FOODS FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2006 By Sheilah Kaufman

At no time during the year, with the possible exception of Passover, does food symbolism take center stage more than at Rosh Hashanah.

We're all familiar with eating sweet foods, especially apples dipped in honey, to usher in a sweet New Year. Many traditional Jews also refrain from eating sour or bitter foods such as pickles and horseradish since they may interfere with the sweetness of the festival.

The Talmud and other sources identify a number of other foods considered propitious to eat as we enter a new year. "On Rosh Hashanah, the performance of symbolic acts is of special value in reflecting on the past and pondering the future," Rabbi Gil Marks writes in The World of Jewish Cooking. He also shared the explanation about auspicious foods.

Pomegranates, often the new fruit we eat on the second night of Rosh Hashanah, are said to have 613 seeds, precisely the number of mitzvot, commandments that Jews are responsible for fulfilling. It reminds us of the hope that that the "new year will be filled with as many good deeds as the pomegranate has seeds."

Pumpkin or gourds have thick skins, and food made from them expresses the hope that "as this vegetable has been protected by a thick skin, God will protect us and gird us with strength."

Black-eyed Peas The Aramaic name for black-eyed peas, rubiya or lubiya sounds similar to the Hebrew word for "many" and thus express our hope for fertility and success.

Leeks or Cabbage Karsi is the Hebrew word for leek, which sounds like the word kares "to cut off/destroy," and a blessing is said that requests "may our adversaries by removed."

Beetroot: In English translation, the stress is on our desire to "beat" those who intend to do us harm, again may our adversaries be removed. Beets in biblical times were not beetroot, but beet greens since roots did not come about until Italy in the 15th century. RUN BY GIL

Dates: Sweet dates are served to symbolize the wish that the New Year will be equally sweet. The word for dates sounds like the word sheyitamu, which means "that they be consumed," referring to …may our enemies be consumed. While most Sephardic Jews eat the dates plain some Moroccan Jews dip the dates in a mixture of ground sesame seeds, anise seeds and powdered sugar. (Apples are also dipped in this mixture).

Apples and Honey, the most familiar of the Rosh Hashanah food customs, are sweet and associated with land of Israel. Milk and honey are ancient symbols of immortality and truth and honey does not decay. The roundness of the apple symbolizes a hope that the New Year will be a joyous one from beginning to end. By dipping an apple in honey we wish for a sweet New Year.

Fenugreek or Carrots. Rubia/fenugreek sounds like the word yirbu increase, so we pray for our merits to increase, and meren/carrots can also mean to increase.

Sheep or Fish Head
Rosh Hashanah literally means "head of the year." The sheep or fish head symbolizes the hope that each of us will be at the head, rather than the tail, of whatever we do.

I've tried to incorporate as many of these foods as possible into the collection of recipes I've gathered for the High Holidays and beyond. Paying attention to these food customs definitely makes holiday meals more interesting, and helps us focus our attention and energies on making the year ahead a time of happiness and success!

Carrot Fennel Soup

From my friend, cooking maven Amy Peck Abraham in St. Louis.

16 oz bag petite carrots
1 bulb fennel diced (reserve green stalks for other use)
1 onion diced
4 shallots diced (or more to yield ½ cup)
5 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
16 oz can beef broth
16 oz can vegetable broth
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon coriander
A few drops of hot pepper oil (optional)
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large slices of stale sourdough bread

In cold water, in large soup pot, bring carrots to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

In large heavy skillet, sauté and brown fennel in 1 tablespoon olive oil, set aside in bowl.

Add other tablespoon oil to skillet and brown the onions and the garlic.
Drain the water from the soup pot and add the fennel, onions, and garlic to the carrots.

Add all remaining ingredients, except bread, and bring to a boil; simmer for 15 minutes or until fennel is tender.

Take soup pot off the heat, submerge the pieces of bread, and wait at least 15 minutes (or until completely cool) before carefully using immersion blender to puree the soup to the preferred consistency. Add water (or broth) 1 tablespoon at a time if too thick. Check for saltiness/sweetness balance and adjust to taste. Return to stove to warm gently while stirring.

Note: This soup is very rich even though it does not have cream; so the portion size is intentionally small. Know that it is delicious with cream or a dollop of sour cream.
Serves 8.

QUINCE STUFFED WITH MEAT

Quinces look like pears and smell like pineapple and can be used in a variety of ways: as a main dish stuffed with meat, or boiled in water and served hot with honey on a cold day. This is from Riva Goldman's new book from Hippocrene Books, NY (www.hippocrenebooks.com) Mama Nazima's Jewish Iraqi Cuisine. Riva was born in Basra, Iraq and left as a child as part of the forced repatriation of Jews and later learned the art of cooking from her mother, a healer who incorporated her work into traditional recipes. She married an American and lives in New Mexico with her husband and 3 children.

1 lb. lean ground beef or chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 quinces, halved, insides scooped out to form a pocket and insides chopped and set aside

Stuffing:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium size onion, chopped
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1/3 cup raisins
juice of 1 large lemon

Sauce:

1/2 cup sweet red wine such as Concord grape
juice of 1 large lemon
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine the meat, salt, garlic, paprika, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger in a bowl. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Heat the oil in a pan over high heat and add the onions. Reduce heat to medium and add the meat and chopped quince, and stir for 2 minutes. Cover and cook meat until tender, about 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to low. Add the nuts, raisins, and lemon juice, and simmer for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat. Fill each quince halfway with the meat mixture and place neatly on a baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Combine the wine, lemon juice, honey, cinnamon, and 1 cup water in a bowl.
Pour the sauce over the stuffed quinces. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.
Serves 8.

Rockfish with Vermouth Sauce

Though this isn't the traditional fish head, it's still a delicious dish that works beautifully as an appetizer or main course.

The Fish:

One 2-pound rockfish (8 to10 ounce fillet)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely diced carrot
1/3 cup finely diced celery
1/3 cup finely diced white of leek
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon cracked peppercorns

The Sauce:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or cream substitute

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

1-1/2 tablespoons dry Vermouth

2 teaspoons chopped chives

Skin and fillet the rockfish. Cut each fillet into 3 to 4 slices. Cover and refrigerate.

With a cleaver or heavy knife, chop the head and bones of the rockfish. Place in a large bowl and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Drain in a colander.

Place the butter in a saucepan just large enough to hold the fish bones. Just as the butter melts, add the minced shallots, 1/2 of the prepared vegetables (carrot, celery, and leeks), and fish bones. Cook over high heat for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add the wine, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a slight boil, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Strain the fish stock and place in a medium saucepan and reduce by two-thirds. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, a little at a time. Add the vermouth and cayenne pepper, taste and adjust seasonings.

Add the remaining diced vegetables and slices of fish to the sauce. Cook over low heat for approximately 3-4 minutes until the fish is just cooked through. Remove from heat.

Add the chopped chives. Taste and adjust seasonings.
To serve:
Divide the fish and sauce between two warm shallow serving bowls.
Serves 2 to 4.

Syrian Black-eyed Peas and Veal

Veal is generally ignored by Sephardim, with the exception of Syrians, who commonly serve it for the Sabbath and festivals. The black-eyed peas, of course, make this dish traditional Syrian Rosh Hashanah fare. Fava beans, green peas, and chickpeas are commonly substituted for the black-eyed peas. (From The World Of Jewish Cooking by Gil Marks)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. boneless veal shoulder, cubed
2 cups water
3 lbs. (4 cups) shelled fresh or 20 oz. frozen black-eyed peas
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or dried thyme
About 1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until lightly colored but not burned, about 2 minutes. Add the veal and water, bring to a boil, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the peas, allspice, cinnamon or thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer over low heat, adding more water if necessary, until the meat and peas are tender, and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour. Or bake in a 350 F oven, adding more water if needed, for 2 to 3 hours. Serve with rice.

Moroccan Roast Chicken with Dried Fruit and Nuts (Djaj Tanzia)

This appears in author Matthew Goodman's fascinating book Jewish Food (HarperCollins). Goodman writes "The Food Maven" column for the Forward. A splendid chicken dish--in which the fruit cooks down into a delicious marmalade--is from Rachel Suissa of Hollywood, Florida, who grew up in Casablanca. In her family it was commonly served on Rosh Hashanah, Passover, and other festive events. It's not at all difficult to make, and is perfect whenever you're looking for something a bit grander than a simple roast chicken.

6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
1 cup pitted prunes, halved
1 cup dried apricots, halved
1 cup dried figs, halved
1 cup shelled walnuts
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup blanched almonds for sprinkling

Heat the 6 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until lightly caramelized, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the next 8 ingredients to the bowl. Stir until fully combined. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Rub the chicken with the remaining teaspoon of oil, then rub it with the turmeric. Season it inside and out with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Spoon the fruit-nut mixture from the bowl around the chicken, adding some of it to the cavity of the chicken. Add 2 cups of water to the pan.

Roast the chicken for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours (turn it once for even browning), until the skin is well browned and the chicken juices run clear when poked with a knife. (After 1 hour, check the pan to make sure it still has liquid in it; if not, add water as necessary.)

While the chicken is cooking, heat the almonds in a dry medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

When the chicken is fully cooked, remove it to a carving board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Remove the stuffing from the cavity and place it on a large serving platter, along with the rest of the fruit-nut mixture. Carve the chicken and transfer it to the serving platter. Sprinkle with the almonds. Serve warm. Serves 4.

Martinated Roasted Beets

According to Judy Rogers in her award winning (James Beard Foundation Cookbook of the Year, IAXCP Cookbook Award) cookbook The Zuni Cafe (WW Norton Co.) merciless commercial canning practices have made beets an unloved vegetable in many homes, but home cooked, nutty tender beets are a different matter. For the best flavor and texture, choose small beets about 1-1/ 2-2-1/ 2 inches in diameter. Try to roast and marinate the beets a day in advance; they seem to taste sweeter and richer after a night in the refrigerator. The Zuni Cafe is an award-winning restaurant in San Francisco and the book is a compendium of recipes and cooking lessons from this beloved restaurant.

12 golf ball sized beets, stems and leaves removed (about 1-1/2 lbs.)
Salt
1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 F. Scrub the beets, trim the stem ends flat, and cut off the tails. Place in a wide baking dish, about as deep as the beets are tall, and add 1/4-inch water. Cover tightly and bake until they feel barely tender, about 25 minutes. Don't cover, and to test for doneness use a cake tester and stab to the center of a beet. Remove from the oven and leave covered for 5 minutes to finish cooking. Uncover beets, rub off the skins, and trim the ends again. Cut into slices or wedges and taste. They should be nutty tender with a subtle, mineraly sweetness. Place in a bowl, season lightly with salt and about a tablespoon of vinegar, and fold to distribute. Fold in olive oil to coat well. Taste again. The seasonings should flatter, not overwhelm the subtle beet flavor you first tasted.

Stir and taste again just before serving. Flavor seems to become stronger as the beets cool, and they seem sweeter. If not serving the same day, cover, then refrigerate. They will keep for a week. Serves 4-6 as a side dish or a salad

Bukharan Rice with Fruit (Oshi Sabo)

In my search for sweet things for the New Year, I came across this recipe that appears in Matthew Goodman's Jewish Food. Rice is not generally thought of as a Jewish food in America because of the overwhelming preponderance of Ashkenazim here. "These Jews have traditionally only encountered rice inside a stuffed cabbage or as an alternative to noodles in chicken soup," writes Goodman, "this is a loss, but one that need not remain so."

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
3 cups water
2 quinces
1 Granny Smith apple
2 cups basmati rice or other long grain rice, well washed
1/ 2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1 1/ 2 teaspoons salt
freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and 2 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 30F. Peel, core, and chop the quinces and the apple. Add the rice, prunes, cut up quinces and apple, and the remaining 1 cup water to the pot. Season with the salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Transfer the pot to the oven and bake until the rice and fruit are very soft, 1 1/ 2 to 2 hours. Turn out onto a large serving platter. Serve hot. Serves 6.

Pumpkin Ribbon Bread

My friend and fellow food writer Ginnie Manuel used to live in Remsen, N.Y., where she attended the annual baking contest. This recipe from resident Barb Hurlbut won the blue ribbon in the Quick Breads category. This would be a great treat during the High Holidays.

Filling:

2 (3-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1 egg
2 teaspoons grated orange peel

Bread:

1 cup cooked pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans

For the filling, beat together first 3 ingredients in small bowl; add egg, mixing to blend. Stir in orange peel and set aside. For the bread, in medium bowl, combine pumpkin, oil and eggs until smooth. Add remaining ingredients in order given, mixing until blended. Pour one-quarter of batter into each of two greased and floured 9x5inch loaf pans. Divide cream cheese mixture between the two pans, spreading carefully over batter. Add remaining batter, covering filling. Bake in 325-degree oven about 1 hour, or until bread tests done. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack before removing from pans. Store in refrigerator. Makes 2 loaves.

Aromatic Apple Cake

For the Pan:

2 to 4 tablespoons margarine
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/ 2 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves

Filling:

5 apples, peeled, cored, cut in eighths and then rough cut

1/ 2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons sugar

Cake:

3 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/ 2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1 cup canola oil

1/ 2 cup Juice/Cider

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sugar

For the Pan: Smear a bundt pan with margarine.
Combine the sugars and spices and then using sifter or a tea ball sprinkle, shake, turn until all surfaces are coated. Chill in freezer until ready to bake.
For the Filling: Combine all ingredients well and set aside.
Preheat Oven to 350F.
For the Cake: Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Whisk eggs together well in a large bowl, then stir in oil, and then the juice and vanilla.
Add sugar a little at a time while whisking. Then add flour mixture the same way.
Pour 1/3rd batter into the chilled bundt pan. Layer in half the filling, 1/3rd batter, 1/ 2 filling, and top with remaining 1/3rd batter.
Bake on center rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Edges should have pulled away from the pan. Check for doneness with toothpick or finger touch.
Let cool for 15 minutes on rack before turning out of the pan.
Serve when cool. Use serrated knife.
Serves 16.

Note: If at all possible: grate your own nutmeg seed or cinnamon sticks on a microplane.

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