A Legacy of Sephardic, Mediterranean, and American Recipes
by
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SAVORY PASTRIES with FILLINGS A meal or an appetizer
OH BOY! BOYOS! BULEMAS de SPINACA! (Individual Spinach Pastries) Boyos are often referred to as “dezayuno”, which means breakfast in Ladino, because it is a breakfast favorite served with hard-boiled eggs and sometimes yogurt. Notes: Best results are with fresh Spinach. To save time, you can buy triple-washed spinach, but it will cost more because it is usually baby spinach. Otherwise, wash the spinach and let dry on the counter overnight. Give yourself a few hours. I often chop the spinach the night before. Or chop spinach while dough is rising. Make sure it is dry. Get help to make it go faster. My sister, Esther, of blessed memory, used to help me. She said: “I’m the roller, you’re the filler.” You can increase or decrease the recipe. The difference between a boyo and a bulema is the shape. A boyo is square or oblong and a bulema is a round coil. Yum! As my sister would say, “Better than sex”! Bulemas were originally made with homemade fillo stretched paper-thin over a table as I watched my Auntie Rae Capelouto do. Recipe for about 20 bulemas or 30 boyos. Dough 1 tsp. yeast 2 cups lukewarm water 6-7 cups flour Pinch of salt 2 tbsp. oil Oil to cover pan ¼” for letting dough stand
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water until it bubbles, about 10 minutes. Pour 6 cups flour into large bowl (I use an electric mixer bowl with a knead attachment). Add yeast, salt and oil. Rub through. Start adding rest of water slowly. Add more flour as needed and knead by hand or machine. By hand, pull apart and re-knead until dough is smooth and shiny. Pour 1/4 inch of oil into the bottom of an oblong pan. Divide dough into balls, slightly flattened. Dip both sides in oil and place in pan covered tightly with plastic wrap to rest for about 20 minutes. Place boyos on a greased baking sheet about 1-2 inches apart. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in preheated oven at 400⁰ for 25-30 minutes. Practice! Practice!
Filling 2 ½ lbs. fresh spinach, washed or 2 pre-washed cartons 1/4 cup flour for dusting 1 ½-2 cups Parmesan or Romano cheese to taste ½ -1 cup crumbled feta to taste
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Book Details
About the Book
This book is a collection of family favorite recipes from many cultures, Old and New World. It is intended to create a legacy and to share traditions. Cooking is nurturing, joyful, and even spiritual. Many recipes represent a heritage of Sephardic cooking. Sephardic refers to Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492, most ending up in the Ottoman Empire. The cooking is mostly Mediterranean-style food, with many Ladino-Spanish names. The recipes can be intricate and time-consuming, but this book aims to keep the age-old tradition alive and available to future generations with how-to photos, tips, and tools for ease of preparation. Some recipes are favorites for Jewish holidays with a section just for Passover. Other recipes are thoroughly American, including Thanksgiving fare. Also included are favorites of my clients who order food like their mother used to make, from my hobby business: www.sephardicdelicacies.com.
About the Author
Rachel Almeleh was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1945 to Sephardic Jewish immigrants. She holds a BA (1967) and MEd (1986) in Spanish education from the University of Washington. She taught for over twenty-five years. She has two children. She began a hobby business in 1990, Rachel’s Sephardic Delicacies, which she still operates in her retirement. She still teaches as a substitute, continuing her two passions of teaching and cooking.