Mediterranean-Shtetl Fusion Cholent…

There are some folks in my neighborhood that take Cholent very seriously.

There’s a Cholent committee at the synagogue.

So, when the NFO told me to “take this piece of meat and make a cholent,” like any good marketer, I decided to change the playing field.

Traditionally, the cholent is made with foods common to Eastern Europe; meat, potatoes, barley, etc.

Now, maybe I’ve been watching too much Top Chef, but I decided on a different route.

So, the shtetl component had:

• meat (breast deckel, it was called)
• sweet potatoes
• barley

and then I went Mediterranean

• marinara sauce
• basil
• oregano
• garlic (cloves and powder)
• onions (sauteed first, by the way)
• balsamic vinegar
• red cooking wine
• campari tomatoes
• portobello mushrooms

The result?

I thought it was pretty good, but one guest said it was “one of the best cholents” she’d ever  had.

The chairman of the cholent committee came over and tasted it (upon my request for authentication) and he said that the flavor was great, but it needed a bit more salt and probably a fattier piece of meat.

Anyway, I had fun and wanted to document.

Next up: Tropical Shtetl Fusion…