The Jewish New Year is this week. Jewish holidays always begin on the "eve of" and so the eve of Rosh Hashana is this Wednesday, October 2 with the actual holiday on Thursday, October 3rd. It may seem odd that a New Year is in the last quarter of the year, but the reason is that the Jewish Calendar is a lunar calendar, so the exact date changes every year. But the holiday usually falls either in September or early October. The name, Rosh Hashanah literally means "the Head of the Year" in Hebrew and is the beginning of the "High Holy Days", a time to reflect on how to do better, be better in the next year. Of course, there are traditions and what would traditions be without food! And that's what this post is about.
I will be having a small Rosh Hashana dinner on Wednesday night. Just the two of us. It's hard for everyone to get together in the middle of the week so I'll do a second dinner on the weekend. There are some traditional foods that are normally served but there really are no guidelines to the menu. I'm going to give you my menu which is very easy to do, whether it's for the holiday or just for a delicious company or family dinner.
There are some foods that are symbolic. Cut apple slices are arranged on a plate with a small bowl of honey is one. The tradition is to pass this around the table and have each person take a slice and dip it in the honey. This serves as an expression of hope that sweetness will mark our lives in the coming year. Another symbolic food is challah, which is a brioche type bread. Normally it's a braided loaf but on Rosh Hashana it is round, sometimes filled with raisins. The raisins symbolizing sweetness; the round challah symbolizing our wish for a year in which life and blessings have no end.
Other than those two symbolic foods, the rest of the menus is up to you. Usually, the meal centers around chicken or brisket. My menu will center around brisket, which I think is the easiest meal to make. It's one of those cuts of meat that just needs to cook forever. There are so many ways to make a brisket but the way I've been doing it for years is like this. Everyone seems to love it so why change? The two main ingredients besides the brisket are Coca Cola and chili sauce.
Coca- Cola Brisket a la Liz
Materials needed
Ingredients
Brisket (5 lbs.)
Chili sauce
Coca-Cola
Onions
Brown sugar
Better than Boullion (beef) or beef stock
Directions
The method I use for cooking my brisket is to wrap it in aluminum foil. I use the heavy-duty foil. It's important the wrap has no holes or tears as you want to make sure no liquid seeps out. This is how my mom did it and this is how I do it. Give yourself a large surface to work on. I use my kitchen's center island First, tear off a piece of foil larger than the brisket. Then take another piece of foil the same size. Then tear off two more pieces of the same size and take the second two pieces and put aside for later.
Take one piece of the remaining two pieces and place on top of the other. (you're going to double wrap to ensure there are no leaks). Make a rim all around the foil, so that it's like a rimmed baking sheet. You basically have formed a rimmed baking sheet.
Take 2 to 3 onions, peel and slice and spread on the foil.
Take your brisket, lay on top of the onions, fat side up.
Sprinkle a little brown sugar on top of the brisket. For a 5 lb. brisket, I would use about 4 T of brown sugar. If you are using a larger brisket, you can add a little more.
Take the chili sauce and evenly spread about 1/2 bottle on top of the brisket. If you have a larger brisket, you can use up to the entire bottle.
Take about a cup of the Coca-Cola and pour over the brisket. Again, for a larger brisket, you can add a litter more.
Take about 2 cups of water and 2 large teaspoons of the Better than Boullion and mix together in a bowl and pour around the brisket.
Now, take the remaining two sheets of foil, lay them on top of each other and lay on top of the brisket. Start on one of the longer sides and match up the top foil with the bottom foil. Press the four pieces together and carefully fold over several time all the way down the length to seal one side. Then go to the other long side and seal the same way. When both sides are sealed, go to one end, match up the foils and fold and seal again. Repeat on the last side. The idea is to form an "envelope" out of the foil and to make sure there are no tears or leaks so that the gravy stays inside. You can seal and role the foil all the way up to the brisket if you want to. Just make sure its sealed so no gravy leaks out.
Preheat your over to 325. You want to cook your brisket slow. It helps prevent shrinkage and ensures a tender piece of meat.
Place the brisket on a rimmed cookie sheet or in a roasting pan and place in oven for the required cooking time. Rule of thumb is to cook the brisket an hour and 15 min per pound. I feel you can never overcook a brisket. I cook my brisket the day before because it easier to slice the next day.
When it's done, take it out of the over and let it rest for about 15 min.
Then open the foil by slicing done the center of the top of the foil. Be careful of the steam that escapes as to not to burn yourself.
Take the brisket out and lay on a cutting board.
Pour the gravy into a container. (I keep the onions, as the next day I use a blender to add them to the gravy.) Also, if you do this the day before, you can skim the fat off the top after it's been refrigerated.
The next day, take the brisket out of the fridge and bring to room temperature.
Slice the fat off the top of the brisket and discard.
Slice to a little under 1/2 making sure you slice against the grain.
To reheat the brisket, lay the slices on a piece of foil, add a little gravy on top, wrap tightly in the foil and put in a preheated 325 oven for about 15 minutes.
If your going to use the onions for the gravy, just everything into your blender. Then reheat. If you don't want to use the onions, strain and warm.
I like to serve the brisket with oven potatoes. I use Idaho or Russet potatoes, and I leave the skin on. You can use Yukon gold or red potatoes. It's up to you. This is easily doubled just add a little more oil seasoning. Easy and delicious!
Oven Roasted Potatoes (about 4 servings)
Materials needed
Large, rimmed cookie sheet (nonstick if you have it)
2 pounds potatoes scrubbed clean
1 or 2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1) Preheat to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) Slice the potatoes into even 2-inch chunks.
3) Toss with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt.
4)Arrange the potatoes in an even layer with their flat sides flush against the pan so they can turn golden.
5) Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, tossing halfway, or until the potatoes are deeply golden.
5) Season with optional fresh parsley, salt and pepper. Serve warm.
We love fresh green beans, and we love them roasted. Here's how I do it.
Roasted Green Beans
Materials needed
Ingredients
1-pound green beans
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon Kosher salt (or to taste)
black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon garlic powder optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Wash the beans and trim ends. Pat dry with paper towels or a kitchen towel.
Place beans on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and toss to combine. Spread into a single layer. Halfway through the roasting, toss them around for even cooking.
Roast the beans for 15-22 minutes or until tender-crisp.
The first time I had this was at my now sisters-in-law Sherrie's house. It was so refreshing and a perfect accompaniment. Strawberries and rhubarb pair naturally. It's so simple to make and goes great with this meal.
Strawberry Rhubarb Compote
Ingredients
4 cups diced strawberries (fresh or frozen)
4 cups diced rhubarb (fresh or frozen)
1 lemon juiced
½ to ¾ cup sugar adjust based on your preference
¼ cup water
Instructions
Combine the strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice, sugar and water in a medium sized saucepan.
Bring it to a boil and let it cook on low to medium heat for about 30-45 minutes, cook less or longer depending on how thick you want it.
The sauce can be served cold or warm. Keep refrigerated.
Last but not least dessert. And after a meal like this I like to keep it light. Honey Cake is a traditional dessert for the holiday, and it goes perfect with this meal. Here is my all-time favorite Honey Cake recipe. The original recipe is from Marcy Goldmen's cookbook, "Jewish Holiday Baking", and that is the recipe I always make. Deb Perlman from the "Smitten Kitchen" made a few tweaks to the original recipe which I have included in a notes section below the recipe. Take a look at the notes at the end of the recipe before you start and see what you think. Since I've made so many of Deb's recipes, I'm trying Deb's version this year. Either way I don't think you can go wrong!
Majestic Honey Cake (By Marcy Goldman with enhancements from Deb Perlman)
Materials needed
Pan size options: This cake fits in two or three loaf pans; two 8-inch square or two 9-inch round cake pans; one 9- or 10-inch tube or bundt cake pan; or one 9 by 13-inch sheet cake.
Ingredients
3 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (445 grams) all-purpose flour (see Note)
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder (see Note)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt (see Note)
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup (200 grams) vegetable or another neutral oil
1 cup (320 grams) honey
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (110 grams) light or dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (235 grams) warm coffee or strong tea (regular or decaf)
1/2 cup (120 grams) fresh orange juice, apple cider, or apple juice
1/4 cup (60 grams) rye or whiskey, or additional juice
1/2 cup (50 grams) slivered or sliced almonds (optional)
Directions
Prepare pans: Generously grease pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray. Additionally, I like to line the bottom and sides of loaf pans with parchment paper for easier removal. For tube or angel food pans, line the bottom with parchment paper, cut to fit.
Heat oven: To 350°F.
Make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, granulated sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee, juice, and rye. [If you measure your oil before the honey, it will be easier to get all of the honey out.]. I do this in my standard mixer.
Using a strong wire whisk or in an electric mixer on slow speed, stir together well to make a well-blended batter, making sure that no pockets of ingredients are stuck to the bottom.
Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). Sprinkle top of cake(s) evenly with almonds, if using. Place cake pan(s) on two baking sheets, stacked together (which helps the cakes bake evenly and makes it easier to rotate them on the oven rack).
Bake the cake(s): Until a tester inserted into a few parts of the cake comes out batter-free, about 40 to 45 minutes for a round, square, or rectangle cake pan; about 45 to 55 minutes for 3 loaf pans; 55 to 65 minutes for 2 loaf pans (as shown), and 60 to 75 minutes for tube pans.
Cool cake: On a rack for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. However, I usually leave the loaves in the pan until needed, as they’re unlikely to get stuck.
Do ahead: This cake is fantastic on day one but phenomenal on days two through four. I keep the cake at room temperature covered tightly with foil or plastic wrap. If I want to bake the cakes more than 4 days out, I’ll keep them in the fridge after the first 2 days. If you’d like to bake them more than a week in advance, I recommend that you freeze them, tightly wrapped, until needed. Defrost at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
You can serve with a dollop of whipped cream but it's not at all necessary. This cake stands on its own for flavor.
Here are Deb's exact notes on her enhancements to the cake and why she did them. I've made the original recipe for years but I'm going to test out here version this year.
Notes:
Size: These days, I bake this cake in two filled-out loaves, as shown, instead of 3 more squat ones. My loaf pans hold 6 liquid cups; they’re 8×4 inches on the bottom and 9×5 inches on the top; if yours are smaller, it might be best to bake some batter off as muffins, or simply use the 3-loaf option.
Flour: After mis-measuring the flour many years ago and baking the cake with 2 tablespoons less flour and finding it even more plush and moist, I’ve never gone back. The recipe now reflects the lower amount.
Baking powder: The original recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of baking powder, but I found that this large amount caused the cake to sink. From 2011 through 2023, I recommended using 1 teaspoon instead. But, after extensive testing this year, I’ve found that a higher amount — 1 3/4 teaspoons — keeps this cake perfectly domed every time, and even more reliably than the 1-teaspoon level.
Salt: The original recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon but I prefer 1 teaspoon.
Liquids: This is address the question that comes up in at least 30% of the 1115 comments to date: “What can I use instead of whiskey?” and/or “What can I use instead of coffee?” The original trifecta of liquids in this cake [coffee, orange juice, and whiskey] is unusual and wonderful together, and I still think the perfect flavor for this cake. But if you want to omit the whiskey, simply use more orange juice or coffee. If you want to omit the coffee, simply use tea. If you don’t want to use tea, use more juice. If you don’t want to use orange juice, my second choice liquid here would be apple cider (the fresh, not the fermented, kind), followed by apple juice. Apples and honey: It’s a whole thing!
Sweetness: The recipe looks like it would taste assaulting sweet but you must trust me when I say it doesn’t. But, if you reduce the sugar, any one of them, you will have a cake that’s more dry. You can still dial it back, but do understand what the adjustment can do to the recipe.
Flavor: Finally, this is every bit as much of a spice cake as it is a honey cake. Honey isn’t the most dominant flavor, but it’s one of many here that are harmonious and wonderful together. It smells of fall in a way that a simmer pot of $60 candle could never. I hope you get obsessed with it too.
Well, that's my dinner menu this year for the holiday. I'll do a repeat when all my family can get together with a vegetarian option for my daughter, Jen. If you are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, have a sweet and healthy and wonderful New Year. If you're not celebrating, I wish you the same!
Shana Tova, Happy New Year!
Liz❤️
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