"Kushkie" Duck
By Faye Goldberg Miller
My other grandmother, Toba Goldberg Gelbert. Chaim and Toba Gelbert raised chicken and geese in Mogielnica, Poland.
I am 81 years old. I am from Charleston, S.C. The first 8 years of my life I grew up on St. Philip Street. My father, George Goldberg, had a men’s clothing store on King Street, a few doors down from Firetag’s Furniture Store. He had immigrated from Poland to the United States, and then to Charleston in 1928.
Faye Goldberg with her father, George, 1947. Image courtesy Faye Goldberg Miller
My mother’s family is from Kaluszyn, Poland. My grandfather`s name was Chaim (Charles) Altman. He left Kaluszyn around 1918 to work in Argentina, South America, making furniture. He made enough money and was able to bring his wife, Wittle, and their eight children to America and then to Charleston, S.C. where they both had relatives.
Charles Altman, circa 1920.
My grandmother, Wittle Altman, and her eight children in Kalusyn before moving to America in 1920. Left to right: my mom, Jeanette Altman, Aunt Rosie, Aunt Mildred, Aunt Sarah, Uncle Sam. Wittle (Booba) is sitting, Uncle Israel (standing), Uncle Izz…
Two years after Wittle and the children arrived, Chaim Altman passed away of a heart attack. He was 42 years old. Wittle had a brother in Charleston, A.M. Solomon, who bought her a grocery store on Radcliffe Street to earn a living. She was a good business woman; she couldn`t speak a word of English but knew how to make money. She eventually saved up enough money and put her three sons into the furniture business, where they became very successful. These three brothers had hearts of gold and put family first, always looking out for one or another.
My mother`s favorite brother, Izzy Altman, introduced her to my father, George Goldberg. They married in 1933 in Columbia at the home of Ida Gergel. They had three children Charles, Helene, and me. My brother, Charles Goldberg, (OBM) and his wife, Harriet, lived in Charleston. My sister, Helene Scharff, and her husband live in Atlanta. We were all very close.
I met and married the love of my life, Ivan Miller, in 1957. We worked 24/7 together at Groucho’s Deli, which was founded by his parents, Ethel and Harold “Groucho” Miller. We raised 3 great children, Shira, Robert, and Bruce, and have two grandchildren, Max and Emma. Working with my partner, Ivan, and raising my kids was my life.
To hear Faye speak about Ethel, Groucho, and the deli in her old words, click here and here.
To learn more about the history of Groucho’s Deli, visit their website here. To explore the evolution of the deli, visit CJHI’s web-based tour here and here.
Ivan and Faye Goldberg Miller. Image courtesy Faye Goldberg Miller
Food time
My mom only cooked food that she was raised on, everything was kosher! As a little girl, I would go to Zalkin’s butcher shop and pick up chickens for my mom. I would also have to get sweet breads, lung, cow brains, and flanken. Susan Zalkin Hitt, who is a good friend of mine here in Columbia, was also originally from Charleston. It was her grandfather, Joe Zalkin, who owned the kosher butcher in Charleston. As a child, I would go to the butcher store with a basket and pick up whatever Momma would order. On Sundays, Momma would bake a delicious duck “Kushkie” (yiddush for duck), always with farfel as a side dish. “Stuffed baked derma” was another specialty of hers. I remember Mom cooking cow brains in boiling water with celery and carrots, salt and pepper. I have to admit I loved cow brains cooked with carrots, celery, flankin, and lung. Oy, but yummy. Another favorite was lamb testicles that was baked in the oven. Liver was another favorite cooked with onions. I remember the fish soup, and the fish head would be bobbing in the water—this was not a favorite. My mom could not drive a car, so after school on Fridays as a teenager I would drive her to Carroll’s Fish Market on East Bay St. in Charleston where she would pick out a fresh fish, still moving, take it home, dump the fish in a black bucket, and let it wiggle around until it died. The maid cleaned it and Mom baked it! Then we had fresh fish for Friday night Shabbat dinner. Momma only cooked traditional Jewish foods.
My sweet mother-in-law, Ethel Miller, taught me how to cook. She was born in America and a great cook I might add. When I married my beloved Ivan, it was Ethel who introduced me to Southern Jewish cooking—collards and black eye peas!!!!!!!
Kushkie (duck)
By Faye Miller
This is the recipe I use to honor my grandmother’s “Kushkie.”
1 lb. duckling, cut into serving pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sweet red wine
1 clove of minced garlic
3 tablespoons of oil
1 tablespoon of potato starch
1 1/4 cup of orange juice
1 tablespoon of honey
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
1 cup of orange juice
1 cup of fresh oranges
Puncture the duck skin generously with a fork, place in a roasting pan. Pour ½ cup of the red wine over the duckling pieces. Roast at 325, basting occasionally, allowing about 25 minutes per pound.
In medium saucepan, lightly saute orange peel and garlic in oil. Add potato starch, stirring until smooth. Slowly add orange juice, 2 tablespoon of wine and honey. Simmer 1 minute. Stir in ginger, pepper and orange sections, simmer 5 minutes longer. Serve sauce hot with roasted duck. 4-6 servings.
Stuffed Derma or Kishka
From The Jewish Kitchenhttps://thejewishkitchen.com/stuffed-derma-kishka/
Before you even bake this tasty side dish, the aroma from the spices just makes you want to skip the cooking process. Since that is not going to happen, you just have to be a little patience. When they come out of the oven they are dark in color and a little bit crunchy, the taste is unbelievable..
6 feet Kosher beef casings from your butcher
2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
2/3+ cup chicken fat
1 medium onion, grated
2 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup grated carrots
In a large pot, heat water and 1 tsp. of salt. You will need enough to cover the casings. Cut the casings into 12 inch pieces. Sew up one end and turn inside out. Do all. Combine chicken fat, flour, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper, carrots, onions, and paprika. Stuff each piece of casing with the filling. Sew up the ends.
Put into the boiling water. Lower the heat to low-medium. Cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a large sheet pan that will hold the casings. Remove from boiling water and drain. Put casing on sheet pan and bake for 2 hours. Remove from oven. To serve cut into 1-2 inch pieces.
Kishka can be frozen. When defrosted just heat them in the oven or the toaster. It can also be put into the microwave, on a plate, still frozen, and heat for about 1 minute, turn over and heat for another 30 seconds.