Coordinated by OneFamily office manager and bereaved mother Dina Kit, the cookbook project has helped Israeli bereaved mothers connect with each other through the act of cooking (specifically recipes that remind them of the children they lost), and allows them to memorialize their children in a positive way.
The beautiful, glossy cookbook is due to launch this September, and will be available for purchase via the OneFamily website. Each set of pages includes a recipe, the terror victim’s story and pictures of the bereaved mother (the chef) and her child.
As a Shavuot treat, OneFamily is sharing these two seasonal recipes with our readers.
Orit’s Cheesecake
By Dalia Ozorov – Orit’s mother
This cheesecake is round and impressive. It reminds us of the time when our family was complete and happy. Orit wasn’t very fond of dairy products but she loved this cake. The cake rises, browning slightly as it bakes. To this day, whenever I bake the cake, it seems as if the radiance emanating from Orit – the radiance of a full and happy life filled with beauty – shines through to me from the cake.
Sometimes the cake reminds me of a small, shining star, Orit’s star, looking down at us from above and continuing to light up our lives.
Ingredients:
150g biscuits
4 tbsp. oil
5 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
750g cream cheese (5% or 9%)
1 container yogurt or sour cream
1 pkt. vanilla flavored instant pudding
5 tbsp. cornstarch
Grated rind of 1 medium-sized lemon
Round, greased 26cm (10.2”) pan
Directions:
1. Crumble the biscuits into a bowl, add the oil and mix. Flatten the mixture on the bottom of the pan.
2. Beat egg whites with ½ cup sugar until stiff. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, mix yolks with the remaining ½ cup of sugar. Add the cheese, yogurt, instant pudding, corn starch and lemon rind. Mix briefly at lowest speed. Add the egg whites to the cheese mixture and fold gently.
4. Spread the mixture over the layer of biscuit crumbs.
5. Heat the oven to 180°C, and place a pan with warm water on the bottom of the oven.
6. Bake for 45 minutes, until the cake is slightly brown. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in for an additional 30 minutes. Then open the oven door, leaving the cake inside for an additional 30 minutes.
7. Refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Asaf’s Blintzes
By Geula Hershkovitz – Asaf’s mother
When Asaf was a soldier in active service, he served very close to home. Unlike many others, who considered serving in Judea and Samaria as being the ends of the Earth, for Asaf, ‘close to home’ meant over the Green Line. Asaf served in a combat unit and his squadron served in the area for quite some time.
Every Thursday, for as long as I can remember, I would make a pile of about 30 – 40 blintzes. We wouldn’t eat the blintzes at mealtimes, but whenever anyone passed through the kitchen they would grab one. Around that time, I would make the blintzes and bring them to Asaf and all his friends. Once I began, they wouldn’t let me stop – if there weren’t any blintzes, his friends were sure to comment on it.
Ingredients for about 20 blintzes:
Blintzes –
3 cups flour (420g)
5 eggs
1 liter milk
1 cup oil
Filling –
1 kilo 5% cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Before serving –
Sprinkle with powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients for the blintzes in the food processor to make a smooth batter. Pour into a bowl, cover with cling-wrap and cool for an hour.
2. In a separate bowl mix together all the filling ingredients.
3. Heat a 9.5” non-stick frying pan, grease lightly and pour in a little batter. Tilt the pan so the batter covers the bottom in a thin layer. After a minute, flip the blintz over briefly. Remove and continue with the rest of the batter.
4. Fill the blintzes with filling, roll up and serve hot or cold, sprinkled with powdered sugar.