Yom Kippur Break-the-Fast recipes/menus/comments

[doggirl]

I'm in charge of break the fast for Yom Kippur this year for the first time. I'm ready to be a grown up (gosh, I think I'm ready!!)-- I just need a little bit of advice! What will you be serving, how/when will you get it ready for serving, and how do you know how much is enough?

Any wisdom you've collected from your years of experience will be deeply appreciated.

And may you all have a very easy fast!!

Edited September 8, 2004 by doggirl (log)

[ozgirl06]

doggirl-

any idea how many people are coming over for break fast?

i often host break fast for friends and others as my place is right across the street from the shul. My standard offerings include:

bagels and a variety of shmears plus the usual fixings (tomato, onion, etc.)

a blintz casserole and/or kugel (sometimes sweet other times savoury)

fruit salad

veggies with hummus

OJ - and lots of it.

sometimes I'll serve brownies or cookies

I always have leftovers no matter how many I cook for (Jewish mother syndrome I suspect). I think I always overestimate exactly how hungry my guests will be. For me at least, my eyes are always bigger than my stomach at the end of the day. I find that to be true for many other people as well.

Good luck with hosting and an easy fast to you as well.

[doggirl]

I'm expecting between 18-25 adults and 5 kids. The eyes bigger than the stomach is always an issue for me too!!

Thanks again

[bloviatrix]

I'm expecting between 18-25 adults and 5 kids.  The eyes bigger than the stomach is always an issue for me too!!

Thanks again

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You don't want to be doing anything other than throwing stuff into the oven to re-heat and opening storage containers. The beauty of a noodle kugel is that you can make it in advance and it re-heats well.

You can't get much simpler than our break-fast: Orange Juice (must be Tropicana), bagels, cream cheese, lox, whitefish salad, melon and a babka with coffee for dessert.

For the numbers you're anticipating, 40 bagels should be enough.

[NancyH]

One tradition from my growing up (which got me some odd stares when I brought it to a pot-luck break the fast in Cleveland) is sliced bananas with sour cream. Simple, yet satisfying, especially with challah topped with butter to eat with it.

Other staples I would serve to a group if I had one is whitefish (chubb) and belly lox (nova just ain't lox to me).

[jackal10]

Family tradition is to start with Anchovy Toast, befoe the main meal.

How or why this tradion arose I have no idea. I like something simple but nutritous like scrambled eggs

Not that I fast since I left my parents house long ago, but scrambled eggs on anchovy toast is a good supper

Edited September 10, 2004 by jackal10 (log)

[Geetha]

I haven't made a breakfast for a long time now since no wants it in my house

may be I would like to serve rice-lentils pancakes called dosas by some, and other south indians called them ada or uthappams all depending the ratio of rice and lentils in them, sprinkled with lots of onions, saute-ed or browned either on side separately or added along with the dosas during its preparation.

There are other preparations like fried lentils called vadas by some others may also call them doughnuts, but it is on heavier side so I'd prefer to avoid them..

Now for the side dishes so many ingredients are there to play here with that they are really many who would laugh at my sheer tipsy------feeling..

Okay I used to have a crazy liking for peanut chutneys with all of these above and especially with rice cakes idlies.., there are also other things like sambar which is a soup of lentils and spices with some haphazard selection of vegetables like carrot or raw mango thrown in to make a match of distinct flavours of the soup with vegetables. Many first time lovers of Sambar are known to like to drink it too. And there are a veriety of chutney you can make coconut is my favourite it goes with any other preparation like uthappam, dosas or idlies or vadas too. yumm

Okay one think that even prompted me to make this post was the uppama made of couscous or a form of what Indians call rava. It goes well with all of the above side dishes of chutney and sambar too.

This sums the sumptuous break-fast that used to be made at my home in India and still is

[Pan]

Geetha, this thread is about a meal that's served after a 25-hour no-water no-food fast with most of the afternoon spent continuously standing in synagogue. A meal to break such a fast is a sensitive thing because some people (like me) react to such a fast as if they had been literally starving. (I could go into details but don't want to derail this thread, and no, I don't fast completely anymore, for health reasons.) Also, the host will have come from synagogue, too, so things that have to be cooked to order are a no-no (too much time and energy). I think that tea and broth (matzo ball soup, if you like) are essential for those who may have trouble with their stomachs after the fast. For similar reasons, you might want to have some Ginger Ale handy. Otherwise, I think the suggestions above are good, with the addition of some fruit or (if you want to prepare it) fruit salad that's been refrigerated for a day.

[Geetha]

Think I must excuse myself. I had a feeling it must be a fast then I turned to think it wasn't because there was not a mention of it in he thread.. I know why there is no mention of it I think.

Pan And thank you for clarifying.. I will wait for a better thread and appropriate moment time and place

Love

[Pan]

No worries, Geetha, and I wonder myself what's traditional as break fast food among Indian Jewish communities.

[Carrot Top]

I am curious not only what is served to break the fast of Yom Kippur but also curious about what traditional foods are served during Ramadan and Divali (I think there is some element of fasting during Divali but could be wrong?).

Not sure whether to start a new thread here or whether doggirl would mind if this thread could be stretched to include these holidays...?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Not only is there much thought given to what foods to serve after the fast but there is yet another issue to consider: the pre-fast meal! There is an interesting article by a doctor who is observant of Jewish practice and he has written an exceptionally well conceived pre-fast list of considerations here in which he advises not to begin the fast on a full stomach, eating foods, instead, that are digested slowly, and how to handle the issue of thirst since Yom Kippur is a 24 hour fast without water as well as food.

The Break-the-Fast meal which I make is invariably a dairy one, since meat is usually too heavy on an empty stomach ....fish of some sort and/or lox, cream cheese, sliced tomatoes, thin sliced red onions, bagels or challah, orange juice, cheesecakes, blintz souffle, fruits, etc.

[Pan]

Hmm...it didn't occur to me that chicken soup and cream cheese make a treyfe meal! Of course they do! No mixing of meat and dairy! I guess my Orthodox godmother makes her post-fast matzo ball soup with vegetable stock!

Carrot Top, I've never heard of such a thing as fasting on Diwali/Deepavali. It's a festive occasion with plenty of delicious food, and I'd be amazed to hear that there's some tradition of fasting then.

Here's a thread about Indian Ramadan (or Ramzaan) foods.

Here's a shorter thread on Arab Ramadan foods, focusing on Katayef.

Here's an eGCI piece on Diwali and Diwali recipes by Monica Bhide & Sudhir Seth!

[doggirl]

I love that article on the pre-fast meal! Thanks for all the helpful hints. I feel better prepared already...

[hillvalley]

About 25 years ago, when Yom Kippur fell on my mom's birthday, she announced that she would no longer prepare a break the fast meal.

So every year we walk down the street from our Synagogue for sushi.

[cakewalk]

Yom Kippur is surrounded by more food than most regular days!

For me, the most important part of breaking the fast is drinking. Water, juice, coffee -- and more water. It is only an hour or so later that I even become interested in food, and my favorite at that point is usually good bread and butter and cheese with a hot drink. It is so simple, but always so completely satisfying.

[Geetha]

My self I am an avid fan of bagels for err mornings well I 've not known bagels before but since I got here in NY I've never stopped liking it for most of my morning breakfasts. FAsts are a fascination to me and ever since I've tried to come up with a reason to do it and always ended being called names by any number of friends and people including my parents. Obviously I've not grown up in a fasting friendly environment .. what are the reasons seems to elude me but when ever I speak of fasting others are there rolling their sleeves to convince me not to, may be because I looked t osome very undernourished or whatever, they undertook personal reaponsibility for brainwashing me against it. Till today I have never had faith on not-fasting attitudes.

But also I seem underequipped to answer all above queries, so I will ask my humble passive presence in here.. never really used to do a fast but I have heard from many others through word of mouth to fast is to... many give up non-veg in India for a fast. So it is really a varied and very personal fact and difficult to zero in on.

I'd love add my snippets if I get to know about the exact time when fasts are observed for diwali I know it is not on the day of diwali though, it must be before it. mmm

On a personal note here I am only used to eating fruits on day of breaking fasts.

[Carrot Top]

Hmmm. Why do I think there is an Indian festival that has a fast as part of it... obviously it is not Divali....does anyone know of any other fasts that take place at other times in other cultures for religious purposes?

I hope it is not simply my memory playing tricks on me, as was discussed in another forum...maybe hearing 'Eat your food there are people starving in India' transferred itself into an idea of some sort of Indian fast in my mind as a child...whew that would be an odd synapse lapse.

[FaustianBargain]

I am curious not only what is served to break the fast of Yom Kippur but also curious about what traditional foods are served during Ramadan and Divali (I think there is some element of fasting during Divali but could be wrong?).

Not sure whether to start a new thread here or whether doggirl would mind if this thread could be stretched to include these holidays...?

I vaguely recall someone telling me about breaking their Ramadan fast..fasts broken with 'light' foods. Liquid..fruits..and then moving up..finally ending with biriyani..lamb or mutton...i think the idea is to ease food into the shrunken stomach..it does shrink, you know...its true...

never heard of fasting during diwali..thats the one thing people dont do on diwali...thats probably the one day when most people dont fast...the fast is on the day before diwali, perhaps?..there are enough gods in hinduism to assign a fasting day for each deity...people fast for full moon days..new moon days..there are fasts before eclipses..before religious ceremonies..before one gets married...death ceremonies..birth ceremonies....and the fasts vary..liquid fasts..no liquid or solid food fasts...bland porridge only fasts...fruits only fasts..fasts when only 'pure foods' are consumed..i.e. no onions, potatoes, root vegetables produce that excite the carnal nature(!!) etc...days when one doesnt consume rice/grains in the evenings before monthly death aniversaries..a strange concept, i know...its something based on the lunar calender and on one of these days, there is a direct line to your ancestors when you send you respects to them..why there is no rice dinner that day, i dont know tho'..there are even no salt fasts..never heard of a no sugar fast, tho'...in india, hindus have a strange relationship with god...its always on a transactional basis...(grant me good grades, i will visit the temple everyday> fine print: for a week.when my daughter get married , ill get you a new roof.i'll feed a hundred poor people, forgive my sins.let the litter of my pet cat survive, i'll break open 108 coconuts for you..you get the idea) i never got it because i couldnt imagine a god who would want me to starve...even as a transaction...but my mom had a list of days on which she wont even drink water...there is a little green book, the hindu lunar calender and there are certain auspicious fast dates...there is even a fast day that guarantees you a shortcut to heaven.

now..fasting is not just for food. depriving yourself of the other senses is also a kind of 'fast'. cant do the no-breathing thang, of course. that would be fatal. not that i wouldnt try to convince certain characters to give it a shot. but hey! never heard of anyone stuffing their ears. but some do not utter a single word for an entire day. silence for an entire day. bliss. this used to be my absolute favourite fast. i especially liked it when certain people adopted it. even if only for a day.

[Carrot Top]

And here's another question...having just read the eGullet piece on Diwali and learning a bit more about the holiday, I wonder if someone could tell us a bit more about Yom Kippur in general, the food and other traditions...

P.S. Wow, Lalitha...that's an incredible amount of information...it seems that Indian life is intensely connected with food....(and why not?!)

Edited September 11, 2004 by Carrot Top (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

And here's another question..... I wonder if someone could tell us a bit more about Yom Kippur in general, the food and other traditions...

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This is a website with a reasonably simple, straightforward explanation of the different aspects of the day of Yom Kippur. The piece even mentions the way foods are involved both before and after the lengthy fast. See if this introduction is what you are seeking: here

Back momentarily with the recipe collections for you to look over! Thanks for asking about this and the traditions, CarrotTop!as promised here are some recipes for both holidays

[Carrot Top]

And thank you, once again, GG, for your thoughtfulness and fantastic research skills!

[bloviatrix]

Regarding preparing for the fast.....the key thing to do is drink lot of water the day before. Up until 4 years ago I would always get sick on Yom Kippur and then Blovie realized the problem was I was getting dehydrated. Since then I go through more that a gallon of water on erev Yom Kippur and haven't had a problem. I strongly suggest it to everyone. Although you'll be running to the bathroom you'll be happier on the day itself.

[Carrot Top]

bloviatrix, what a good comment. And I wonder if some of those new waters they are selling now...with all sorts of sustaining this's and that's pumped into them ( geez don't I sound intelligent here... ) would be additionally helpful in keeping one's blood sugar level for the extended time...

[Fresser]

I'm diabetic, so I'm under doctor's orders not to fast for Yom Kippur. This makes "breaking the fast" something of a non-event for me.

What do other diabetics do at this time? Join the noshing brigade in spirit?