In the Sukkah We Shall Sit for 7 Days...

As the Jewish New Year holiday season continues into it's final stretch we are in final preparations for sukkot.  I procrastinated planning our sukkah with a sense of overwhelm.  Most of my holiday focus is generally on menu planning, food shopping, cooking, baking and finding enough freezer space. My husband took care of building the structure, electrical wiring and some back-up fans as protection against the impending heat wave. I was tasked with interior design. 

I felt a certain amount of pressure for the decorating of our sukkah to be a great experience for my kids and me together and at the same time a desire for it to be elegant and welcoming home for the next 7 days.  Childhood memories crept in with what seemed like hours of standing on ladders, cutting string, hanging and re-hanging all of the shiny decorations until they were correctly fastened and I quickly realized having my kids share this process with me from start to finish would be fun for nobody.  

I finally felt the inspiration today, (there's nothing like the last minute- the holiday begins after a full work day tomorrow) and ran a quick errand to Michael's Crafts. They had some fantastic floral arrangements, really pretty silk hydrangeas in fall jewel tones that would be perfect.  I caught a roll of burlap twine in the sale bin on the way out and the best little hint, translucent, elastic fish wire meant for jewelry making and voila our elegant sukkah awaits...my kids will add the finishing touches in the morning, putting their personal stamp on it and making this a great experience for all.

And because I can't resist, a sample menu for the holiday.
Chag Sameach!

Round Cinnamon Challahs

Chicken won-tons with apricot dipping sauce

Prime Rib Part Deux

Braised Honey Mustard Garlic Chicken Thighs with Shallots

Roasted vegetable platter: beet Fries, brussel sprouts, squash

Mashed Parsnip Soufflé with Caramelized Onions

Cherry Tomato Crisp

Shitake Asparagus Green Salad 

Chocolate Caramel and Pecan tart

Berries

The Sweet Smells of the New Year

As the Jewish New Year approaches I am reminded of the year I started this blog and the preparations that inspired it.  The weeks leading up to Rosh Hashanah, the first of the Jewish holidays that begins at sundown this Wednesday, are a flurry of menu planning. Meals are full of the old world recipes that come courtesy of my Mom and remind me of the tastes and smells of the holiday which I always celebrated with my grandparents. In addition, I have begun to repeat some of the recipes I have discovered over the last few years, and am eager to try some brand new combinations that will inject just enough original flavor to mark this as the New Year.

I feel especially accomplished this year as I take stock of some of the more recent recipes that have become part of the holiday tradition in our family. I feel as though the smells and tastes I’m creating will live on for decades as our children grow and reminisce about the holidays of their childhood.  

This all became clear to me right after school started. My son saw me gathering recipes for Rosh Hashanah and asked after his favorite holiday ingredient, Heirloom Melons, which I use to make Heirloom Melon Gazpacho. These specific melons can only be found at this time of year, and have quickly become a family favorite.  

The gazpacho, originally appearing in a Los Angeles Times Rosh Hashanah menu by Tierra Sur’s Chef Todd Aarons, is the perfect mix of savory and sweet.  I made my yearly trip for Heirloom Melons at the specialty produce market and brought home the aromatic melons that fill my house with the sweet smells of the approaching holiday.

Another tried and true staple of our Rosh Hashanah table is the date and cranberry soda bread adapted from this Martha Stewart recipe.  We’ve taken to calling it our Rosh Hashanah Bread, which I serve as a complement to the traditional round raisin challahs. I’ve replaced the milk with soymilk and the butter with Organic Buttery Sticks and added chopped pitted dates.  Served slightly warm and dipped in honey, it is like beginning the meal with dessert and guaranteeing a sweet New Year.

This year I’m adding some new recipes to my holiday repertoire:

• Braised orange ginger short ribs with driedapricots made with meaty cross cut short ribs are just the right consistency, tender and delicious.
• Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Onion withTahini & Za’atar from the renowned new cookbook Jerusalem is a great mix of flavors to suit most tastes. 
• Persimmon Pomegranate salad, which I will likely substitute with nectarines given the early date of Rosh Hashanah this year -- it’s not quite Persimmon season yet.

Here are two sample menus I’ve planned.  Hoping to inspire your New Year – May your kitchen be filled with sweet smells and timeless traditions!

Rosh Hashanah Dinner:

Raisin Challah

Rosh Hashanah Date Cranberry Bread adapted from Martha Stewart's Irish Soda Bread

Apple and Honey

Chicken Soup

Fish Head and Gefilte Fish

Standing Rib Roast

Pomegranate Honey Chicken

Roasted Butternut Squash & Red Onion with Tahini and Za'atar

Traditional Cabbage and Carrots

Persimmon Pomegranate Salad Adapted with baby spinach, and pumpkin seeds

French Green beans with Roasted Garlic and basil garnish

Individual baked apples cooked with wine and sweet crumble topping, recipe courtesy of Miriam Mark

Vanilla ice cream

Berries

Rosh Hashanah Lunch:

Raisin challah

Rosh Hashanah Date and Cranberry Bread

Heirloom Melon Gazpacho

Guacamole

Braised Orange Ginger Short Ribs with Dried Apricots

Panko Curry Chicken Tenders with Dijon Shallot sauce

Roasted Garlic Parsley Asparagus

Yellow tomato, avocado and basil salad

Salad with Fig Vinaigrette, blood oranges, hearts of palm and roasted red onions

Shlishkalach

Fresh Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream with brownies served in waffle cone bowls adapted from this recipe 

Chocolate Chip and sea salt cookies

Berries