to turn 70. There is a photo on her mantle that sits there reassuringly, which she looks at every day. It’s a picture of her and her mother, Rhoda Gurevich, beaming adoringly at one another at Rhoda’s own 70th birthday celebration. In the photo, Rhoda is sparkling, vibrant, the most beautiful, perhaps, that she has been in her entire life. It’s a moment trapped in time that gives Anna comfort. The cruel joke is that, shortly after that picture was taken, Rhoda was diagnosed with cancer, and in less than two years, she would be gone.

Rhoda was Anna’s mom, but she was also her best friend. Rhoda gave birth to Anna in Riga, Latvia, when she was 19 years old, just after the war ended. She was a working mom who always found time to make dinner and cook the holiday meals. When Anna was growing up, she would spend as much time as she could in the kitchen at Rhoda’s side, taking particular pleasure in watching her prepare the festive Jewish dishes. During Rosh Hashana and Passover, Rhoda would make gefilte fish from local freshwater fish, and Anna delighted in assisting her, and tasting the sweet, delicious results. 

These memories ached in Anna’s heart as the family buried Rhoda just a week before Rosh Hashana. What happens when a parent dies? A void needs to be filled. Someone needs to pick up the torch. Rhoda owned the holidays. Anna realized that now, she was the oldest woman in the family, and the role that needed filling had belonged to a formidable matriarch. Anna was bereft, but she found a way to pull herself together, and that was through holiday cooking. This meant making the foods that Rhoda would have made, and putting extra passion and purpose into her own traditions, like the kreplach soup that she cooks every year.

Anna performed her story live on March 7, 2017 at the Henry Street Settlement in New York City as part of the Schmaltzy storytelling event.

Photographer: Caleigh Waldman.
Photographer: Lewis Kassel.