‘Twas the night before Christmas, once swaddled in fluff;
Not a creature was stirring, except at Good Stuff;
The staff and the cooks, they’re a family, you see;
Their business is burgers, the best in D.C.;

Washington’s first family of food, the Mendelsohns, are celebrating
the holidays together for the first time as a unit in the same city
since the kids were in high school. Those kids would be Spike, a
former “Top Chef” contestant and overnight celebrity cook, and his
sister Micheline, who runs Good Stuff Eatery’s business side.

Spike, Micheline and their parents, Harvey and Catherine Mendelsohn
are feeling the Capitol love and want to return the holiday spirit to
their neighbors. Stop by and you’ll see them all running around the
joint like it’s the kitchen at home on Christmas Eve. Dad even boasts
a great, white, bushy beard like ol’ Saint Nick.

We’re a restaurant family,” said Spike. “We grew up working in
restaurants. I was in the kitchen working with my grandfather and my
father. But my sister and I went to college and we split up. It’s
great to be back together again. It’s amazing to run Good Stuff with
them. It’s too bad more families don’t get to experience this.”

This has been an especially busy season for the Mendelsohn bunch.
“Spike and I had a cooking show at the Sixth and I Street Synagogue,”
said Catherine. Harvey is Jewish, and Catherine is Greek, so the
self-proclaimed “Gruish” family celebrates both Hanukkah and
Christmas. “We participated in Latka Mania at thesynagogue. We even
had people from temple come back to the house.”

Part of making Washington a home has been catching up with one
another, but they also attribute their easy transition to meeting new
people. “This holiday is special,” said Catherine. “We’re all
together, we’re shopping together.”

(For added coolness, Harvey and Catherine are co-founders of the
National Music Foundation, so they’ve attended tons of music awards
shows over the years. And helped musicians find a voice.)

“Christmas Eve for us is all-clusive,” said Micheline (who goes by
Mich). “We go to mom’s for Greek bread with boiled eggs and lamb in
evening. We used to only get together maybe once a month. Now Spike
and I drive into work together. And with mom and dad here, it’s always
funny, always crazy, all being in one space together.”

Catherine added, “I’ve lived a lot of places. I’m from Montreal. We
lived in Seville for years. This is my favorite of all the places I’ve
lived. As a city, I love it. It’s a beautiful place to live.”

The Mendelsohns trade recipes and sit around the hearth, and in
keeping with the holiday spirit, have extended their traditions to us.
Enjoy these recipes now and going into the new year, from the
Mendelsohn family to the BYT family.

“I’m surrounded by everyone this year” said Spike. “This year’s gonna
be the first time we’re all spending it in this way. This is now
home.”

When out from the kitchen there arose such a clatter,
They whipped up good tidings and grilled Angus platters.

Now! Spike, now! Mich, now, Catherine, Harvey and Vixen!
On, Mendelsohns! Please keep bringin’ out all the fixin’s!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!

AND NOW FOR WHAT THEY DO BEST:

Kefalonian Meat Pie, which they make it during Christmas Day. and they also included what Spike did at latke mania

This is the traditional dish of Kefalonia. Many in Kef make this with goat, however this recipe is made with beef which I prefer and I also make it with lamb.

Filo Dough

3 cups of all purpose flour
1 glass white wine
1 glass olive oil
1 /2 cup white wine
1 egg
A little warm water
A bit of grated cheese (Kefalotiri) for top
Make dough by combining all ingredients. First oil, flour , salt and then add wine, water, egg.
Set aside for 1 hour.

Filling

3lbs lean tender beef in small cube size pieces
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 large finely chopped onion
1 cup olive oil (used to cook the beef)
½ cup white wine
4-5 juicy tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 cup Kefalotiri (grated cheese)
½ cup regular (not par boiled) rice
1 tbsp tomato paste

In olive oil sauté onion, garlic and meat until browned. Add wine and cook for 3 minutes. Grind tomatoes in food processor with tomato paste. Add to meat and season with salt and pepper.

Turn to med-low, cover and cook for 2 hours until meat is very tender.

Take off heat, cool, add rice and grated cheese. Set aside, open filo with broomstick enough to overlap pan add meat /rice mixture. Fold over like an envelope. Brush top with olive oil and sprinkle with cheese. Cook at 350 for 1 to 1 ½ hour.

Ta-Dah!

AND THE LATKES

ORIGINAL LATKE RECIPE (2 DOZEN)

12 MED RED SKINNED POTATOES OR GOLDEN YUKON PEELED & GRATED
1 LG ONION MINCED
4 TBSP SOUR CREAM
½ CUP FLOUR
2 TSP SALT
6 EGGS
1 CUP BREAD CRUMBS (ADJUST TO CONSISTENCY)

PEEL & GRATE POTATOES, PLACE IN STRAINER, SQUEEZE ALL THE WATER OUT. MIX IN REMAINING INGREDIENTS.
POUR CANOLA OIL ½ INCH DEEP IN NON STICK PAN.
HEAT ON MED-HIGH & THEN DROP FULL TBSP INTO FRYING PAN & PAT WITH BACK OF SPOON TO FORM.
FRY ON BOTH SIDES AND DRY ON PAPER TOWELS.
KEEP LATKES IN 200 DEGREES WARM OVEN DURING PRODUCTION.
SERVE WITH A VARIETY OF HOMEMADE APPLESAUCES & SOUR CREAM.

~

SWEET POTATO LATKES (2 DOZEN)
4 LG PEELED & GRATED SWEET POTATOES
4 FINELY SLICED SCALLIONS
4 EGGS
1 CUP FLOUR
¾ TSP GROUND PEPPER
1 1/2 TSP COARSE SEA SALT
VEGETABLE OIL FOR FRYING

IN A LARGE BOWL WISK EGGS & FLOUR.
ADD SALT, PEPPER AND MIX WITH SCALLIONS & SWEET POTATOES.
HEAT OIL OVER MED-HIGH HEAT IN A NON STICK FRYING PAN.
DROP 1 TBSP OF LATKES MIXTURE INTO FRYING PAN AND FLATTEN WITH BACK OF SPOON. TURN OVER AND REMOVE WHEN NICELY FRIED.
DRAIN ON PAPER TOWELS. THEN PLACE IN OVEN SET AT WARM TEMP UNTIL SERVED OR, IF PREFERRED, CAN BE SERVED AT ROOM TEMP
SERVE WITH SOUR CREAM, SPIKED WITH FRESHLY GRATED GINGER & FRESHLY GRATED NUTMEG TO TASTE.

ZUCCHINI & FETA LATKES (2 DOZEN)
4 BIG GRATED & WELL STRAINED ZUCCHINI SHOULD BE 2 CUPS (AFTER STRAINING)
1 MED DICED ONION SAUTEED IN OLIVE OIL
3 TBSP THINLY SCLICED CHIVES
3 TBSP CHOPPED FRESH MINT
3 TBSP CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY
2 SLIGHTLY BEATEN EGGS
1 CUP BREADCRUMBS
½ CUP CRUMBLED FETA
SALT & PEPPER TO TASTE
FLOUR FOR DREDGING

GRATE ZUCCHINI PUT IN MESH STRAINER, SALT & LET STAND FOR 2 HOURS.
PUT INTO TEA TOWEL OR CHEESECLOTH AND SQUEEZE ALL THE WATER OUT OF ZUCCHINI, VERY WELL.
SAUTE ONION & PLACE ALL INGREDIENTS IN BOWL. ADD SALT & PEPPER TO TASTE .
IF TOO LOOSE ADD BREADCRUMBS.
HEAT VEGETABLE OIL, OVER MED-HIGH HEAT, ½ INCH DEEP IN A NON STICK PAN. FORM I HEAPING TBSP OF MIXTURE INTO A LATKE AND DREDGE IN FLOUR AND FRY ON BOTH SIDES.
DRAIN LATKES ON PAPER TOWELS & PLACE ON COOKIE SHEET IN A 350 DEGREE OVEN FOR 10 MINUTES.
SERVE WARM OR AT ROOM TEMP. WITH ZESTY TZATZIKI SAUCE.

ZESTY TZATZIKI SAUCE
1 CUP GREEK YOGURT
1 CUP SOUR CREAM
1 TBSP FRESH LEMON JUICE
1TBSP WHITE VINEGAR
2 TBSP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
2 MINCED GARLIC CLOVES
WHITE PEPPER TO TASTE
APPROX. 1 TSP KOSHER SALT (TO TASTE)
MIX ALL INGREDIENTS WELL & REFRIGERATE FOR ONE HOUR OR MORE.

ORIGINAL YUMMY APPLESAUCE
6 GRANNY SMITH APPLES
6 MACINTOSH APPLES
½ CUP OF BROWN SUGAR
½ CUP APPLESAUCE
2 LEVEL TSP OF CINNAMON
PINCH OF NUTMEG
1 TBSP RED JELLO POWDER
APPROXIMATELY 5LBS OF APPLES. USE ANY COMBINATION OF APPLES DEPENDING ON DESIRED
TARTNESS.
USE AN 8 QT POT WITH LID AND A POTATO RICER.
(IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A POTATO RICER, CUT PEEL & CORE APPLES)
CUT APPLES INTO 8 CHUNKS, ADD APPLE JUICE AND BRING TO A BOIL. COVER AND SIMMER FOR APPROX. 10 MIN OR UNTIL APPLES REACH DESIRED CONSISTENCY.
MIX REMAINING INGREDIENTS INTO APPLESAUCE. DELICIOUS!

~
RHUBARB APPLESAUCE
6 APPLES, CORED, PEELED & CUT
2 STALKS RHUBARB IN ½ INCH SLICES
½ CUP SUGAR
¼ TSP. CINNAMON
A PINCH OF NUTMEG.
SIMMER APPLES, RHUBARB & SUGAR FOR 45 MIN. COVERED.
STIR IN SPICES, 2 TSP ORANGE ZEST & ¼ CUP LEMON JUICE.

~
TROPICAL MANGO APPLESAUCE
MAKE ORIGINAL APPLESAUCE REPLACING 4 APPLES WITH 2 MANGOS
& OMIT SUGAR.

~
PASSION FRUIT APPLESAUCE
COOK APPLES AND APPLEJUICE AS IN ORIGINAL RECIPE, ADDING 1
DRIED STAR ANISE & A 2 INCH PIECE OF PEELED GINGER.
REMOVE ANISE & GINGER.
WHEN READY AND BLEND IN 1 CUP OF PASSION FRUIT PUREE, 2 TSP HONEY, ½ CUP SHERRY & 2 TSP. RICE VINEGAR.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!