Rosh Hashana

[Jason Perlow]

I spent most of my sunday babysitting the chicken soup while Rachel had her open house. Tonight, we made the matzo balls and the potato kugel -- which I might add, smells awesome, and I am really restraining myself by not cutting a nice peice of that sucker and eating it right now. I'm not sure how I am going to wait to eat it until Tuesday evening.

We also cut up like a dozen yellow onions (requiring several breaks in between to wash our crying eyes out from all that sulphuric gas) and caramelized the hell out of them, which took up most of the evening and added a decent amount of them to the kugel in addition to raw grated onion. It's non traditional, and it met with some resistance when I suggested we do it, but I think the results will surely make the effort worth it.

The Kugel and Matzo balls are of course seasoned with a lot of that magic ingredient, schmaltz.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Your matzo balls have green flecks, Jason O'Perlow .. mine are very au naturel ..

The kugel is incredible! I can't wait to hear how it actually tasted when served .. do let us know the details, please?

House must smell fantastic as it cooks, no??

[Jason Perlow]

House must smell fantastic as it cooks, no??

The house smells amazing. For dinner, we also cooked up some seasoned ground lamb kebabs and had some with schmaltz-lubed roasted potatoes, along with lettuce, tomato and pita bread and (ready to eat) hummus.

[Jason Perlow]

Rachel says we combined two potato kugel recipes (one of which I think is Melissa's) to make this kugel, but we made a number of additions/modifications, which includes adding shredded carrot as well as the caramelized onion in addition to the raw onion, plus parsley.

And oh yeah, we used Yukon Golds. And uh, lots of schmaltz. Did I mention we used lots of schmaltz?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Potato kugels are really all the product of a formula which you have embellished upon by sauteeing the onions and adding the carrots. I never grate the potatoes but prefer the long shreds which make it taste more potatoey ...

Anyway, formula always calls for eggs, oil or schmaltz, potatoes, matzo meal or flour, onions and salt and pepper ... as you have done here, variations can make for some richer, deeper results ... hasn't changed much actually from the days in the Ukraine when Tevye and his family chowed down on this, nature's most perfect gift to the Jewish people!

A blessing on your kugel, mazal tov, mazal tov, Perlows!

[Jason Perlow]

I never grate the potatoes but prefer the long shreds which make it taste more potatoey ...

We used the Cuisinart, which I am not sure if it is going to affect the texture or not. Zayda would have used the box grater, but we don't have that kind of patience. Well, actually we do, but we reserve hand grating for latkes. I'm not sure if it really makes a difference with kugels.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Did the amalgam of potato kugel recipes, which culminated in the finished product pictured here, make it to Recipe Gullet so we can all try yours?

[Jason Perlow]

I'll ask Rachel to post it tomorrow.

[Gifted Gourmet]

GG's Tzimmes in Recipe Gullet

[Rachel Perlow]

I've added the recipe for Golden Potato Kugel to RecipeGullet, as best as I can remember how I made it yesterday.

I only added the baking powder because one of the recipes I found online Sora's Golden Potato Kugel called for it. Anyone know what it does in this recipe? I'm going to try to taste for it when we have it on Tuesday to see if it is perceptible.

[Pam R]

everyody's food looks amazing. I may need to add a potato kugel to tomorrows meal.

[bloviatrix]

Let me wish you all a Shana Tovah. A sweet, happy and healthy year to you all.

[Swisskaese]

Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown, Friday, 22 September this year.

What do you have planned?

I am going on a business trip next week and will not be back until the Friday morning of Erev Rosh Hashana

So, I am going to prepare my matza balls this Friday and freeze them. I am also going to make a honey cake. Which I have never been successful at making.

Tapenade will be responsible for preparing the soup and the rest of the meal. We are going to have dinner alone this year. No one has invited us yet and I don't like to beg.

I am going to make a quince tarte tatin for the dinner. The honey cake is to nosh on.

Edited September 3, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

I went back to look for this thread which contains a number of great recipes and general ideas ...Newish Jewish ...and then there is this: another longer thread with all manner of Rosh Hashonah recipes/ideas

This year I am prepared for Rosh Hashonah ... my freezer now contains both a kosher duckling and a lamb roast ... a little variation on the usual brisket/turkey/stuffed cabbage that I normally consider main courses for Rosh Hashonah ...

and the recipe is here for Epicurious' Duck with Honey which seems perfect for Rosh Hashonah ...

Edited September 3, 2006 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[Swisskaese]

I went back to look for this thread which contains a number of great recipes and general ideas ...Newish Jewish ...

This year I am prepared for Rosh Hashonah ... my freezer now contains both a kosher duckling and a lamb roast ... a little variation on the usual brisket/turkey/stuffed cabbage that I normally consider main courses for Rosh Hashonah ...

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Have you decided what you are doing with the duck? Duck, goose and lamb are very expensive here. I would love to have duck with orange or cherry sauce.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Have you decided what you are doing with the duck? Duck, goose and lamb are very expensive here. I would love to have duck with orange or cherry sauce.

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The duck with honey will be the first option but I also like this recipe as well:

DUCK WITH PORT-CHERRY SAUCE ... while I don't have the duck breast but the whole bird, this sauce sounds positively elegant!!

Edited September 3, 2006 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[Swisskaese]

I am going to use this Quince Tarte Tatin recipe, but I am going to add cloves and a cinnamon stick to the sugar syrup that I am cooking the quince in.

Maybe, I will serve it with Pomegranate Sorbet.

GG, for something really different, you could serve the duck with a Pomegranate Gastrique.

Edited September 3, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[scubadoo97]

My large extended family just started cooking for the holidays. We get together 3 Sundays and knock out a bunch of dishes that are frozen until Rosh Hashanna lunches. We do this for Passover as well. We don't have to think about having something unique or different each year. It is always the traditional fare. We knocked out several hundred stuffed grape leaves that we call cigars. Must be a Tampa thing. We also did a large batch of stuffed yellow and zucchini squash, kibbeh hamda and stuffed veal breasts. Next week we will tackle keftes and a spicy meatball that is cooked in a tomato sauce as well as frying diced potatoes that will go around the veal roast. Other dishes and mezze will be made just before. We have made cooking for the holidays a family affair. It use to be my grandmother would cook for all of us. Since she passed away it has been a half dozen that has gotten together to put this big meal together. Now we get 10-15 people that show up. It's a good time to connect with cousins that you haven't seen in a few months. We usually have around 60-80 family members at our holiday meals so we have to start early.

[TarteTatin]

Quince Tarte Tatin rocks!

Hubby Tarte Tatin is the cook in our house, he's made it a few times as an option to his famous regular one...

I think the Quinces don't carmelize as well as Apples, and are somewhat juicier than the apple version. (He doesn't use the recipe you show, however)

[TarteTatin]

And mushier.

[Gifted Gourmet]

GG, for something really different, you could serve the duck with a Pomegranate Gastrique.

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The more I look at that pomegranate gastrique, the more appealing it seems ... certainly a viable option, Michelle, and one worth rethinking ... many thanks!

[jackal10]

This year our annual apple pressing party coincides with 2nd day Rosh Hashonah (we are not observant), so catering for 150 and counting, about half of them kids.

That number (and I hate washing up) it will be hand food. Thus delicious and traditional as they are, chicken soup and potato kugel just aren't practical. Well, maybe chicken soup in paper cups

Whole lamb roasted on a spit - one of my neighbors lambs, hamburger buns, stuffing, mint jelly,

Brisket - local Dexter, overnight cooked, buns etc

coleslaw, salad etc

hamburgers and hotdogs for the kids

Do it yourself pizza in the brick woodfired oven

Breads (I guess including round rasin challahs) and cheeses

Apple Strudel

Honey cake

Other suggestions welcome...chopped liver perhaps...

Edited September 6, 2006 by jackal10 (log)

[mhjoseph]

Ok, so I ordered my fish for Gefilte, but I can't get any carp here in Cleveland (the purveyor said, "carp - you must be from New York!").  Any suggestions on a good "supermarket" choice to lend some fat and mouthfeel to the pike and whitefish mixture I'm getting?

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NancyH,

I was going through this thread this morning. In case you haven't found carp in Cleveland in the the past two years, try Shimon's Poultry and Fish on Taylor Road in Cleveland Heights.

[NancyH]

Ok, so I ordered my fish for Gefilte, but I can't get any carp here in Cleveland (the purveyor said, "carp - you must be from New York!").  Any suggestions on a good "supermarket" choice to lend some fat and mouthfeel to the pike and whitefish mixture I'm getting?

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NancyH,

I was going through this thread this morning. In case you haven't found carp in Cleveland in the the past two years, try Shimon's Poultry and Fish on Taylor Road in Cleveland Heights.

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Thank you for thinking of me! Actually, it was Shimon's who absolutely refused to get me carp. However, Mr. Brisket is now getting fish for gefilte twice a year, and he is accomodating my New York predilection for Pike, Whitefish and Carp.

[Swisskaese]

This year our annual apple pressing party coincides with 2nd day Rosh Hashonah (we are not observant), so catering for 150 and counting, about half of them kids.

That number (and I hate washing up) it will be hand food. Thus delicious and traditional as they are, chicken soup and potato kugel just aren't practical. Well, maybe chicken soup in paper cups

Whole lamb roasted on a spit - one of my neighbors lambs, hamburger buns, stuffing, mint jelly,

Brisket  - local Dexter, overnight cooked, buns etc

coleslaw, salad etc

hamburgers and hotdogs for the kids

Do it yourself pizza in the brick woodfired oven

Breads (I guess including round rasin challahs) and cheeses

Apple Strudel

Honey cake

Other suggestions welcome...chopped liver perhaps...

←

How about tapenade? It is easy to make.