Rosh Hashanah

Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
September 19, 2003

by Judy Bart Kancigor

from "A Feast from the Mideast" by Faye Levy
as seen in the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
story by Judy Bart Kancigor

Makes 4 servings.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 pounds chicken pieces, rinsed and patted dry
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 to 2 cups walnuts
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (optional)
1 1/2 to 2 cups pomegranate juice or 1/3 to 1/2 cup pomegranate paste
1/2 cup water or chicken broth (if using pomegranate juice), or 1 1/2 cups water or broth (if using paste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons tomato paste or 3 to 4 tablespoons tomato sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cardamom, or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice, or to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
1/3 to 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley (optional)
A few toasted walnuts (optional)

from The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
September 26, 2003

from The Canadian Jewish News
September 22, 2005

by Judy Bart Kancigor

When food writers Louise Fiszer and Jeannette Ferrary decided to collaborate on a Jewish cookbook, they wanted to include tasty, cherished holiday recipes that honor age-old traditions, yet were tailored to today’s busy, health-conscious cook. But as one traditional Jewish cook warned them, “Don’t do anything too weird…. Nobody wants to be eating experiments, especially on the High Holy Days.”

As they say, good things come in small packages, and now just in time for Rosh Hashanah comes “Jewish Holiday Feasts” (Chronicle Books), a charming little book, delightfully illustrated by Coco Masuda, now available in hard cover.

The 39 recipes are arranged by season and then by holiday. “The foods of all of these holidays are representative of the season,” Fiszer explained. “Plums don’t grow in the winter. My philosophy is cook what’s fresh and now. It will never taste better later.”

Where moms and grandmas of yesteryear spent days in the kitchen preparing for the holidays, today’s cooks look for simple recipes that rely on fresh ingredients. “I’ve been a cooking instructor for close to 30 years, and I can tell you,” said Fiszer, “everybody wants simplicity. The star chefs that teach - nobody goes home and makes those recipes. People love watching them cook, but students of cooking need to have simplicity.”

Fresh seasonal ingredients infuse traditional holiday fare to create memorable contemporary menus: Asparagus and Herbed Cheese Strudel for Shavuot, Rolled Turkey Breast with Mushroom-Spinach Stuffing for Passover, and for Hanukkah you’ll find Zucchini Latkes, Fresh Salmon Latkes, Cauliflower and Carrot Latkes and Sweet Cottage Cheese Latkes as well as the traditional Classic Potato.

1 pound broad or medium noodles
1 cup sugar
1 pound cottage cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup white raisins
7 eggs, beaten
3 cups milk
1 pint sour cream
1/4 pound melted butter or margarine

TOPPING

1/2 cup corn flakes, crumbled
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients well in a large bowl. Add the
   noodles and combine. Poor into a large baking pan and refrigerate at
   least 4 hours or overnight. It will appear loose before refrigeration,
   but will set when chilled.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over pudding. Dot with butter
   and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until golden brown. Serves 15 to 20.
   Freezes well.

Source: Sarah Entin

1 pkg. yellow cake mix, pareve (nondairy) for meat meals
1/2 C. water or apple juice
1/4 C. vegetable oil or applesauce
1/4 C. honey
4 eggs
1/2 C. chopped nuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. Beat together all ingredients except nuts in large bowl at low speed for 30 seconds, then at medium for two minutes. Fold in nuts.
3. Pour into pan and bake according to package directions.

Golden Sauce For Honey Cake

1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. honey
1/2 C. orange juice
2 T. margarine

Simmer all ingredients in saucepan for five minutes or until sugar dissolves.

Source: Laura Milhander

3 eggs, beaten
4 T. brown sugar
8 oz. wide egg noodles, cooked
1/2 C. raisins
4 T. melted margarine
bread crumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients except bread crumbs.
3. Pour into greased 8X8 baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Bake for
   30-45 minutes or until set and beginning to brown on top.

Source: Laura Milhander

The Orange County Register/Fullerton News Tribune
August 29, 2002

from "A Fistful of Lentils" by Jennifer Abadi
as seen in the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles

story by Judy Bart Kancigor

4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
2/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Glaze:

2/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

from "A Fistful of Lentils" by Jennifer Abadi
as seen in the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles
story by Judy Bart Kancigor

Sauce:

2 cups pitted prunes, soaked in 1 cup cold water for 15 minutes
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Chicken:

5 to 5-1/2 pounds chicken pieces (white and dark meat), skinned
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Three 3-inch-long cinnamon sticks
2 cups cold water