Rosh Hashana

[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?

[KatieLoeb]

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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Nancy:

Looks like perch, sable or trout might stand in for carp. Check this link Fish Substitutions and see what is available to you.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Today I decided to "get serious" about the upcoming holiday and went to Costco for my huge slabs of skinless, boneless salmon .. will be making my infamous vodka gravlax wrapped around hearts of palm, with kalamata olives, and grape tomatoes ...... acting as the appetizer...

the rest of the meal? I am still working on but at least I have begun somewhere! and my new refrigerator will be delivered this Friday morning so at least then I can concentrate properly!

[bloviatrix]

Today I decided to "get serious" about the upcoming holiday and went to Costco for my huge slabs of skinless, boneless salmon .. will be making my infamous vodka gravlax wrapped around hearts of palm, with kalamata olives, and grape tomatoes ......  acting as the appetizer...

the rest of the meal? I am still working on but at least I have begun somewhere! and my new refrigerator will be delivered this Friday morning so at least then I can concentrate properly!

 

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Wanna ship some gravlax north? If not, can you please post a photo so I can drool over my keyboard?

What happened to your fridge that you need a new one??

[Gifted Gourmet]

Wanna ship some gravlax north?  If not, can you please post a photo so I can drool over my keyboard?

What happened to your fridge that you need a new one??

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I don't actually have a photo of the gravlax that I make but it is very pretty .. and sometimes I slice it very thinly and roll it around some Alouette with scallions in the center, pinwheels, actually .. that is a hit for a dairy meal ...

and the refrigerator was an older one, I slammed the door too hard, and the shelves in the door broke off ... the plastic was too brittle, I think ... offered to duct-tape them but the hubby said that we needed to buy a new one ... sooooo that is what I did ... we had no electricity for some 18 hours yesterday but I was able to make it to the local Lowe's Home Store to buy the new one ...

[Gifted Gourmet]

Same holiday but yet another area of food interest: tsimmes ....the article is here

New article in the Forward caught my eye, based upon the history of the dish and some other observations by Matthew Goodman (no relation), their food writer.

tsimmes can be divided into two major classes — with meat and without — ...... Whether or not meat is used, tsimmes generally includes potatoes (sweet potatoes, which in recent years have become pretty common in tsimmes, are an American contribution), carrots and dried fruit, which is usually, though not exclusively, prunes; the tsimmes is spiced with cinnamon (though paprika may be used instead) and sweetened with honey and sometimes, in more nouveau renditions, orange juice.

and, of course, there are two marvelous recipes to round out the article. Enjoy!

[NancyH]

Interesting article. But, to get the tzimmes to the consistency my grandpa made, you have to cook it a lot longer. The story in my family is that, after my grandfather died, mom tried (with grandma's help) to make tzimmes a couple of times, but it never came out "right". So she stopped trying to make it. I'm not sure how I discovered that the secret is to cook it 6-8 hours until everything is caramelized, but I think it makes all the difference between a ho hum stew and a great tzimmes.

[Swisskaese]

I know that Boviatrix gave up on the all apple dinner, but I went to the supermarket today in Tel Aviv and they gave me a magazine with some very interesting Rosh Hashana recipes. One in particular caught my eye:

Apples stuffed with Meat and Mushrooms

8 large apples

1 onion, chopped

Oil for frying

300g minced beef

1 cup chopped walnuts

250g chopped champignon

1/3 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/3 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. chicken soup powder

Mushroom Sauce

1 c water

1 tbsp margarine

30 grams mushroom sauce powder

8 whole walnuts for decoration

Cut off the top of the apples and empty them using a a serrated spoon (not an apple corer). Saute onion in oil until transparent. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, mix together the sauteed onion, meat, walnuts, mushrooms, eggs and spices.

Melt the magarine, add the water, add mushroom sauce powder. Cook 5-6 minutes on low, until the sauce thickens. Add the sauce to the meat mixture and mix well.

Fill the apples with the meat mixture, until there is a dome on top. Put the apples in a pyrex dish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 180C for 20 minutes. Remove foil and back for an additional 30 minutes.

[cakewalk]

I made the Moist and Majestic Honey Cake the other night and brought it in to work today. Now that is one good cake (I usually think honey cakes are dry and tasteless, but not this one. And it has a truly lovely flavor to it, I think mostly because of the whiskey and the cloves.) I'll be making it again Monday night for Rosh Hashana.

Shana Tova to everyone -- a sweet, healthy, happy, and peaceful year.

[NancyH]

While I am aware of the value of using chicken feet in a soup for both added color and flavor, I have a kosher home and can't obtain the feet locally .. so I add the brown, clean onion skins, to my soup which makes it resemble the authentic "goldene" soup color ... my daughter is a vegetarian so she doesn't even want the poor fowl in the house ..  oh yes, I always use a kosher pullet for the soup because the flavor is much more intense.

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Melissa - I just learned something interesting about that when I went to pick up my pullets from the Kosher Butcher (the only place in Cleveland you can get anything resembling a soup chicken). I asked him about chicken feet and he said that he can't get them from Empire anymore because Empire is sending them all to China! He did say that there is one purveyor he can get them from, and keeps a supply in his freezer, but they are expensive.

[bloviatrix]

Nancy, maybe try some other kosher butchers? I'm not up on Cleveland geography (I've only been there twice), but maybe there's something near the Telshe Yeshiva in Wickliffe? My assumption is a butcher that supplies a very yeshiva-ish community might have more traditional chicken parts.

[JFLinLA]

So I got to this a little late but just decided that I will make dinner for Wednesday night for my family of four plus my neighbors who will just be arriving back in town that afternoon after delivering their oldest to her freshman year at college (the notes of Sunrise, Sunset are welling in the background).

I'm usually the baker in the family but will do a brisket . . . there's a recipe I've been meaning to try. Could someone enlighten me on the differences and the terms first cut, second cut, point cut and the pluses and minuses of each?

Will also make 2 round challahs -- one with raisins, one without. An apple caramel cake for dessert. Still need to decide on a vegetable. I may skip the soup altogether. I know it's traditional and yummy but it's just too darn much food and it's damn hot here in So Cal.

[bloviatrix]

Brisket is known either as first or second cut or flat and plate. I can never remember which is which between flat and plate, but 2nd cut has more fat and is a little more flavorful than 1st cut. Plus, 2nd cut tends to cost less.

What about doing a chilled soup instead of a hot one? That way you embrace tradition but acknowledge the weather.

Edited September 10, 2004 by bloviatrix (log)

[JFLinLA]

Cold soup? Okay. I don't make a lot of soup . . . though I always think I should make it more. Gazspacho doesn't really go with the meal. Any other suggestions?

[bloviatrix]

Cold soup?  Okay.  I don't make a lot of soup . . . though I always think I should make it more.  Gazspacho doesn't really go with the meal.  Any other suggestions?

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Tell me what type of brisket you're making and the sides, and we'll work from there.

[JFLinLA]

Don't have the recipe in front of me but you know -- onions, garlic, red wine, tomato paste, etc. Will cook long and slow ahead, chill, de-fat, slice and leave to soak in yummy juices.

[bloviatrix]

In that case....

chilled tomato soup? I have one that calls for yellow beefsteaks, corriander and cumin. Gifted Gourmet just sent me one she makes with orange juice and ginger

vichyssoise? The Julia Child recipe is insanely easy.

borscht? there's the standard with potato and dill or I can share the one I've been making with apple and ginger.

How's the corn been in LA? what about a corn soup?

[Sandra Levine]

Here's my menu:

Halibut Ceviche

Moroccan Beet Salad

Roasted Pomegranate Turkey Breast

Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins

Israeli Couscous with Mushrooms

Chocolate Mousse

Joan Nathan's Apricot Honey Cake

I was going to do a cold soup, but decided on the beet salad instead.

[JFLinLA]

In that case....

chilled tomato soup?  I have one that calls for yellow beefsteaks, corriander and cumin.  Gifted Gourmet just sent me one she makes with orange juice and ginger

vichyssoise?  The Julia Child recipe is insanely easy.

borscht?  there's the standard with potato and dill or I can share the one I've been making with apple and ginger.

How's the corn been in LA?  what about a corn soup?

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Tomato sounds yummy. Could you share that recipe? (I'm planning to bring a tomato salad to the beach for our Tashlich picnic dinner. There is truly something special about doing this at the Pacific Ocean.)

I'll check out JC's vichyssoise.

Apple ginger borsche? Sounds good. Can you share that too?

[cakewalk]

"Roasted Pomegranate Turkey Breast"

Now that sounds like something different (at least to me). Can you tell us more?

[talibaba]

Might someone here be able to suggest their favorite Challah recipe to use for the holidays? Until this year, I always bought mine or relied on mom, but this year is different. I just completed my first couple of weeks of culinary school which included an intensive unit on breads, so my family has now delegated that responsibility upon who else but me.... I have only a few days to prepare, but would love to hear lots of "mmmmmm's"...

[bloviatrix]

Tomato sounds yummy.  Could you share that recipe?  (I'm planning to bring a tomato salad to the beach for our Tashlich picnic dinner.  There is truly something special about doing this at the Pacific Ocean.)

I'll check out JC's vichyssoise.

Apple ginger borsche?  Sounds good.  Can you share that too?

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Yellow Tomato Soup

adapted from a recipe by Waldy Malouf

serves 6

2 tbls evoo

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

6 large yellow beefsteak tomatos, cored and roughly chopped

1 tsp whole corriander seed

1/2 tsp cumin seed

1 tbls lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

In small skillet toast corriander and cumin until fragrant -- 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

In large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic -- sweat until translucent. Add tomatoes and saute for about 5 minutes. Add toasted spices and 2 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and cool. Puree with immersion blender or in food processor. Strain and toss solids. Chill soup. Season soup with lemon juice before serving.

Malouf also gives a recipe for a a cilantro-onion relish to serve with it. Combine in a bowl: 1 medium red tomato -- finely diced, 1/2 cup red onion -- finely diced, 1/4 c chopped cilantro, 1 tbls lemon juice, 1 tbls evoo, 1 tsp minced jalapeno.

I tend to garnish the soup with chives.

Apple-Ginger Borscht

serves 6

1 bunch beets, about 1 pound

2 tbls olive oil

1 medium onion, medium chop

1 inch knob of ginger julienned

1 large apple such as gravestein (something on the tart side) -- dinced

3 cups liquid - vegetable broth, water, chicken stock, or a combination -- your choosing.

Preheat oven to 400. Clean beets and wrap each in aluminum foil Roast in oven about 40 minutes or until easily pierced by a knife tip. Once beets are cool enough to hande, peel off the skins and dice.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium sized pot (at least 3 qts). Add onion and ginger and saute until onion becomes translucent -- about 5 minutes. Add diced apple and saute for 5 minutes longer. Add diced beets and the liquid and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool. Puree with blender or immersion blender and chill.

You can make this with either red or golden beets. I plan on making a batch with each color and serving a two-colored soup.

[Sandra Levine]

"Roasted Pomegranate Turkey Breast"

Now that sounds like something different (at least to me). Can you tell us more?

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I found the recipe on-line. If it turns out to be any good, I'll let you know. You use a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey and roast that with olive oil and chopped garlic rubbed on until done. While the turkey is resting, you heat pomegranate juice, white wine, lemon juice cinnamon, salt, pepper and a bit of sugar together for 5 minutes. Right before serving you, pierce the turkey breast and pour the sauce over it and garnish with pomegranate seeds. We'll see.

[Marmish]

Might someone here be able to suggest their favorite Challah recipe to use for the holidays?  Until this year, I always bought mine or relied on mom, but this year is different.  I just completed my first couple of weeks of culinary school which included an intensive unit on breads, so my family has now delegated that responsibility upon who else but me.... I have only a few days to prepare, but would love to hear lots of "mmmmmm's"... 

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There is a bit of discussion about challah recipes in the Baking with Julia thread.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=35047&st=0

Welcome to eGullet.

[akur23]

I use local (for me) guy Manfred Loeb's recipe:

Challa