Yom Kippur stirs my strongest Jewish food memory - it’s strange, but true. Since I was in the single digits I can remember walking to Ne’ila services with my mother and father, carrying a bag filled with two essential components of our holiday inside. One was a three-pound sack of apples, the then ubiquitous McIntosh variety. The other was six or so tiny butter sandwiches on my mother’s anise bread.

The bread was a high, oblong loaf shining from egg glaze and redolent of liquorice, which I despised as a child. On our walk, I would watch the plastic sack of break-fast food thumping against my father’s trousered leg, a reminder that holy space of Yom Kippur was about to close over us and leave us to our good intentions and the rest of the year. I couldn’t understand why they liked it so much, that sweet, seeded bread. (Now, of course, I know better.)

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Thanks to Aaron Kagan for this guest post. Aaron maintains the blog Tea and Food.

While a Yom Kippur recipe might seem like an oxymoron, there are many food traditions surrounding the meals immediately preceding and following the 25 hours in which most Jews refrain from food. Jews in Iraq, for example, frequently break the fast with a nourishing yet easily digestible glass of rice milk.

I was surprised to find this beverage in such a traditional context, having until now chiefly associated it with vegans and the lactose intolerant. But it turns out that rice milk is popular in many parts of the world besides those places where you can order a dairy free smoothie for the cost of a meal. Take the Thai kokkoh or Mexican horchata, for instance. Cut the sugar and skip the cinnamon of the latter and you’ve got something that closely resembles both the stuff in the rectangular carton at Whole Foods and the drink made by Iraqi Jews to close the most holy day of the year.

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Here is part 2 of Chef Laura’s Italian Rosh Hashanah menu. Find part one - an apple cake with apple cider honey zabaglione - here.  Yes, yes, we’re featuring two soup recipes in a row on The Jew & The Carrot - but what is fall without an abundance of warm, creamy soups?!

Autumn in Tuscany looks a lot like the neighborhood pumpkin patch I remember visiting when I was a kid - with pumpkins of all shapes, sizes and colors piled high. This versatile vegetable stores well for winter, is easily canned and is frequently featured in savory dishes. And this luxuriously textured soup is a perfect example of cucina povera, which is the practice of using what is readily available and seasonal.

Btai Avon!

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This morning, Google let me know that it was fall - with the second “g” and “l” in Google turned into gracefully falling red leaves. I felt a bit stunned, and a bit embarrassed that I had to rely on the computer to remind me of the changing season. Then again, unlike spring which teases and flirts for weeks before settling into place, fall has a way of sneaking up and surprising me - in the sudden smell of crisp leaves and crackling fires in the air, and in the way the high holidays suddenly appear on the calendar even though I already knew they were coming.

Sometimes this suddenness feels unsettling - as if I am Philippe Petit tiptoeing across a tight rope when suddenly the wind picks up. But because of this sudden energy, fall also has a way of sweeping me off my feet in a more metaphorical (and significantly more pleasant) way. There’s a certain rapture that rushes in, clearing the stagnant summer air and demanding that I pay attention and enjoy. I think I actually tend to feel most alive during the early weeks of fall. Knowing that winter is slowly lumbering near, I get all the more energized to actively soak up the last rays of warm sunshine, eat the last red tomatoes, and enjoy the last few days of sandal weather before I shroud my feet, once again, in socks and shoes.

I also feel a renewed urge to cook! And with a whole new palate of flavors to choose from at the farmers’ market, how can I resist? Below, find a recipe for Delicata Squash Soup with Apple Croutons - the perfect celebration of fall, and a lovely alternative to Rosh Hashanah chicken soup. Read more »

Thanks to Rhea Kennedy for this guest post. Rhea maintains the blog You Are Delicious.

Breathe in. Then breathe out. It’s an easy way to become aware of your body, more focused on the mundane. And if you breathe in and breathe out after eating a habenero-laced dish, you’re probably aware of every cell in your mouth, and focused on every nook and cranny of your sinuses.

I first learned to appreciate spicy dishes while studying abroad in Ghana. At first, it was hard to take the intense heat that lurked in everything from Jollof rice to okra stew. But eventually I got to like it—especially the ubiquitous sauce known as pepe (”pep-ay”) that whirled what we call Jamaican peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes into an addictively tasty condiment. Later, while I was working at a farm in Mexico, one of my hosts explained how she swore by chilies and used to belong to a spicy food club back when she lived in the States. She says that chilies cured her ulcer, and she now uses ground dried habaneros in lieu of black pepper at the table. (She insists that this hottest of chilies actually has a pleasant flavor, describing it as a “hot apricot”).

Recipes below the jump…

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Although I’m a total Top Chef junkie, except for the occasional Iron Chef episode, the Food Network usually doesn’t hold my interest. But the other night, while channel surfing, I came upon a promo for an upcoming episode of Dinner Impossible. The basic premise of the show: put a celebrity chef in a very difficult situation, with an unrealistic time limit, and see if they can get the job done.

This season’s star is Michael Symon, a motorcycle-riding, tattooed Iron Chef who, I have to admit, I would put in that “sexy-ugly” category, but I digress. Anyhow, Chef Symon was shown in a kippah as a rabbi explained to him the laws of kashrut, and that he was expected to cook a Passover seder for 100 of his hungriest congregants Uh, Food Network people: We’re coming up on Rosh HaShanah, not Pesach, but never mind.

Naturally, I had to record it, while I nearly wretched my way through Sarah Palin’s speech (sorry, I digress once again).

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Yesterday, I made two loaves of challah. It felt like a funny activity for a Sunday, I’ll admit. (I usually make challah in a flurried rush on Friday afternoon.) But I’d had a culinary brain flash the other day, that I felt compelled to try out: apple cider challah.

The idea was originally inspired by a beautiful loaf of apple honey challah my friend Ariela over at Baking and Books made last year. Lying in bed a few Sunday mornings ago, still heavy with dreams and sleep, I’d suddenly remembered that beautiful loaf of bread Ariela had made, which twisted the flavors of Rosh Hashanah into braided loaves. My thoughts then drifted to another favorite fall treat, apple cider - the one drink that manages to capture all of the sweet, spicy secrets of autumn.

Despite not being fully awake yet, my brain somehow managed to fuse these two thoughts together Sesame Street style: Cider………Challah Cider….Challah. Cider.Challah. Eureka! All of a sudden, I could hardly imagine a world without apple cider challah. (According to Google, only one other person has thought of it before.) So yesterday, I set about making my dream bread into a reality. It was such a treat to knead the loaves and let them rise on the counter without the pressure of the setting sun at my back. And as I bit into a warm slice, spread with a dollop of amber-colored apricot jam, I felt (almost) okay with the fact that fall is just around the corner.

Question to the Jewish text-perts out there: If you make challah that is not meant for Shabbat, do you still need to remove some of the dough as the Challah offering?

Find the recipe below the jump.

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Approx. 3 1/2 cups of pureed winter squash
3/4 cup apple juice or cider
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Juice of half a lemon
Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Adjust spices to taste. Stir in lemon juice, or more to taste.
Once cool, pumpkin butter can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for months.
To preserve:
Spoon hot pumpkin mixture into hot jars, filling to within 1/4 inch from top. Remove air bubbles; wipe jar rims. Cover at once with metal lids, and screw on bands. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Not only will these methods make your decorations serve dual functions (a help for small budgets in rough times), they’ll also reduce the amount of space in your house dedicated to storing boxes of tinsel. Write in with your own ideas for how to make your Sukkot bounty last all year.

Adapted from AllRecipes

Photo credit: Fat Free Vegan

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Homemade Challah

1-1/4 c. warm water (a little warmer than lukewarm)
3 T. yeast (or 3 packets)mix together until foamy - about 10 min.

1 capful of cinnamon (for whole wheat only)
2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. oil
2/3 c. sugar
5 large eggs 3 cups of whole wheat flour and then add white until doughy (probably 5-6 cups total, but check the consistancy as you go).

Knead for couple minutes. Oil the bowl that you’re letting it rise in, so the dough won’t stick to the sides. Let it rise until it’s double the size. (Tip for rising: if it’s not rising fast enough, turn on the oven to 200 degrees. Once it’s hot enough, turn off the oven and put the dough in. This will make it rise faster, but make sure it’s not hot enough to bake it!) Punch it down and take challah. Make into loaves and let them rise until they are double the size. Bake on 350 for about 25 mintues.

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Bittersweet Chocolate Espresso Cake
Serves 10-12

vegetable oil and matzo meal, finely ground for the cake pan
1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup ground almonds
2 teaspoons espresso powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-inch spring-form cake pan and dust with matzo meal.

2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, or in a microwave on low stirring every 20 seconds until melted and just smooth.

3. Beat the egg yolks with sugar and salt until pale yellow. Stir in the ground almonds, melted chocolate, vanilla, and espresso powder.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks but are not dry. Stir ¼ of the whites into the chocolate and egg mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

5. Transfer the batter to the cake pan and bake in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes until puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. Cool on a rack. Run a knife around sides to loosen sides of cake, remove pan sides and serve cake at room temperature on a platter. Can be made a day in advance, covered tightly in foil.

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Sweet Potato Kugel

Yield: 12 servings

6 small sweet potatoes, grated
3 apples, peeled, cored, and grated
1 cup raisins
1 cup brown rice flour - on Passover use whole wheat matzo meal
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. sea salt
1 and 1/2 cups water

Topping:
1 and 1/2 cups raw pecan halves, chopped
2 tbsps. maple syrup
pinch of salt
pinch of ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven of 375 degrees
2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together (except for the topping) then press into a large glass baking dish
3. In a small bowl, mix together topping ingredients and set aside
4. Place baking dishes in oven and bake it for 35 minutes. Remove and cover with topping mixture. Return to oven for another 20-25 minutes
5. Remove from oven and let stand for about 15 minutes
6. Cut into 12 squares and serve

Recipe from The Organic Kosher Cookbook by Aviva Allen

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Leah’s Top 5 Thanksgiving side dishes…

1. Apple Chesnut Soup with Parsely Croutons - Recipe from Chow 

2. Mashed Potatoes with Caramalized Garlic and Parsnips - Recipe from Epicurious

3. Pear, Arugula, and Endive Salad with Candied Walnuts - Recipe from Epicurious  

4. Fresh Cranberry Relish - Recipe from my mom - 1 12 oz bag fresh cranberries, 1 oranges - scrubbed well and quartered with peel left on half, 3/4 cup-1 cup raw sugar.  Pulse cranberries and oranges in a food processor until they form a chunky relish.  (My mom uses an old fashioned food grinder she found at an antique store, but the processor works fine.  Stir in sugar, a little at a time - to taste.

5. Braised Greens with Garlic - Recipe from me!  Start with a boat-load of greens (ideally a mix of collards, kale, mustard, dandelion, and chard).  Chop up a bunch of garlic.  Steam/saute greens in a big pot with a lid, with garlic and a little bit of water and oil.  Once mostly wilted, drain off excess water and add soy sauce to taste.  Recover and continue cooking until greens are soft, but still chewy.

Other worthy side dishes: roasted Brussels sprouts, delicata squash with rosemary and sea salt, cheddar and kale biscuits, Jerusalem artichoke salad…

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Cranberry and Pear Chutney
(Recipe from Gourmet, November 1991 / makes 4 cups)

Ingredients
1 12-ounce bag of cranberries, picked over
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
2 pears, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/4 cup minced peeled fresh gingerroot
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation
In a heavy saucepan combine the cranberries, the brown sugar, the raisins, the pears, the zest, the gingerroot, the red pepper flakes, the onion, the vinegar, the mustard seeds, and the salt and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the berries have burst. The chutney keeps, covered and chilled, for 2 weeks. Serve the chutney at room temperature.

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Latke Bar

I only use egg whites for my latkes. Think about it. Yolks make doughs and batters tender and cakey. I want my latkes crispy and crunch (all the better for holding up to some toppings). I use egg whites. My latkes are crispy and stay that way longer. Save the yolks for your cakey sufganiyot.

These are some great toppers for the latke bar. You can also add caviar, chopped eggs, chopped red onions or scallions, sour cream,

3 cups peeled and grated Russet potatoes
1 large Spanish onion-peeled and grated
2 egg whites-lightly beaten
All-purpose flour about ¼-1/2 cup
Salt and pepper
Neutral oil for frying-about 3-4 cups (prefer canola or peanut oil)

1. Place the shredded potatoes in a bowl of ice cold water *(this helps keep them from turning rust colored). Let the potatoes sit for about 15 minutes.
2. Place a large skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Fill the pan with oil to a depth of about 2 inches.
3. Remove the potatoes from the water. Squeeze as much water as possible by wrapping the potatoes in a towel. There will about a white starchy paste at the bottom of the bowl. Scoop some of the potato starch and add it to the potatoes in a large bowl. Add the onion and eggs. Add enough matzo flour to bind the mixture but not make it too firm. Season with salt and pepper
4. When the oil has reached 350 degrees, scoop the latke mixture with an ice cream scoop or large spoons and gently drop into the oil. Fry until golden brown and turn to fry the other side. remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
5. The latkes can be made several hours before serving and can be reheated in a 400 degree oven on a sheet pan until crispy. Serve with applesauce or the following recipes.

Cured Salmon Remoulade

2 oz cured or lightly smoked Wild salmon slices-diced small
2 T. capers
¼ cup chopped red onion
2 T. prepared horseradish
1 T. fresh lemon juice3 T. flat leaf parsley-chopped
¾ cup mayonnaise dash of hot sauce (optional)

1. Mix all of the above ingredients in a small bowl. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Tapenade

½ cup pitted kalamata olives
1 T. capers
1 clove garlic-chopped
2 T. fresh lemon juice
3 T. Extra Virgin olive oil
2 anchovy filets (optional)
Salt and Pepper

1. Place all of the above ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is combined but still chunky. Adjust seasoning.

Muhummarah

This delicious Middle Eastern condiment makes a great dip, crust for fish or poultry and perfect topper for the latkes

2 red peppers-roasted1 cup walnuts-toasted
2 T. tomato paste
¼ cup pomegranate molasses
1 cup fresh bread crumbs-left over challah is perfect
1/3 cup Extra Virgin olive oil
¼ t. chili flakes
1 t. ground allspice
½ t. ground cumin seed
Salt and pepper

1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is fairly smooth. You may need to add more Extra Virgin olive oil to adjust the consistency.
2. Place in a container and cover the surface of the muhummarah with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. The muhummarah can be kept covered for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Apple-raisin Chutney

2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar1 1/2 pounds tart green apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 large garlic cloves
1 2-ounce piece fresh ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups (packed) golden raisins
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds

Place all of the ingredients in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until the apples are tender and the liquid has evaporated – about 45 minutes.