|
May You Be Written in the Book of Life in the New Year
Dear Friends,
The Jewish New Year is coming up and I thought I would take the time to educate or re-educate you about some of the food customs related to the holiday. The following is an abbreviated excerpt from my new book Entree to Judaism.
May you all have a year filled with health, contentment and renewed financial security.
Eat in Good Health!
Tina
|
|
Food Symbolism for The High Holy Days
We incorporate certain foods into our celebration of the High Holy Days because of custom, not biblical dictate. The only prescription in the Talmud (The "oral Torah" or rabbinic commentaries on the bible) is for Hidur Mitzvah, taking the
extra time to exalt God by making our holiday table and ourselves more beautiful by using our best china and silver or getting our hair cut and wearing new clothes for the holiday. Through these actions, we enhance the meaning of the High
Holy Days.
The choices of food to represent the holiday have depended on the region, societal customs, and socioeconomic standing of the Jews. Eastern European Jews express their wish for a sweet and fruitful year by dipping apples and challah(egg
bread) in honey. Kreplach, toothsome pockets of meat-filled dough served in chicken soup, is a modern interpretation of a medieval European custom of placing a wish for the New Year into a piece of dough and then wearing it as an amulet
around the neck. Spanish descendants and Middle Eastern Jews conduct Seders serving seven foods and reciting seven blessings. They also serve fruit in covered baskets so no one knows what's inside, just as no one knows what the New Year
will bring.
Normally two loaves of elongated challah are served for the Sabbath, but for the High Holy Days a round challah, sometimes containing raisins, is customary. The round challah is fraught with meaning. It is symbolic of the crown of God
our Sovereign; it represents a year filled with never-ending good. A ladder of dough placed on top represents the question of who will ascend or descend in health or wealth in the coming year. A lesser-known custom is to bake the challah
in the shape of a bird, based on Isaiah 31:5, "As hovering birds, so will the Eternal protect Jerusalem."
It is customary to eat foods that symbolize sweetness, abundance, and fertility.
Sight association and sound/word plays on names of foods lend themselves to using these foods symbolically as positive reflection for the coming year.
The following are some of the foods that Jews worldwide serve for the New Year:
Carrots: Meren, Yiddish for "carrots", also means "more". In addition, sliced carrots look like gold coins.
Pomegranates are supposed to contain as many seeds as the 613 mitzvot or good deeds, and they represent a new fruit of the season.
Apples: The gematria (number association) of tapuach (Hebrew for "apple") is equal to that of seh Akeidah, "lamb of the binding", referring to the story of Abraham and Isaac. Apples also represent fertility and the story of Sarah
and Isaac.
Fish: The whole fish or head is served. This represents a wish for a year placing you at the "head" of life. Another interpretation is that a fish never closes its eyes and, like God, is ever watchful over us.
Beets: In Hebrew the word relates to "removal", as removal of our sins and our enemies.
Leeks: In Hebrew the word sounds like "to cut"' may our spiritual enemies be cut down.
Pumpkin represents the hope that as a thick covering protects the vegetable, God will protect us.
|
|
Maple Glazed Carrots
Carrots symbolize prosperity for the New Year, and sliced they look like gold coins. The maple syrup adds the sweetness for a sweet year ahead.
5 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal
1 stick sweet, unsalted pareve margarine
8 scallions, white part only, thinly sliced
Finely grated zest from 1 large lime
3/4-1 cup pure grade A medium amber maple syrup
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Place 1 inch of water that has been lightly salted in a 3-quart pot. Add the carrots and cook over moderate heat until they are tender but not soft, about 15 minutes. Drain.
2. Heat a large frying pan (big enough to hold all the carrots) for 20 seconds. Add the margarine and melt completely.
3. Add the sliced whites of the scallions and the lime zest, and saute until the scallions are soft and just beginning to turn golden. Do not burn or the flavor will be bitter.
4. Add the maple syrup and lime juice and bring to a boil. Boil the mixture for 5 minutes or until it is reduced by half.
5. Add the carrots and gently stir with a rubber spatula to coat thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Yield: 20 servings or more if part of a buffet
|
|
Keftes de Prasas Turkish Leek and Meat Patties
Adapted from a recipe by Rachel Bortnick, this is a favorite Sephardi recipe served as part of the Rosh HaShanah Seder. Leeks are an important symbolic ingredient for the New Year, especially in Turkey.
6 medium leeks, white and light green part only (about 4 pounds before trimming)
2 medium russet potatoes (11/2 pounds)
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup very lightly packed parsley (no big stems)
1 medium tomato, seeded and cut into eighths
1 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten in a shallow bowl
Oil for frying
Prepared mild tomato or marinara sauce or lemon wedges
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Cut off all the dark green leaves of the leeks and discard. Cut the white part lengthwise to the root and rinse thoroughly under running cold water. Cut the leeks crosswise into 1/4-inch semicircles and place in a 2-quart saucepan
with lightly salted water. Simmer 15 minutes and drain in a colander.
2. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut into eighths. Place in a 1-quart saucepan with salted water and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let sit in the pot to cool and dry off. Do not rinse the potatoes.
3. Press the leeks in batches in your hands to squeeze out excess liquid and then pat some more in a paper towel (this is very important to allow the keftes to hold together). Place the leeks in the work bowl of a processor fitted
with the metal blade.
4. Add the meat and then the potatoes, and pulse the processor on and off until the mixture starts to combine. You might need to stop the processor a few times to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. Add the 1 egg, seasonings, parsley, and the tomato sections, and pulse until the mixture is well combined and a thick, slightly sticky mass is formed.
6. Have the flour ready on a flat plate, the remaining 2 eggs beaten with a fork in a shallow bowl, and about 1/4 inch of oil in a large frying pan heating on medium high.
7. Take a rounded soup spoon of the mixture and drop it onto the flour. With floured fingers, lightly toss the meat mixture to coat well on both sides, and form into round patties about 1/2 inch thick.
8. Carefully coat both sides of the patty with the egg, and gently place it in the hot oil. Repeat with the remaining patties, and fry until golden brown on both sides.
9. Drain on paper towel and serve hot or at room temperature, with tomato sauce or freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Makes about 3 dozen.
|
|
|
