Sukkot
and Simchat Torah in South Africa falls at a beautiful time of the
year. A time when, blossoms appear on trees, days get longer and warmer
and whales can be seen in the waters off our coastline.Sukkah competitions are held by many shuls and the various themes created are quite exciting. A few years back, we placed ‘Free Gilad Shalit’ posters, flags, and yellow ribbons on the walls of our sukkah which served as a stark reminder of our commitment to his release. You can imagine our absolute joy when he was released a year later almost to the day!
We’ve also had themes on a lighter note such as ‘Pretty in Pink’ and ‘Lanterns’, ‘Lemons and Lulavs’ as pictured in my latest book ‘Celebrating with the Kosher Butcher’s Wife‘. On that note, for meals, I try to have a different theme for each night of Sukkot – ‘Around the world in eight days’, so to speak! Whether we’re in India having Bollywood Beef and Samosasm in China with Kung Pao Chicken and rice or right at home with Bunny Chow, Breedie and Boerewors it’s creative cooking at it’s best where the cuisines of different countries makes for a fun Sukkot or Simchat Torah.
When I asked my children what Simchas Torah meant to them they responded in unison “Flags, chocolates and our ‘first L’ Chaim”. Well I asked for it, I suppose. Somehow in an ideal world I would have hoped for “our never-ending dedication to the study of Torah” or just some sort of deeper recognition of this festival. Oh, well, it is a fun holiday. Most Shuls in South Africa have Simchas Torah Dinners which everybody goes to, so here are some around the world recipes you can try during Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret or even Simchat Torah.
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For more great Jewish cooking ideas, check out our
page.
Yom
Kippur is a fasting holiday and Jewish law prohibits any work until the
end of the day, which makes for a rather unique culinary challenge:
What can a hungry person do when cooking isn't allowed? In America, it's
customary to break the fast with a comforting, easy-on-the-stomach meal
featuring dishes that can be prepared ahead and either reheated or
eaten at room temperature. While there are no rules about what can and
cannot be consumed, it's common to serve dairy-focused dishes—rather
than meat-based ones—because many people find them easier for empty
bellies to digest. A typical spread includes bagels with smoked fish and
cream cheese, baked casserole-style dishes like strata and kugel,
blintzes, and assorted cookies and cakes. We recommend preparing a few
different options, and we've gathered tons of classic and creative
recipes to help you plan the ultimate post-fast feast. So, browse our
picks for bagel toppings, egg dishes, kugel, blintzes, and sweet treats.
And don't forget the bagels!
Have
a sweet and prosperous new year with our collection of recipes for Rosh
Hashanah. You'll find traditional Jewish holiday favorites including
honey cake, brisket, roast chicken, matzo ball soup, tzimmes, sweet
roasted carrots, and noodle kugel.
This
succulent beef brisket is braised in red wine until tender; the meat is
generously flavored with shallots and garlic to produce a savory sauce.
This easy recipe serves 6, just the right amount for a small- to
medium-size holiday dinner.
Traditional
High Holy Days dishes such as brisket, tzimmes, and kugel may
rightfully have their place at the Rosh Hashanah table, but if you're
adventurous and looking to serve something different, what better time
to do so than at a celebration of the start of a new year? We turned to
London chef and cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi for Rosh Hashanah
inspiration, with a menu featuring recipes from all three of his
cookbooks, Ottolenghi, Plenty, and Jerusalem. Ottolenghi's refreshing
and unpretentious approach to Middle Eastern cuisine suggests new ways
of cooking symbolic and traditional foods and ingredients: You'll find
honey, apples, fish, and pomegranates all in play. Add a myriad of
spices, herbs, and other Middle Eastern staples—couscous, harissa,
eggplant, dried rose petals—and what you get is an intensely aromatic
and flavorful meal with which to begin your new year.
Like
many Ashkenazic Jews, I grew up believing that my mother made the best
brisket in the world. Fragrant, savory, and unbelievably tender, it was
the stuff of holidays, of memories--of sneaking back to the fridge at
midnight, long after the guests had gone home. When I decided to become a
vegetarian at age 17, I did so with the acute and sorrowful
understanding that I was saying goodbye to one of my favorite dishes.
The
classic Italian Jewish Friday night rice dish is a simple
saffron--flavored rice that recalls the classic risotto alla milanese.
Some cooks make it in the manner of a risotto, adding broth in
increments. Others prepare it as a pilaf, adding all the liquid at once
and cooking it, covered, on top of the stove.