Louise Fiszer - Jewish Holiday Feasts

BY LOUISE FISZER & JEANNETTE FERRARY

ILLUSTRATIONS BY COCO MASUDA

DEDICATION

To Bella and Ethel,
To Loretta and Bessie,
and to Jewish mothers everywhere regardless
of race, creed, sex, or place of national origin .

This hardcover edition published by Chronicle Books LLC in 2005.

Text copyright 1995 by Louise Fiszer and Jeannette Ferrary.

Illustrations copyright 1995 by Coco Masuda.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-4521-2674-6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is available.

Cover Design by Tim Belonax

Interior Design by Deborah Bowman

Typesetting by Deborah Bowman

Chronicle Books LLC

680 Second Street

San Francisco, California 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com

D ON T DO ANYTHING TOO WEIRD , a traditional Jewish cook advised us as we began this book. I like new ideas, but I also like going back every year to my comfortable old recipes. Nobody wants to be eating experiments, especially on the High Holy Days. She was right, of course. And we felt pretty much the same way. We wanted to make a nice little book that would have everything: recipes that conform to the requirements of the holiday, that meet the expectations of traditional taste, that preserve the richness and meaning of the beloved customary foods. We wanted to do them in a light style with fresh, flavorful ingredients tailored to todays health-conscious needs. Simple but interesting; not boring but not difficult or intimidating either. We tasted and tested and researched traditional Jewish holiday foods from every part of the worldfrom Russia, Spain, and Greece to Israel, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Among the differences, we found an amazing consistency in the way these dishes reflect the land they are from, their time of year. They all, in some way, honor the wisdom of the earth: winters sleep, springs awakening, the cornucopia of summer, the autumn harvest. The feasts and festivals of the Jewish calendar, which together tell the sacred story of a people, are tied to the cycles of nature, its demands and generosities. That is why we decided to arrange the book by season and to cook with foods and ingredients that eloquently reflect that hallowed bond. These are the feasts of the Lord, announces Leviticus 23:4, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. We introduce each holiday with some background information about its history and meaning. Wherever possible, we include explanations about how each dish fits into the tradition and why it is served. Finally, because todays cook almost always enjoys limited time in the kitchen, all recipes are straightforward and quickly prepared. We hope you will find this a concise and complete one-stop helper for every holiday: easy to use, exciting to cook from and, most of all, not too weird.

LESHANA TOVA TIKOSEVU May you be inscribed for a good yearis the familiar greeting of Rosh Hashanah, the high holy days that begin the Jewish new year. A time of reflection and resolution, Rosh Hashanah is also a time of joy and hope for the year to come. The holiday begins on the first of Tishre, which falls in late September or early October, and continues through the Ten Days of Awe, or Days of Penitence, until Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This ancient holiday time resonates with much of the modern world which, at this time of year, has returned from summer retreats to begin the new season: at school and college, in business, in the fields, and with friends and family as the social calendar gets under way. Rosh Hashanah is known under many names, each underscoring a different aspect of the holy days significance. As Yom ha-Din , or the Day of Judgment, this is a time of examination, evaluation, and repentance. As Yom ha-Zikaron , the Day of Remembrance, it refers to the eternity of time and the continuity of past and present. As Yom Teruah , or the Day of the Blowing of the Horn, it recalls the shofar , or rams horn, which is sounded during the religious services as a reminder of spiritual awakening. On Rosh Hashanah, special additions to the dinner table include the seasons new fruits, like pomegranates, avocados and persimmons, a plate of sliced apples or bread, and a pot of honey for dipping. These signify hope for a sweet year ahead and are eaten with the accompanying prayer: May it be Thy will, Oh Lord our God, to renew unto us a happy and pleasant new year.

Serves 8

One of the gustatory joys of Rosh Hashanah is the introduction of fruits not commonly enjoyed by the family. This salad offers two of them in a slightly sweet and sour combination meant also to represent the wish for fruitfulness and plenty in the new year. The Fuyu is the preferred persimmon in this salad because of its crisp texture.

8 cups torn spinach leaves or other seasonal greens, (about 1 pound)

3 Fuyu persimmons, cut into thin wedges

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

7 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

Seeds from 1 large pomegranate (about 1 cup)

I N A LARGE BOWL, COMBINE SPINACH, PERSIMMONS, AND ONION . Whisk together vinegar and oil. Toss with salad. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and serve.

Makes 1 loaf

During Rosh Hashanah, challah is often shaped into forms other than the usual braid. It may look like wings to associate man with the angels or like a ladder to facilitate our prayers reaching heaven. As a round form such as this one, the challah recalls the crown of Gods kingdom or the circle of life .

2 packages dry yeast

teaspoon saffron threads

cups warm water (about 110 degrees F.)

5 egg yolks, lightly beaten

3 eggs, lightly beaten

7 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

1 cups raisins

1 egg yolk, beaten

I N A LARGE BOWL, SOAK YEAST AND SAFFRON IN WATER ABOUT 5 MINUTES . Stir in egg yolks, eggs, oil, sugar, and salt. Add enough flour to form a stiff but sticky dough, about 4 cups. Turn dough out on floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes, working raisins in dough while kneading. Form into a ball and place in a greased bowl. Turn dough to grease entire surface. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Punch down dough and knead briefly. Roll dough into a rope about 24 inches long. Coil rope into a spiral round loaf. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with beaten yolk and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.