Trial By Fire

After 10 years of married life, 3 wonderful children and countless hours at the cooktop, I have officially completed my initiation. As any Jewish woman knows, holiday preparation can often take weeks of menu planning, organizing and an over-stuffed freezer. But nothing is comparable to the pre-celebration stress of the "3 day Yom Tov." 3 days, referring to the two day Rosh Hashanah holiday and subsequent Shabbat that linked to it this year, bring on fear and trepidation among my peers that seems to dwarf the fact that the Day of Judgement is upon us. It becomes a plethora of shared recipes, strategies for not repeating foods and last minute calls to see if a friend can get you that one item you forgot at Trader Joe's.

This year was my first solo foray into the 3 day territory since my husband's family visited from the East Coast and I somehow decided it would be wise to invite anyone I spoke to who did not have their own explicit plans. If I'm cooking anyway...

And so it begins...my official Blogspiration.

My menus were a mix of old and new, traditional and contemporary, seasonal and year-round.

Some of my favorites are:

Fig Thyme Jam which I used to marinate my chickens.

Heirloom Melon Gazpacho, an amazing blend of sweet and savory flavors

Asparagus with Saffron Aioli, the Aioli can be made in advance and stored in the fridge

and Butternut Squash Ricotta and Sage Crostini, a fantastic compliment to the gazpacho

3 days, 6 meals, and 60 guests later, I survived and even feel somewhat accomplished.


What are your go to recipes when you are cooking to impress?