RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Ruth Heiges Sweetened Wheat Berries: Assur - pareve
I recently enjoyed the privilege of participating in a chat session with Gil Marks. One of the things I asked him was how he felt about his recipes being quoted on the Internet. His reply was that it was absolutely fine with him, as long as he is properly credited. He noted that he often comes across his work, without accreditation. So, I'm happy to have a clear conscience about posting his recipes. The following one appeared in 1998 on the Jewish Family and Life web site. In his book, "The World of Jewish Cooking," Marks explains: "Wheat berries are unprocessed whole wheat with only the outer husk removed ... available in health food and Middle Eastern stores ... since wheat berries resembly teeth, Sephardim customarily serve them at a party to honor a baby's first tooth. Sweetened and mixed with fruits and nuts, they become a holiday dish ... for Tu b'Shevat and Rosh Hashanah." The names for this dish are _kofyas_ (Turkish), _assurei_ (Arabic), _koliva_ (Greek), and _korkoti_ (Republic of Georgia). Middle Eastern Sweetened Wheat Berries Preparation Time: 20 minute Soaking Time: Overnight Cooking Time: 2 hours 1 pound whole wheat berries 8 cups water 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon 1/3 cup fruit juice (apricot, orange, pineapple, cranberry, etc.) 2 cups raisins or currants 2 cups chopped mixed nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, pine nuts, cashews) 1 cup chopped apricots (optional) Soak the wheat berries overnight in a large pot or bowl filled with cold water. Make sure the water covers the berries by a few inches. In the morning, drain the water and place in a large pot with the 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered about 2 hours. Wheat berries should be tender but still a bit chewy. Drain the water. Add the sugar, honey, cinnamon and fruit juice and stir over medium low heat until the sugar melts. This should take about 2-3 minutes. Add the fruit and mix well. Let sit for a minute or two so the fruit can soften. Variation: _Sleeha_ (Syrian Anise-Flavored Wheat Berries): Add 1/4 cup anise seeds beore cooking the wheat berries or add 1/2 cup anise liqueur and, if desired,1 teaspoon rose water with the fruit and nuts. Adapted from The World of Jewish Cooking, by Gil Marks. Ruth
