Rosh Hashanah - Warm Wishes and the Menu

I love Autumn, and it’s official – Summer is over and Fall is here. The air is crisp and and everywhere you look there are leaves of such vibrant reds, oranges, yellows and greens, they take your breath away. It’s time to take out those cozy big sweaters for long walks, crunching your way through piles of fallen leaves. And best of all, it’s time to eat crunchy, juicy and tart apples, squash of every shape, size and color combination, and finally make those savory stews and soups that I’ve been waiting for the heat of summer to end and the long, slow, fragrant cooking could begin again.

It’s also one of my favorite Jewish Holidays – Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the time to reflect on the past and envision the promise of a bright future. For all my Jewish readers – Shana Tova – Happy New Year. And for everyone, regardless of religious beliefs, I wish you health, prosperity and peace in the time ahead.

And what would any holiday be without feasting? Jews around the world have assimilated the local culture of the countries they live in and made their own traditions based on the foods at hand. I love to take out my favorite Jewish cookbooks, read the stories of Jewish life in different lands and try recipes that, while seeming so foreign, pay homage to the holiday. You can check out some of my favorite Jewish cookbooks and, even better, leave me a comment as to which one is yours so I can add to my collection.


I realize I should have written this menu BEFORE the holiday in case anyone was looking for some new recipes, but I was too busy getting ready.

So, without further ado….here’s this year's (the only thing NOT home-made....gefilte fish)

Rosh Hashanah Menu

Chicken Soup with Dilled Matzo Balls

Gefilte Fish with red horseradish

“Israeli” Salad

Chicken Salad

Stuffed Veal Brisket with Ginger Apricot Glaze

Sweet Potato & Pear Casserole

Gingered Carrot Tsimmis

Broccoli

Shirley’s Honey Cake

“Jewish” Apple Cake

Tunisian-style Date Cake (my personal new favorite)

Similar to, but different than last year's feast. In our house, traditions are what keep us doing the same things we love and adding one or two new things to the mix. This time around I left out the potato kugel, the one consession to South Beach Diet - who was I kidding and what was I thinking?

For those of you who might be trying to plan a menu for the Yom Kippur Breaking of the Fast, I'll be posting my menu tomorrow.

Related links: Food and Drink recipes Holiday Menu