Oct 19, 2007 -- For hundreds of years cholent has been the traditional Sabbath-day meal for observant Jews in many countries. A slow-cooked stew containing meat, vegetables, potatoes or rice, legumes, and spices, it is one of the quintessential Jewish comfort foods and a dish that many look forward to from Sabbath to Sabbath. Yeshiva University (YU) will hold its “First Annual Cholent Cook-off” in Weisberg Commons on its Wilf Campus in Washington Heights, on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 2:45PM. Fifteen teams of four students at Yeshiva College, the men’s undergraduate school, will prepare their dishes the night before beginning at 10:15PM. The following afternoon, a panel of discriminating palates will crown the winner. The contest judges are Dr. Esther Joel, wife of YU President Richard M. Joel; Monita Buchwald, chef and recipe tester for Martha Stewart Living magazine; Alan Kaplan, executive chef of Prestige Catering; Meal Mart proprietor Shmeil Genuth; restaurateur Douglas Socolof (Dougie’s); chef, restaurateur, TV personality and author Jeff Nathan (Abigael’s); and cook book author and private chef Rabbi Gil Marks. Cholent in its various forms evolved from a combination of Jewish law and economic circumstances. Jewish law prohibits cooking on the Sabbath, from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. In order to have a hot lunch on the Sabbath, Jews prepare the cholent – a one pot dish – before the start of the Sabbath and let it cook overnight. Today, a slow cooker or crock pot is often used. Historically, in the Jewish towns of Europe, a community oven or the oven of the local baker was used. The word cholent and its pronunciations vary. Ashkenazi Jews from Central and Eastern Europe call it cholent, sholet or shalet, but Sephardic Jews know it as chamin, a word that is probably French in origin. There is no standard recipe for cholent; its ingredients are as diverse as the places where Jews have lived. In addition to geography the ingredients also were dictated by economic circumstances – when meat was scarce or too expensive the cholent would contain more starch, usually beans and potatoes. When times were good, more meat would be added to the dish. In some countries, beef is favored; in others chicken. In Sephardic communities, whole, often stuffed, vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and peppers are used, as well as rice and lamb or mutton. Where Ashkenazi Jews use salt, garlic, pepper, and paprika, Sephardic Jews use cumin, hot peppers, and pistachio nuts. Today, vegetarian recipes are also popular.