COMFORT FOOD:
THE HIGH HOLIDAYS
A New Year Begins
BY KAREN PERRY
& DEE-DEE GOIDEL
With August past, the summer
is over. The pace of
life quickens and a new
year is about to begin in the Jewish
calendar. Rosh Hashanah, the New
Year, is the first of the “Ten Days
of Penitence.” The last day is Yom
Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This
holiday period is a time for gentleness,
reflection, and personal stocktaking.
It is also a time for religious
rededication. The High Holidays
are filled with wondrous memories.
Imagine passing the plate of apples
and honey, or tasting that first bite
of the round holiday challah. Let’s
look at the important role played by
food on this first day of the High
Holidays.
The Rosh Hashanah table is laden
with delicacies representing the
hope for a sweet future. The first
such item is slices of apple dipped
in honey. Other dishes abound
with honey and apple, as well as
raisins and carrots. No sour or
bitter dishes have a place on this
joyous table. It is fearful that their
dark color and bitter taste might
signal evil and predict misfortune
for the coming year.
Next month we will explore Horn
of Plenty--vegetables and fruits harvested
in the Fall. We will also plan
a Thanksgiving Menu in advance.
NST Residents, please send us your
favorite recipes!
ROSH HASHANAH
Our Rosh Hashanah menu has
dishes highlighting the luscious
produce of the season. These
include Roasted Pumpkin Soup,
Vegetable Kugel, and Fruit Kabobs.
Eleanor Ulrich, of Building Three,
has sent us her kugel recipe. Never
forgetting tradition, Pot Roast
is the meal’s centerpiece. Adele
Goodman of Building Two contributed
her version of this classic.
YOM KIPPUR
We are all familiar with fasting
on Yom Kippur. This one day is
to be spent humbling the heart in
penitence and atoning for sins so
that we will be inscribed in the
Book of Life for a good year. To
feel the pangs of hunger is said to
remind oneself of the difficult task
of atonement. At the end of the
service, a voice falls from heaven
telling the faithful that their prayers
have been heard.
Confident that they have attained
forgiveness, they rejoice and end
their fast with a meal that is usually
dairy. The star of our meal, ending
the Yom Kippur fast, is blintzes.
Cheese Blintzes
For the Crepes
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour sifted
½ t. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1 T. melted butter
Butter for frying
In a large bowl, combine eggs,
milk, salt and vanilla. Blend well.
Gradually add flour. Beat well
until smooth with no lumps in
batter. Let rest for half an hour at
room temperature. Grease a 6- or
7-inch skillet. Heat until hot but
not smoking.
Pour a ladleful of batter into
skillet. Tilt pan around to cover
the bottom of skillet. Fry crepe
on one side until bubbles form
and the crepe is set on top. The
bottom should be golden brown.
Loosen edges of crepe then slip
it onto a plate. Greasing skillet
before each pour, repeat above
directions until all batter is used.
(If batter thickens, thin with a little
cold water).
For the Filling
12 ounces farmer’s cheese
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
Pinch of salt
Make filling by combining all
ingredients in a bowl and blending
thoroughly. Chill for half an
hour in the refrigerator. Crepes
are filled by placing them brown
side up then placing 1 T. of filling
on one edge. Roll crepe once to
cover filling. Fold sides into the
center and continue rolling until
completely closed. Warm 2 T. butter
in a skillet. Place each blintz,
seam side down, into pan. Fry for
2 minutes on each side. Serve blintzes
with a dollop of sour cream,
fresh strawberries, and powdered
sugar on top.
Pot Roast
Courtesy of Adele Goodman
4 lbs. 1st cut Brisket
2 large onions sliced to cover
bottom of the pan
1 can tomato sauce
½ cup water
1/2 cup Red Wine use the empty
can to measure
1 cubed potato per person
1 Bay leaf per pound of meat
Pot Roast can be made on top of
stove or in oven. Line the over bottom
either pot or pan with sliced
onions cover well with paprika.
Place meat on top and cover with
tomato sauce and water with wine
mixture.
Cover pan and cook over low
flame until meat is almost done
(about 2 hours)
Add potatoes cook for another
hour until done.
Important, check liquid while
cooking as you may have to add
more water so that onion and potatoes
don’t stick. If it dries up you
also will not have any gravy left.
Caution: Remember cook on a
very low flame.
Tip: Wine should not be
very sweet. Adele uses left over
Passover wine.
2021
September Vegetable Kugel
Courtesy of Eleanor Ulrich
a light coat of oil. In a mixing bowl,
¢combine peppers, onions, celery,
COURIER ¼ cup each of chopped yellow,
carrots, and oil. Heat a frying pan
red, and green peppers
to medium-high temperature. Stir
1 cup chopped onions
fry vegetable mixture, stirring occasionally,
½ cup chopped celery
TOWERS 1 ½ cups grated carrots
room temperature. Drain and spin
3 t. oil
dry the defrosted spinach.
10 oz. package frozen chopped
Combine stir-fried vegetables
spinach, thawed
with spinach, salt, and pepper. Add
SHORE 3 eggs beaten
beaten eggs, then matzoh meal, to
1 ½ t. salt
vegetables. Mix thoroughly after
1/8 t. pepper
each addition. Bake at 350 degrees
NORTH ¾ cup matzoh meal
for 45 minutes. Kugel should be
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
brown on top and firm to the
with rack in center. Grease a
touch. Note: This recipe freezes,
28 large, rectangular Pyrex dish with
and serves again, beautifully. until tender. Let cool to