Yom Kippur Break Fast Menu

Every year, Jews around the world spend Yom Kippur – the day of atonement, fasting and, as Joan Nathan so eloquently put it in The Jewish Holiday Kitchen – “humbling the heart in repentance and atoning for sins”. The “day” starts really on the evening before and in my house (and many others), we eat dinner around 4 pm so we can make it to services which start at sundown (here that’s around 6:30 pm). The meal is probably the only bland meal I ever make. No salt and little spice that would make us thirsty. Since my daughters have moved away and it’s just the two of us at home, my honey and I just have a simple supper, often of some sweet chicken dish with potatoes (this year, make that sweet potatoes – South Beach Diet friendlier) and asparagus and head off for services.

The real meal I concentrate on is the Breaking of the Fast dinner. Friends and family will come over after their services are done – around 7:30 pm the next day. Everyone is hungry (even if they haven’t kept a total fast) and so I usually set the table before going off to pray and serve most dishes at room temperature. That way, all I really have to do is take the orange juice out of the fridge and pour the freshly brewed coffee (timer set before I left). Everything else is already on the table.

In our home, the Yom Kippur Break-Fast menu is more like a dairy brunch even though it’s served in the evening. It’s easy to prepare in advance, as well as being easy to digest. All my dishes are served at room temperature, so no delays waiting for food to heat up or worse, coming home later than expected to find it dried out or burnt in the oven. It's already on the table.

So for those of you looking for a menu (to break the Yom Kippur fast or just for an easy buffet)……

Yom Kippur Break the Fast Menu

Lick your fingers Luckshen Kugel

Assortment of smoked fishes, interesting cheeses & breads
Gefilte fish
Bagels, lox & cream cheese
An assortment of salads:
Israeli Salad again, since I didn’t get a picture last week
Chickpea Salad – because it’s everyone’s favorite
Black Bean Salad with Mint & Cumin Vinaigrette
Orange & Endive Salad with Maple Syrup Vinaigrette
Or maybe I’ll add some new salad to the mix

Desserts:

Honey Cake (the one I made for Rosh Hashanah keeps well and there’s more than enough left)
Fruit Salad or Poires Bourguigonne (Pears poached in red wine) from The New Jewish Holiday Cookbook

Enjoy and to all – may the year ahead be filled with peace and contentment.

Related links: Food and Drink recipes Holiday Menu