BY LOUISE FISZER &f JEANNETTE FERRARY ILLUSTRATIONS BY COCO MASUDA CHRONICLE BOOKS SAN FRANCISCO CONTENTS InTRODUCTIOn 6 A U T U M N Roiu Hfliuonou Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad 8 Round Raisin Challah Honey & CumnvGla^ed Cornish Hens Couscous with Saffron and Vegetables Braised Apples and Red Cabbage with Wine Hannah's Honey Cake Horn KIPPUR Fresh Vegetable Soup -with Chicken and Noodles 16 Toasted Bagels with Eggplant Spread Spiced Pear and Almond Cake SUCCOTH Sweet and Hot Pepper Tomato Soup with Mint 20 Pita Stuffed with Eggplant Salad and Feta Cheese Fennel, Cucumber, and Orange Salad Baked Figs with Honeyed Yogurt W I N T E R HANUKKAH Spinach Salad with Tangerines and Dried Cranberries 26 Classic Potato Latkes Zucchini Latkes Fresh Salmon Latkes Cauliflower and Carrot Latkes Sweet Cottage Cheese Latkes with Apple-Pear Puree S P R I N G PURIM) Hamantashen with Prune Filling 36 Hamantashen with Fig Filling Walnut and Dried Cherry Rugelach Apricot'Almond'Chocolate Balls Chocolate-Orange Squares PESACH Carrot-Matso Ball Soup 46 Rolled Turkey Breast with Mushroom-Spinach Stuffing Asparagus with Orange Vinaigrette Dried Cherry and Pear Haroset Sweet'Potato Kugel Passover Biscotti S U M M E R SHOVUOTH Gold Beet and Cucumber Soup 56 Asparagus and Herbed Cheese Strudel Poached Salmon with Two Sauces Lemon-Mustard Sauce Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Sauce Very Berry Blintzes with Berry Sauce Y E A R R O U N D FOODJ Of THE SABBATH Golden Ghallah Bread 64, Tomato and Onion Braised Brisket Roasted Garlic Potato Wedges Sugar Snap Peas and Honeyed Carrots Strawberry, Pineapple, and Mango Compote 71 I N D E X 72 T A B L E O F E Q U I V A L E N T S %ttWf% N 6 "D ON'T DO ANYTHING TOO WEIRD," a traditional Jewish cook advised us as we began this book. "I like new ideas, but I also like going back every year to my comfortable old recipes. Nobody wants to be eating experiments, espe' cially on the High Holy Days." ^ She was right, of course. And we felt pretty much the same way. We wanted to make a nice little book that would have everything: recipes that conform to the requirements of the holiday, that meet the expectations of traditional taste, that preserve the richness and meaning of the beloved customary Jewish Holiday Feasts foods. We -wanted to do them in a light style with fresh, flavorful ingredients tailored to today's health'conscious needs. Simple but interesting; not boring but not difficult or intimidating either. ^ We tasted and tested and researched tradi' tional Jewish holiday foods from every part of the world-from Russia, Spain, and Greece to Israel, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Among the differences, we found an amazing consistency in the -way these dishes reflect the land they are from, their time of year. They all, in some way, honor the wisdom of the earth: winter's sleep, spring's awakening, the cornucopia of summer, the autumn harvest. The feasts and festivals of the Jewish calendar, which together tell the sacred story of a people, 7 are tied to the cycles of nature, its demands and generosities. That is why we decided to arrange the book by season and to cook with foods and ingredients that elo- quently reflect that hallowed bond. "These are the feasts of the Lord," announces Leviticus 23:4, "which ye shall proclaim in their seasons." ^ We introduce each holiday with some background information about its history and meaning. Wherever possible, we include explanations about how each dish fits into the tradition and why it is served. ^ Finally, because today's cook almost always enjoys limited time in the kitchen, all recipes are straightforward and quickly prepared. We hope you will find this a concise and complete one-stop helper for every holiday: easy to use, exciting to cook from and, most of all, not too weird. I n t r o d u c t i o n LESHAT^A TOVA TIKOSEVU-May you be inscribed for a good year-is the fam- iliar greeting of Rosh Hashanah, the high holy days that begin the Jewish new year. A time of reflection and resolution, Rosh Hashanah is also a time of joy and hope for the year to come. The holiday begins on the first of Tishre, which falls in late September or early October, and continues through the Ten Days of Awe, or Days of Penitence, until Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This ancient holiday time resonates with much of the modern world which, at this time of year, has returned from summer retreats to begin the new season: at school and college, in business, in the fields, and with friends and family as the social calendar gets under way. ^ Rosh Hashanah is known under 9 many names, each underscoring a different aspect of the holy days' significance. As Tom ha'Din, or the Day of Judgment, this is a time of examination, evaluation, and repentance. As Tom hd'Zi\aron, the Day of Remembrance, it refers to the eternity of time and the continuity of past and present. As Tom Teruah, or the Day of the Blowing of the Horn, it recalls the shofar, or ram's horn, -which is sounded during the religious services as a reminder of spiritual awakening. ^ On Rosh Hashanah, special additions to the dinner table include the season's new fruits, like pomegranates, avocados and persimmons, a plate of sliced apples or bread, and a pot of honey for dipping. These signify hope for a sweet year ahead and are eaten with the accompanying prayer: "May it be Thy will, Oh Lord our God, to renew unto us a happy and pleasant new year." Rosh Hashanah