It’s that time of year again.  Who can believe that the summer flew by, the kids started school and we are planning Rosh HaShana menus? The mornings are just starting to feel autumn-y and there are some great seasonal flavors and ingredients to work with!  I have a delicious and impressive line-up for Rosh HaShana and hope you enjoy it.

Duck and Wild Rice Salad with Orange Shallot Dressing

For a stupendous kick-off to your Yom Tov meal start with this delicious appetizer.  The duck and wild rice salad with orange shallot dressing sets the tone for an elegant meal. The wild rice, craisins and duck meld together and bring you the flavors of the season.  Some butchers stock frozen duck breasts year round and some require you to order duck in advance.  If duck is not available to you, you can use dark meat chicken cutlets with the skin attached or even turkey breast. (Note: Gourmet Glatt in Cedarhurst has duck breast available upon request, email Rabbiberel@gourmetglatt.com)

Spiced Maple Pumpkin Soup with Sauteed Cremini Mushrooms

The spiced maple pumpkin soup with sautéed cremini mushrooms is light and earthy at the same time.  The mushrooms add a wonderful boost to the soup.  This can also be served in a scooped out mini pumpkin or acorn squash if you are feeling adventurous.  Simply slice off the top 2 inches of your gourd, scoop out the seeds and some flesh, and bake upside-down at 350 for approximately 15 minutes.  You don’t want the pumpkin to become soft.

Herb Crusted Rib Roast

For the entrée I chose a roast fit for a king.  The garlic herb crusted roast looks like a crown when you serve it.  The recipe calls for a 2 lb. roast but I would increase the size for a more impressive dish.  The herb paste makes a crispy, flavorful crust that permeates each slice…. No need to say any more.

Summer Salad with Sweet Poppyseed Dressing

The summer salad with sweet poppy seed dressing is a wonderful complement to the roast.  The flavors are bright and crisp and we can still have a little taste of summer left…  For Rosh HaShana omit the poppy seeds from the dressing and add 1 cup pomegranate seeds to the salad.

Balsamic Cipollini Onions

One of my favorite side dishes with a roast are the balsamic cipollini onions.  The sugar caramelizes and the balsamic vinegar gives a great tangy flavor.  And I wouldn’t miss the apple fig crisp.  Besides the obvious use of the apples, the figs and wine add a wonderful depth of flavor for a twist on a classic apple crisp.

Aple Fig Crisp

For a seasonal dessert that is a great do-ahead choice try the lemon pomegranate ice cream bombes.  They have a bright, fresh flavor and are beautiful to look at.  Plus you can use store bought ice cream and sorbet to simplify things….

Lemon Pomegrante Bombe

I hope this starts you off to a wonderful new year, full of health and many delicious new things coming your way.

Order your copy of the Dash Cookbook today – www.GetYourDash.com  all proceeds go to TAG.

During the High Holidays everyone in our family eats sliced apples and honey, the traditional New Year snack, just like all the other Jewish people we know. But we also have another tradition that goes way beyond that.

I’ll call it the Hoffman Family Annual Apple pie/Apple cake Event. My Mom and her sister, my Aunt Beck, were very close and loved each other lots, but sisters will be sisters and they had this baking rivalry thing. So, before the holidays each of them would bake her special holiday dessert and announce to all who cared to listen that the pie – or cake, as the case might be – was better.

It was kind of fascinating for them to be competitive about a recipe, because although my mother loved to cook and was really good at it, Aunt Beck wasn’t much of a food person and never thought of herself as a kitchen type. In fact, my grandma, (Rachel Hoffman), who lived with Aunt Beck, did most of the cooking.

But somehow the sisters got themselves into this apple thing. Aunt Beck conceded her little sister’s culinary talents. With this one exception.

Aunt Beck's Famous Two Crust Apple Cake

Aunt Beck’s family always raved about her apple cake.

My mother was the pie baker, so naturally my brothers and I favored the pie.

To tell you the truth, all loyalties aside, both desserts were really delicious, as are the memories of all those years when our families would visit each other and sample one or the other of them.

These days, before the Holidays come, I make both the pies and the cakes because I am in competition with no one. And the result is not only two delicious desserts but also delicious hours spent remembering my Mom and my Aunt.

Before my baking project I go to a local orchard to buy apples, always Rhode Island Greenings, which my Mom always said were the best for putting into pie or cake. In the occasional years when this variety wasn’t available I used a mixture of orchard apples, older varieties that aren’t as sweet as the ones available today in the supermarket (such as Winesap, Gravenstein, Northern Spy, Idared, Jonagold, Stayman, Gravenstein, Newton Pippin and Baldwin). If I couldn’t get to an orchard I would use Granny Smith and slice the apples thinner. Or Golden Delicious and/or Braeburn but cut down on the sugar in the recipe.

Actually, I will confess, I make more pies than cakes. Probably because that’s what I saw my mother do and for me at least, this is tradition. But also because my grandson Zev, who is kind of a picky eater, loves my apple pie more than almost anything so of course I want to have some for him when he comes to visit.

But there are always several of each, pie and cake, in my freezer, and we use them up during the course of an entire year (yes, when well-wrapped they will still be tasty in a year’s time). By September they’re done.

And then I start all over again.

For a busy cook, for whom cooking is not the priority, recipes that require a little bit of preparation followed by at least one fuss-free hour are choice. Perhaps this is why so many Jewish cooks cook with brisket. Since it is a cut from the lower chest of beef, it has a lot of connective tissue that needs to be properly broken down in order to tenderize. Braising the brisket as a pot roast for holiday meals is the perfect way to break down the connective tissue. Just ensure to keep the meat covered and that it has plenty of liquid to cook in to avoid a dry and stringy cut of beef.

Since braising meat can take around three hours to cook, it is the perfect recipe to prepare before a big holiday: prepare it, stick it in the oven, and work on all of the other patchke dishes while it cooks. Over the years, brisket has penetrated the collective unconscious as a “Jewish food.” This dates back to nineteenth century Europe, because it was, and remains today, a relatively cheap cut of meat. Since it is lean meat, almost none of it goes to waste. Brisket just takes a little bit of patience, so that it gets tender and delicious. Here are some brisket recipes for Rosh Hashanah.

Roasted Apple Brisket

The apples in this recipe make it a perfect dish for Rosh Hashanah!

Garlic Honey Brisket

You can dip your apple in this garlic honey brisket—mmm.

Sephardic Brisket – Even though brisket is traditionally considered an Ashkenazic dish, try this delicious Sephardic take on the meat!

Brisket

Risk It Brisket -  Ketchup, wine, and Coca-Cola—why not try something new this year with this creative recipe!

Brisket in Seasonal Ale with With Winter Fruits

This is a perfect recipe to get in more Shehecheyanu Brachot. You can have fresh plums alongside your brisket for the bracha, and then dig in to the brisket with prunes.

When I prepare a dish, my key ingredient is creativity. In my opinion, limiting yourself to a list of instructions is not always necessary.  My philosophy is simple: cook a dish the way YOU think it should be prepared, with ingredients that you love. The idea of leaving the recipe book behind is an older approach to cooking, an approach I learned from my parents and grandparents.

I was first introduced to this philosophy when I was 7. The first dish I ever made on my own was egg salad. My mom gave me the mayonnaise and spices, showed me how to peel an egg, and the rest was up to me.  I asked: “How do I know how much to put of each ingredient?” Her response sounded somewhat obvious: “Add a little at a time and keep tasting until you think it tastes right.” Simple, right? Well, 19 tasting spoons later I finally got it to taste flavorful. Now I make the same egg salad and only need one spoon to taste it- the “measurements” (in this case, how many times I shake a spice, and how many spoons of mayo I add) are almost second nature to me.

Everything I cook is “to taste”–that’s why I’m not a baker.  This might seem difficult to some people if they are beginners in the kitchen. You might not get it to taste the way you want the first time but learning from your mistakes will only make you a better and more confident cook!

Wise words my dad (and one of my teachers) loves repeating: “Don’t be discouraged if the first time you cook something it doesn’t come out the way you wanted it to; the second time around it will taste better (but not as good as the third!)”

Crostini Trio

Crostinis are one of my favorite appetizers. Crostinis should not be confused with bruschetta which is also made with bread, rubbed with garlic and olive oil, and is usually topped with tomato and basil. Crostinis are generally made with smaller pieces of bread that are toasted in the oven, while bruschetta is toasted over a grill and is charred. Both can be topped with your favorite toppings. Feel free to turn my crostini recipe into bruschetta!

Nothing says summer like a grilled pizza. I loved using my barbeque this summer, I used it any chance I could. Grilling the pizza dough on the que gives the pizza a sturdy crust, with a soft center. Don’t be afraid to create your own pie with unusual toppings!

Grilled Chicken and Arugula Pizza

Grilled Pizza with Eggplant and Chopped Meat

Grilled Dessert Pizza with Chocolate Spread and Bananas

Quinoa Stuffed Grape Leaves

The idea for this recipe came to me while lunching by my mother in law one Saturday afternoon. She was serving a dairy lunch with many delicious salads, one of which was a quinoa salad with artichokes, mint, and corn. As I was eating the quinoa salad I couldn’t help but notice how familiar it tasted, then an idea occurred to me- This quinoa salad tastes like something I would find in a stuffed grape leaf!  After tasting the quinoa the ideas just flew in my head, why not stuff grape leaves with something other than rice!

My method of no measurements is supposed to inspire the cook to toss out the recipe book and think on your own! What kind of mixture would you use to stuff a grape leaf?

Coming Soon!!

Beyond My Recipes aka Florence’s delicious prepared foods delivered directly to your home! Enjoy Florence’s home cooked delicacies for parties, events, vacations, Shabbat dinner, or even if you are just too lazy to cook on a week night.

Email info@freskofresh.comfor menu and pricing options.

This episode takes a look at our first 2 weeks in Israel.  We leave the airport, fried and crying (well at least me and my two youngest kiddies were cranky) and fall asleep on the 45 minute cab ride to our new home, Ramat Beit Shemesh.  As we pull up to our house for the first time I notice the beautiful tree lined street and the u-shaped complex of cottages around a parking lot-courtyard that will be my new address.

My sister-in law Devorah and her husband Rabbi Maslin and 6 kids are there to greet us (my other brother-in-law Greg and sister-in-law Chanie and their 6 gorgeous kids met us at the airport!).  Devorah was so considerate and set up a table with bagels (where’s the pita?!), cream cheese and fresh cut up veggies.  We all downed it, again while I was crying.  I was just so emotional, and overall completely drained.

I looked at my new space with such a mix of emotions — on one hand it was larger than I expected, clean and in nice shape.  On the other hand it just wasn’t where I came from.  Nothing about it, their were no little flourishes and special hand-picked details like the molding I had so carefully selected for my house in New York, here there was no molding.  The walls in Israel were painted a sterile hospital white not like the perfect shade of creamy warm off white almost bordering light yellow that I had chosen for my other house, forget the kitchen and the range hood which I special ordered in NY, here I couldn’t even find the stovetop!!! (Will share my oven story in another post).  The kids’ rooms felt nice and roomy but the master felt claustrophobic and we had NOTHING in it yet (well except for the 17 kids ky”h we have between us all .  The kids’ bathroom was bigger than the one we had for them in the States — but getting into the master bath was a game of “your move”, “ok, now, your move”.  And then I looked out the windows all but 2 of the 10 windows in the house overlook the mountains and as I write this I am crying again (yes now I know you are not at all surprised), but I just find the view so spiritually uplifting and inspiring.

The first 2 weeks were filled with lots to do.  Your kids are not yet in school, everyone is getting adjusted to the heat, the move and the family and friends that come to greet you at all hours that trying to settle into a schedule is almost impossible.  We are all craving some sense of normalcy as we call and pray everyday for our lift with our stuff to arrive at our home.  Watch as we go to the NBN Teudat Zehut (Israel Identification Card) Fair, set up a bank account, register for health insurance, go to the ministry of absorption, grab yet another fast food lunch and pick up the girls from their first day at school.

filmed and directed by brian k. spector | vision palette creative

Did you miss any episodes? Want to see what is still to come? Keep up with our Episode Guide

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Premiere Date:Wednesday September 12 7:00pm EST

Happy New Year from Israel Episode

Premiere Date: Wednesday September 19 7:00pm EST

Dear Jamie,

Welcome to Israel, and Mazal Tov on your aliyah!!  If your community is anything like ours, it will be a while before you have to cook – between the food deliveries and the overwhelming hospitality, you will hardly have to turn on the oven.  But sooner or later, you will want to cook again. That’s when the reality of what you have just done will come crashing down on you.  Recipes just won’t work the same.  Ingredients, oven, climate – it’s all different.  Nowhere is this realization as stark as in the baking arena.  Even veteran bakers have been reduced to quivering, teary blobs of jello (or jelly, as they call it here!) after disastrous initial attempts to make familiar recipes.  So with your sanity in mind, I am here to offer a few tips to make your transition a little easier.

1. If you consider margarine a necessary evil in some recipes (as I do), you’ll be tempted to figure out the conversion between American sticks of margarine and their Israeli counterparts, the 200 gram bar.  Don’t! Your handy Nefesh B’Nefesh metric conversion magnet tells you that one ounce is equal to 28.3 grams.  It’s true, but when it comes to margarine, FORGET THE MATH!  Just consider the bar of margarine, 200 grams, the equivalent of one cup or two sticks.  I don’t know why, but it works.
2. The eggs that are considered “extra-large” by American standards are the same size as Israeli size “large,” so stick with large here.
3. Baking soda is called soda l’shtiyah here (literally, soda for drinking?!), and it is sold both with the spices in plastic bottles, and with the baking supplies in little envelopes.
4. Baking powder – this is a tricky one.  Avkat afiyah is sold in little envelopes, which is annoying, but the real problem is that it doesn’t work the same as American baking powder.  There is a scientific explanation (double acting versus single), but bottom line, you have to use less or your cakes will collapse after baking.  It is generally fine for cookies, though.  If you don’t want to refigure all your recipes, make this one of the few things you import.
   
5. Powdered sugar also comes in silly little envelopes of 100 grams (roughly 2/9 of a pound or just shy enough of a cup to be a problem – seriously!), unless you find a specialty store with larger bags.  Otherwise, consider all the opening of envelopes exercise you wouldn’t get otherwise – see, the Israeli lifestyle is super-healthy!
6. Pure vanilla is not readily available in supermarkets, though imitation vanilla is.  You can make your own, or you can buy it in specialty stores for rather high prices, so this might also be an item you import.
7. Oatmeal is formally called shibolet shual, but you will also find it labeled Kvaker.  Like Quaker, with an accent.  Seriously.  First time my mother-in-law asked me to get some from the makolet, I thought I was being Punk’d.
   
8. Flour in a one kilo is actually perfect for the smaller storage space we tend to have here.  You may want to opt for an electric sifter, but for those of us interested in speed, a hand sifter with a matching bowl makes short work of a bag of flour.  You can buy pre-sifted, pre-checked flour; it only costs about 3 ½ times as much.
9. If you ever need to replace your liquid measuring cup, be aware that it will not list cup measures, just ounces, milliliters, and 20 ounce (as opposed to the US standard 16 ounce) pints. You’ll have to do a little basic math to calculate cups and fractions of cups.
10. It just takes time – eventually it will all come together and you will not even be able to remember how you did things in the “Old Country”!
    

So in the interest of making your Rosh Hashana preparation a little easier, here are a couple of recipes that work beautifully here.  The first is a sweet challah recipe featuring the fantastic Israeli granulated fresh yeast, Shimrit, and the second is an apple cookie recipe that will be perfect for your yom tov table.

Wishing you and your family a klita kala (easy absorption)and a happy and healthy New Year in your new home!

For the rest of you, let us know in the comments any questions you have on cooking in Israel, I hope to offer a few more articles with tips and tricks and would love to know how I can help.

Dvoras Simple Sweet Challah

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Dress them up, or dress them down—these dishes do double duty for either a holiday or weeknight meal.

We all have our go-to recipes that are easy, foolproof crowd-pleasers. Now you’ll have even more. These recipes use only 5 ingredients—doesn’t get much simpler than that—for weeknight family dinners. But I’ll also show you how a simple presentation tweak, garnish, or an extra ingredient or two can dress ‘em up for Yom Tov.  (And no, salt, pepper, oil, water, and cooking spray don’t count as ingredients.)  I promise these will become part of your tried & true recipe inventory, and now they’ll do double duty as everyday or holiday dishes.

Honey-Sesame Glazed Chicken

Did you ever think a dish this beautiful could be so super easy?

Honey Baked Salmon on a Cedar Plank

The table presentation gets even prettier when you serve the whole side of salmon on a cedar plank, and garnish it with roasted lemons. Soak cedar plank in water for 1 hour before baking.

Turkey Meatballs

From a hearty weekday meal to an elegant starter. This turkey can multi-task!

Instead of rolling the meat into balls, deconstruct your meatballs, and serve the filling in beautiful Boston lettuce cups.

Chicken and Veggie Skewers

Look for long, thick-branched rosemary sprigs to use as elegant skewers and to add a touch of extra flavor to your dish. Pull off most of the rosemary leaves to save for another use, leaving the herbs at the top of the skewer intact.

Thai Pesto Noodles

Add vibrant colors that will really pop off the fragrant green pesto pasta.

Don’t miss my Simanim Filled Menu for Rosh Hashanah.

Originally printed in the Rosh Hashanah 2011 issue of Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller.

Before we know it the summer will be over and our children will be back at school. Instead of being consumed with new shoes, backpacks, uniforms, and school supplies, we will readily turn our attention to our Rosh Hashanah menus.  As a crafter of sorts my brain works a bit different.  I see the Yom Tovim in texture and color, and I think to myself what can I make (AKA CRAFT) that will add vibrancy to my table and get my children excited about the upcoming holiday.

What I love about the craft that I am about to show you, is that you can not only do it by yourself, but you can also have your children join you too. It’s easy, simple, and a super inexpensive serving piece that can be used all year long!

Supplies

• Martini Glass & Plate (You can get these at the dollar store) – Does not matter if it has grooves, it will only add texture. You can also use thin china plates.
• Folk Art ENAMEL Paints – These have an E at the top. DO NOT buy the regular acrylic ones.
  You want to get (1) White and (1) color in 2 different tones. So if you want to make a pink cake plate.
  Buy (1) dark pink and (1) light pink and (1) white.
  To make an antique cake plate buy gold or silver and white. You can purchase these paints at any Michaels store near you.
• E6000 Glue or any other strong glass glue.
• (1) Large Flat Brush
• Paint Palette – you can also use a paper plate

Instructions:

Step 1 – Clean your pieces with water and dry them with a towel. The paint will not adhere to a dirty surface.

Step 2 – On a paper plate or paint palette squeeze out the 2 tones of the color that you chose. In my case, I chose to make a blue stand, so as you can see in my photo I squeezed out light blue and dark blue paint. 

Step 3 – Using your brush, paint the top side of your plate, mixing the colors so you have a nice even tone of your two opposing shades. Let it sit and dry. Repeat the same procedure with the martini glass. Make sure to paint the top, stem, and bottom of your martini glass. 

Step 4 – Once dry, squeeze out some white paint onto your paint palette or paper plate. Using a TINY bit of paint spread the brush very LIGHTLY over the painted plate and martini glass. Since you don’t have a lot of paint on your brush you will see the color paint underneath and it will start to appear crackled and weathered. . You can also add some gold to give it an antique look.

Step 5 – Once you are finished painting your pieces. Let them sit and dry for 24 hours. There are (2) ways to cure the paint on the glass so they can be washable. The first way is to BAKE them (NO I am NOT crazy) in your oven on the rack at 350 for ½ an hour. The other way is to leave it aside for 21 days and it will cure on its own. If you are baking your pieces, the best thing to do is to turn your martini glass upside down, so the heavier part is sitting on the rack. Your glass should not break in the oven. Trust me, I’m a glass painter

Step 6 – Now that your pieces are set you can glue them together. Add a liberal amount of the E6000 to the top of your martini glass and to the back of your plate. Stick the pieces together and turn the plate stand upside down. Put a very heavy book on top of it and let it sit overnight.

Step 7 – Once it’s dry, USE IT, LOVE IT, and BRAG ABOUT IT!!!! 

Psssstttt…… By the way, you don’t only have to use these simanim platters for Rosh Hashanah, they also make FABULOUS cake plates for during the year!! 

Don’t want to go to all the trouble of making your own? Come on over to Not2Shabbey.com and I can ship one out to you.

***Giveaway***

Abbey is graciously giving you all the chance to win one of these distressed Salad Bowls.  All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter options below for your chance to win.  Make sure to follow through, we do check to verify the winner.

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These tried-and-true tips put the fun back into preparing simple and healthy, school lunches. Your kids will thank you!

1. Mix-It Up

Enlist your kids on a Sunday to make a batch of trail or party mix for the week. The possibilities are endless! Most will keep for over a week in an airtight container. When kids need snacks-on-the-go, scoop a handful into a Ziploc bag.

No Bake Trail Mix

For No-Bake Trail Mix: in a large bowl, combine 3 cups whole grain cereal, such as Cheerios, ½ cup plain or yogurt-covered raisins or dried cranberries, ¼ cup mixed dried fruit such as apricots, plums, or apples, ½ cup peanuts, almonds, pecans or walnuts, ¼ cup mini pretzels.

Sweet and Spicy Popcorn

For Sweet and Spicy Popcorn Mix: heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pot, until hot but not smoking. Add ½ cup popcorn kernels, cover. Once the kernels have finished popping, transfer to a large bowl, and add 2 teaspoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon garam masala or sweet curry powder.

2. Make It Mini

Kids love finger-size foods. Spend an afternoon baking bite-size, kid-friendly treats. Store the baked goods in the freezer. Pack them in the lunchbox frozen; they will defrost by lunchtime. Use mini muffin tins to make tiny cupcakes and a melon baller to scoop cookie dough into “cookie bites.”

Mini Cheese Crisps

To make Mini Cheese Crisps: combine 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, ½ cup of softened butter, 1 cup of flour and 1 cup crispy rice cereal. Using your hands, shape mini-size balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

3. Kool Kabobs

What child won’t love eating lunch off a stick?

Perfect for kids with serious aversions to healthy snacks, skewers of melon balls, grapes, blueberries, and orange slices look as gorgeous as they taste. For a new spin, make a sandwich kabob by skewering cheese cubes, grape tomatoes, pickles, and cubes of bread on a stick.

4. Delightful Dips

Stock up on the smallest containers you can find and fill them with dips to accompany bread sticks, fish sticks, cut fruit, and of course, sliced
veggies.
For Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce, blend 3 tablespoons mayo, 2 tablespoons Dijon or whole grain mustard, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.

For Tartar Dipping Sauce, in a food processor, pulse to combine ¼ cup light mayo, 5 baby gherkin pickles, 1 teaspoon minced red onion, ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoonsugar.

For Yogurt Dip, in a blender or fruit processor, combine 1 cup vanilla yogurt, 1/3 cup cream cheese, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

For a shortcut, try Gold’s Squeeze Tartar or Honey Mustard Sauces.

5. Sandwich Cut-Outs

Instead of slicing bread in half to make a traditional sandwich, use cookie cutters to make sandwiches in all sorts of shapes.  Spread peanut butter or cream cheese and jelly on bread. Press a cookie cutter through the sandwich.

More School Lunch and Snack Ideas

Originally published in the Rosh Hashanah 2011 issue of Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller.

WHEN THESE CAKES GRACE YOUR TABLE FOR THE FINAL COURSE, THOSE LAST BITES WILL CERTAINLY BE THE SWEETEST!!

Chocolate Babka Bundt Cake

Everyone loves chocolate babka. Here is a way to make it look more like an elegant cake, but still have the soft and gooey experience of traditional babka.

Red Velvet Marble Cake

Red Velvet Cake is a recent addition to kosher tables and probably has increased in popularity due to the prevalence of red velvet cupcakes in cupcake shops. It tastes like chocolate cake but not a very chocolaty one.

Coffee Crêpe Cake

The French call this a “mille crêpe,” implying that it has a thousand layers, like a “mille feuille,” the French name for the Napoleon dessert. Don’t worry: you will only have to make about 25 crêpes, but that will take some time. This cake has a velvety-smooth texture, and is definitely worth the time and effort. I like to make the crêpes and pastry cream one day, and then assemble the cake the next. If you do not like coffee flavor, you can omit it and have vanilla cream instead.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse Cake with Peanut Praline and Caramel Sauce

This GIANT cake will remind you of your favorite candy bar. It has chocolate, peanuts, peanut butter, and caramel all rolled into one. You could make two 2-layer cakes— eat one and freeze the other.

Tip: Slicing Cake Layers

Use a knife to mark cake where you plan to slice. Hold the knife in one hand, and place the other hand on top of the cake. Cut about two inches into the cake while turning the cake with the other hand. Keep turning until you have cut in two inches all around the cake. Place the knife into one slit and slice straight across by joining the cuts.

Don’t miss two other Rosh Hashanah cakes from Paula Shoyer, the Orange Honey Cake with Orange Mousse and Fondant-Covered Almond Apricot Cake.

I am so sorry I have not been able to respond to all the beautiful blog comments, Facebook messages, tweets and emails.  Please let this post serve as a thank you from the deepest recces of my heart.

Thank you all for sharing this experience with us and more importantly for the incredible love and support you have shown us.  It’s been amazing  to meet so many of you (you know who you are) around the country — at Malcha Mall, at Holy Bagel, at the Gas Station outside of Beit Shemesh, on the street corner in Ramat Shiloh and a shout out to the people that came up to Hubby in the supermarket yesterday (HI YAEL!).  Hubby called me and said today only 1 person recognized him, lol — he really is so shy and does the videos for me, for shalom bayis (read: happy wife, happy life .  I thank you all for letting us know you are watching and that you love it.  We love you!

We are feverishly editing together the next full length episode for your viewing pleasure, which will pick up right where we left off, at the NBN airport arrival ceremony waiting for Prime Minster Bibi Netanyahu to greet us.  In the meantime OUR LIFT CAME!!!  So we are unpacking boxes like crazy trying to set up our kitchen and ding room as well as the kids rooms in time for our first Shabbos in our new house.  Until now we have been spending the last two Shabbosim with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and family since we had nothing and really wanted to be together.

In the mean time be sure to pass on all the videos to your friends and family and anyone you think will enjoy them.  When you “tune in” next week, Wednesday September 5, 7pm EST you’ll watch as we drive up to our new home for the first time, hit the Nefesh B’Nefesh New Olim Fair in Jerusalem, (where we receive our Israeli Identification Cards!!), and hit a few pizza places (yup we are STILL eating pizza), in between navigating multiple government agencies.  With tremendous gratitude and love and best wishes for a great Shabbos.

Jamie and Hubby and Kiddies

PS.  And here’s a recipe just cause I love you…  My Southern Stye (Baked) Chicken.  It’s what I am making for our first Shabbos.  Hubby thinks he bought breadcrumbs at the store today.  OY VEY, help!

Note: In place of McCormick Fried Chicken Seasoning you can use any chicken or steak seasoning or simply rub on some paprika and garlic and onion powders.

“Zeh Keli, V’anvehu,” (This is my G-d and I will exalt Him), the Jewish nation sang as they crossed the Yam Suf, the Red Sea, and the miraculous walls of water stood up to offer them passage.

Our Sages tell us that this is the source for the concept of hiddur mitzvah, beautifying the commandments. Throughout the holiday season, the opportunities are plentiful. The Gemara specified (Shabbos 133b) “Make before Him a nice Sukkah, a nice Lulav, a nice Shofar…”
Since the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash, our Shabbat and yom tov tables are the altars we decorate to honor Hashem. On Rosh Hashanah, the first day of the Jewish new year, may the table we set and the honor we give the holiday, open the floodgates of blessing.

“How do you maximize the effect of your holiday flowers? This table has a mirror underneath the centerpieces; the reflection makes it look as if there are flowers all around.  Plus, each guest has one single stem in a bud vase to complement the larger bouquets.”

The mirrors can be used as chargers, or line them up down the middle of the table like a table runner. It’s easy to make them on your own. You can find inexpensive picture frames at the dollar store, and mirror inserts at the hardware store. Spray paint the frames the color of your choice, replace the glass with the mirror, secure using a glue gun, and you have the foundation for a beautiful place setting.

Offer your guests individual water bottles. These Tao bottles come in both black and white to match your ensemble.

Elegant L’objet honey dishes may be the top-of-the-line, but you can also present each guest with their own honey sticks.

Apples…pomegranates…fresh, exotic new fruit. “I chose a burgundy red theme because so many symbols of the holiday are red. But whatever color theme you choose, make it your focus. There is beauty in abundance,” says Shavy.

Tags on each dish only require a little effort, but make a big impression

Can’t decide how to serve the simanim? Consider using single-serving mini dishes, often used for taste-testing. Pier One offers a line of very affordable “Tasting Party” porcelain and glassware.

To easily remove the pomegranate seeds, slice the pomegranate in half width-wise. Turn both halves over a plate, cut side down. Knock with the back of a spoon, and all the arils will pop out.

Apple cider can be served in your holiday-worthy pitchers, or load apple cider shooters with cinnamon stick stirrers on a three-tier server. Use glass cubes or wrapped boxes or styrofoam to give different heights to the various items on your table.

Party by Shavy Weiss | Photographs by Esti Photography

Vendor Information
Party by Shavy Weiss of Shevy Design 732.966.9607
Black Stemware by Noir Gifts 732.363.3263

This article was originally published in the Rosh Hashanaha 2011 issue of Joy of Kosher with Jamie Geller.

It’s those three little words that every parent loves to hear.

No, not “I love you,” although, of course, every parent, every person needs to hear that from someone, periodically.

I mean “back to school.”

Because after an entire summer everyone is eager for a more structured routine. Even the kids – they might not admit it – want to get back to work and be in the classroom with their books and peers.

Peanut Butter (or soy butter) and Banana Panini

But unlike “I love you,” which offers feelings of comfort and security, those other three little words, “back to school” often create feelings of anxiety and disquietude. I remember many a night before that first day of school, when my older daughter Meredith had a hard time falling asleep, conjuring fears about work and friends and what her teacher would be like. Fortunately, all was okay by the end of that day.

On the other hand, beyond the initial back to school issues, there are other stresses that linger longer, often through the entire year.

Like, what to send for lunch. This problem can cause early morning (or even late night-before) arguments. But it doesn’t have to.

Lila's Lunch Sushi

I am a firm believer in the Simple-but-Mostly-Healthy-Lunch. I always knew that my kids didn’t want to seem weird, so despite having a food-writer Mom, they did not want to be the group gourmet. Pate on Russian Black Bread was never going to be a lunchbox choice.

But my children hated the more usual bologna and salami (“they smell”) and they didn’t want cream cheese and/or peanut butter and jelly more than once a week.

Asparagus and Cheese Frittata

Figuring out what to pack for lunch was always a hassle.

Then there was the snack, that little extra for after lunch. I wanted to strike a balance here too. I would never be the one who sent a Snickers Bar or Nestle’s Crunch. But my kids also didn’t want to be the one whose mother sent them with shredded carrots and raisins (besides, they told me even then, that the carrot-raisin kids were always the ones who asked their friends for samples of the candy).

Fortunately, two helpful things have happened since I was the lunch-packing mom.

First, there are more choices in the way of breads (for sandwiches) such as pitas and multigrains, as well as other spreads (hummus, guacamole, almond butter) and widely available packaged and produce items today (nori, Asian pear, kale), all of which give you more interesting and delicious options.

Second, there’s a new iOS app called Lala Lunchbox that was designed to help parents and kids with this very problem.

I should confess here that this new app, which creates a way for parents and children to plan and pack healthy lunches for a week at a time (and then creates a shopping list for the items needed), was designed by my daughter Gillian. So if I tell you how brilliant this idea is you could say I was bragging and you might be right.

On the other hand, The New York Times, tastemakers like Tina Roth Eisenberg (Swiss-Miss.com), nutritionists and pediatricians have also given it rave reviews.

LaLa Lunchbox is fun to use and does the job.

You can go to Gillian’s website www.lalalunchbox.com and take a look, then download the app and discover for yourself that the daily “what’s-for-lunch” morning stress is a thing of the past. The library of foods available to your kids to choose from is completely customizable – so you can always take dietary preferences or allergies into account.

Some of the lunches that Gillian’s daughter, my granddaughter Lila has picked include frittatas and one of her favorites, sushi. She made the sushi herself one day (you can see the process by going here: http://lalalunchbox.com/blog/homemade-sushi-easy-and-delicious). One of Lila’s favorite snacks is Gillian’s Snack Balls, mostly dried fruit, and naturally sweet without added sugar.

Gillian's Snack Balls

Lila’s pre-school was a peanut butter-free zone. But if your child’s school permits it, you can send the Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Panini. Or you could make the sandwich with soy nut butter or sunflower butter. And use any ripe fruit in place of the banana.

Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Panini

Gillian’s Snack Balls

Asparagus and Cheese Frittata

Lila’s Lunch Sushi

I am so excited to tell you about these new Non-Dairy Chocolate Tuffles called Dear Coco.  Our friend and frequent guest blogger, Rachelle Ferneau, recently debuted a line of gourmet and flavorful chocolates that can be shipped all across the country.  She started with the Signature Around the World Collection of 12 truffles with global flavors including Tahiti Lime and Kyoto Green Pearl.  I had the pleasure of tasting all 12 and was pleasantly surprised at the amazing flavor and obvious high quality.  Then every month she introduces two new seasonal truffles to keep us all on our toes.  This Month in honor of the High Holidays she will be ofering the Jewish New Year collection with Mediteranean Pomegranate and Argentine Honey.  We talked with Rachelle to find out more and then you get a chance to win this month’s collection!

When did you decide that you wanted to be in the chocolate business?

I created Dear Coco Chocolate as a natural extension of Eden Cake, the boutique pareve bakery I founded in 2007. Through Eden Cake, I gained valuable experience running a kosher business under hashgacha (kosher certification) and provided pastry full-time to a restaurant, caterers, embassies and other political agencies, as well as a multitude of individual private clients. Working intensively with chocolate was a logical next step for me.

How do you get so much flavor into one tiny chocolate?

At Dear Coco Chocolate, all of our truffles are made fresh with the finest premium ingredients, the most important being premium Belgian dark chocolate.  We use in-season fruits and herbs, fine teas and coffee, dried flowers, freshly roasted nuts and spices from around the world to impart the global flavors in our truffles. In addition, the quality of our chocolates is also evidenced by what they do not contain: no white flour, no white sugar, no trans fats, no corn syrup, no preservatives.

As far as the actual flavors, we offer twelve signature flavors in our Around the World Collection, or you can choose a whole box of your favorite of these flavors. In addition, we offer a pair of monthly specialty truffle flavors so there is always something different and new to look forward to.

How do you decide on the flavors of the season?

Many seasons naturally defined for me what their truffle flavors should be, such as July’s Summer Collection featuring Maine Wild Blueberry and Washington Red Raspberry truffles. Berries are in prime season in July, and these flavors reflect the best of the summer bounty as well as showing off the patriotic colors of the American flag in July — perfect. For other months that didn’t have a defined holiday or season to draw from, I exercised my creative license to showcase the flavors of a particular country of interest. One example of this is March’s Moroccan Collection which features Marrakesh Apricot Anise and Tafraout Almond truffles: Moroccan cuisine is a multi-cultural mélange incorporating a variety of spices, fresh herbs and citrus, dried fruits and almond paste, and these are the flavors I drew from when creating these truffle flavors.

How long does it take to create and test a new flavor?

All of our truffles are inspired by and named for locales around the world, hence the name Dear Coco – reminiscent of a letter written from abroad.  When contemplating different combinations of the country’s flavors with chocolate, I am able to taste them in my mind first – I know instinctively what and how pairings will work. Then, after the flavor idea is approved by a select “committee” of grounded individuals who tell me honestly if it sounds good to them or is too unapproachable, I get to work on sourcing the right ingredients and recipe development/refinement in which I physically produce the flavors I had already created in my mind. Depending on the complexity of the flavor, sometimes I am able to get it spot on the first time, and sometimes it takes several revisions and tastings to get just right.

What other flavors can we expect you to come up with?

I have a notebook I use exclusively to jot down new truffle flavor ideas and in time I hope to create new collections. At some point I would even love to recruit new ideas submitted by Dear Coco fans – there’s a lot of creativity out there! In the meantime, as we only began our Truffles of the Month this past July, we are proud to continue introducing two new truffles each month as time progresses, so there are plenty of new flavors still to come.

Enter to win a 12 piece box of the Jewish New Year Collection, which contains six pieces each of Mediterranean Pomegranate and Argentine Honey truffles, value $25.50.  See Rafflecopter below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Simanim Inspired – Taste your way into a blessed new year.

Simanin (literally signs or indicators) are foods that we eat on Rosh Hashanah to symbolize our hopes for the coming year. I like to work simanim into my Rosh Hashanah recipes for the added blessing, sweetness, and mazal they represent.  This menu is exquisite in its simplicity and great-tasting dishes.

Individual Apple-Stuffed Challah

“May it be Your will, Hashem, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that You renew for us a good and sweet year.”

When our patriarch Yaakov masqueraded as Eisav to obtain his rightful “firstborn” blessing from his father, Yitzchak, he donned Eisav’s cloak.
Yitzchak exclaimed, “the fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field that G-d had blessed” and blessed Yaakov. The Talmud identifies the
fragrance as an apple orchard, and the Vilna Gaon says this happened on Rosh Hashanah. We eat apples (tons of them) because we too want
those holy blessings given to Yaakov.  Use your favorite challah dough recipe, hopefully it’s my heaven-on-earth challah-recipe or you can use store bought frozen challah dough.

Creamy Carrot Soup

“May it be your will, Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers that our merits increase.”

Carrots are a siman for an increase in our spiritual merits. It’s a play on words; carrots in Yiddish are merren which also means “many.” Wishing that we had more mitzvos on our record this time of year isn’t a shoulda-coulda-woulda guilt trip. It’s a commitment for the future.

Date and Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs

“May it be your will, Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers that our enemies be consumed.”

Dates in Hebrew are tamarim, a play on the word yitamu, “[may our enemies be] destroyed.” Finished. Yesterday. And you don’t have to be a child to love Winnie-the-Pooh’s “hunny.” The ultimate symbol of sweetness, we consume honey as we pray for a “good sweet year.”

Whole Wheat Stuffing with Leeks

“May it be your will, Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers that our enemies be decimated.”

Leeks are a siman for the decimation of our enemies. The Hebrew word for leek—karsi is similar to the word yikorsu, “[may our enemies be] decimated.” Spinach, swiss chard, and beets are also meaningful as their Arabic or Hebrew translations are reminiscent of the Hebrew word yistalku, “[may our adversaries be] removed.” And if you think you see a lot of emphasis on escaping from hostile threats, just think about Jewish history for a minute.

Roasted Apple Brisket with Pomegranate Glazed Carrots

“May it be your will, Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers that our merits increase like (the seeds of) a pomegranate.”

Pomegranate Glazed Carrots

Pomegranates are a siman for increasing our spiritual merits, weighing in to be more worthy of G-d’s blessings. In this case, it’s not the name of the fruit but its character that creates the siman. All those seeds! If only we had as many good deeds to our credit!

Since the custom of eating apples revives our memory of Biblical blessings, let’s combine it with a more recent, beloved tradition. Nu, what’s a Yuntif without brisket?

Chocolate Cake with Pomegranate Swirl

There are lots of other simanim we could use—fish heads, sheep heads, gourd, or black-eyed peas—but they’re not all that appetizing for a dessert.  (Serve those early in the game, while everyone is still hungry.)  For dessert, I tapped the trusty pomegranate once more—finish your
Rosh Hashanah meal with a super siman swirl!

Individual Apple-Stuffed Challah
Creamy Carrot Soup
Date & Honey Glazed Chicken Thighs
Whole Wheat Stuffing with Leeks
Roasted Apple Brisket
Pomegranate Glazed Carrots
Chocolate Cake with Pomegranate Swirl