Kafkaesque Cooking: Chilled Moroccan Tomato Soup

Mid-August is traditionally when the heat truly becomes a force to be reckoned with in the coastal regions of Southern California, and one quickly discovers that the less heat-based cooking one undertakes the better, especially come late afternoon. The perfect solution for those with the cooking bug may be found through exploring a combination of salads, grilling, iced beer and cold dishes (ordering takeout pizza is also highly recommended). I have found cold or chilled soups to be extremely satisfactory come late summer. Chilled soups, like iced tea or cold shrimp, seem tailor-made for the season, and I'm fascinated by the sheer flexibility of soups - they can both warm the inner core during winter time or cool the body temperature in summer.

At the same time, we've recently been enjoying all things Jewish (or at least Jewish-American), be it the Philip Roth novel-on-disc Jane's been listening to during her morning drive, the celebration of a neighbor's Bat Mitzvah at Ohr Shalom Synagogue, my growing appreciation for klezmer, or my increasing insistence on the genius of Billy Wilder. Perhaps it was the sampling of the ceremonial challah loaf at the Bat Mitzvah last weekend, or perhaps it was simply a desire to crack open an under-utilized cookbook, but I found myself paging through the massive New York Times Jewish Cookbook, a hodge-podge (farsheydene? פֿאַרשיידענע? My Yiddish ain't too strong) of over 800 "traditional and contemporary" recipes representing the glory that is the Jewish diaspora. Lovers of gefilte fish and schmaltz and gribenes will be pleased, as will those looking for matzoh meat pie, anise cookies and "Chinese Romanian-Tenderloin Pepper Steak" recipes.

From the always-inspired Barbara Kafka comes the delightful, cooling and acidic Chilled Moroccan Tomato Soup, a pareve dish that proved relatively easy to assemble and requires the absolute freshest of raw tomatoes. Don't even think of substituting canned tomatoes for this puppy - your best option is to use home-grown fruits directly off the vine. The paprika and cumin paste adds a wonderful flush of heat, while the vinegar and lemon juice keep things lively. And it's a beautiful thing to look at, too - the dark red of the liquid tomatoes standing out sharply against the sprinkled green leaves of cilantro.

Barbara Kafka's Chilled Moroccan Tomato Soup

Ingredients

5 medium cloves garlic, smashed, peeled and minced
2 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
large pinch cayenne pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 1/4 pounds fresh tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks (I pureed mine)
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves, chopped - plus additional leaves for garnish
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons salt
4 stalks celery, diced

Stir together garlic, paprika, cumin, cayenne and olive oil in a small saucepan. Place over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Pass tomatoes through a food mill. Stir in cooked spice mixture and remaining ingredients.

Refrigerate until chilled. Serve garnished with the cilantro leaves.