Gearing Up For The Jewish High Holidays
Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year)
The start to the Jewish New Year is always filled with symbolic foods and wishes for a sweet new year. "Apple and honey" are eaten to represent sweetness for obvious reasons while other foods like pomegranate or other less known symbols represent the many good deeds one can do in a given year. The meals eaten on this two-day holiday are supposed to include as many of these symbolic foods as possible.
Sample Rosh Hashanah menu:
To find out more about what foods represent what meanings on Rosh Hashanah, click here.
Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement)
Yom Kippur is a day of fasting observed by Jews in recognition and atonement for their sins. This holy day occurs just 8 days after the start of the new year and symbolizes the sealing of each person's fate within the year to come. While this period of fasting lasts for 25 hours, those observing Yom Kippur are to eat a large meal beforehand as well as after.
Eating high amounts of carbohydrates and particularly dairy meals are common for both before and after the fast. Here are some recipes to help prepare for both of these meals:
North Shore Chicago Hadassah's Lick-Your-Fingers Kugel
Ziti with Ricotta and Vegetables
Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)
Just five days after Yom Kippur begins an eight-day festival of eating elaborate feasts in a hut called a "sukkah". Built as an extension of the existing home, there are specific guidelines for building a sukkah including the dimensions, the materials and the amount of time you spend in it. One of the most common things to do in a sukkah is entertain guests and serve special meals.
Menus on the eight nights of Sukkot include traditional Jewish foods like chicken matzo ball soup and brisket. Here is a sample menu complete with tasty recipes:
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Rosh Hashanah Recipes and Menu Ideas
