Fast Food

Mother and daughter Roz Marks and Andrea Marks Carneiro, who both live in Miami, can’t imagine breaking the Yom Kippur fast without being together.

“The day is quiet, and when the sun goes down, you want everyone there that you love,” says Roz. “Being together is one of most important parts of any holiday.”

Andrea agrees. “It’s an excuse to stop and communicate and share, without worrying about who’s sending an e-mail or what’s on TV,” she says.

Now that Andrea and her brother both have young children, the family’s break-fast has tightened to close family, but the essence of the meal remains intact. “For us,” says Andrea, “the break-fast was almost another holiday. It was never a throwaway meal.”

For Ronnie Fein, of Stamford, Conn., break-fast is a chance to reunite with old friends. “Our break-the-fast includes the same families every year—and has for many, many years,” she says. “We are all friends who have celebrated with each other at bar and bat mitzvahs and weddings. We’ve consoled each other through times of trouble, mourned with each other over the death of loved ones. We have seen our families grow, so now our children bring their children, and it is the one time of year when the younger generation can catch up.”

For Jayne Cohen of New York, a joyous break-fast is a celebration of the Yom Kippur injunction “to choose life.” “We do ours as an open-house buffet. People arrive at different times from different synagogues; some friends and neighbors don’t fast at all. But we’re all really starting the new year together, as a community. Everyone has something different to bring to the table.”

Yet when the Yom Kippur fast ends and the scramble to get food on the table—fast—begins, it’s easy to become frazzled and overwhelmed, the desire for a relaxing and satisfying get-together all but forgotten.

That’s why we consulted Roz, Andrea, Ronnie, Jayne and other food experts. They’ve come up with tips to help plan and prepare a break-the-fast that will come together smoothly and deliciously, keeping the focus on family and friends, not frustration.

Roz Marks and Andrea Marks Carneiro, authors of the just-published Jewish Cooking Boot Camp: The Modern Girl’s Guide to Cooking Like a Jewish Grandmother (The Globe Pequot Press).

Traditionally we break the fast with the usual fare: bagels, lox and cream cheese, with platters of lettuce, tomato and onion; kugel; and tuna salad. If you are hosting a large group, this is the easiest way to go.
Add homemade dishes, including some break-fast favorites like Challah French Toast and Blintz Soufflé for those who want something hot.
Don’t forget the homemade rugalach. These pastries will bring back memories for just about everyone and are a sweet ending to a long day of fasting.

Ronnie Fein, author of Hip Kosher: 175 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes for Today’s Kosher Cooks (Da Capo Press).

Ask good friends to make a contribution. The noodle kugel we serve is brought by my friend Susan; everyone loves her recipe, so it is a constant at our feast. Someone always brings a platter of cheese, typically Muenster, because all the children like that, plus some Swiss.
Serve buffet-style, using “lap” fare that doesn’t require many utensils. None of the items I serve ever needs to be cut.
Include some foods that children will eat.
Have something quick to nibble as people walk in from synagogue. Everyone is hungry and needs a bite to eat before the real dinner. I usually put out hummus and crackers and a platter of cookies.
Serve foods that can be made ahead either in whole or in part. Everything we have can be prepared one or two days before.
Get everything else ready ahead, too. Put plates, napkins, candles and any other non-food items within easy reach.
We always serve champagne, which I highly recommend. Yes, you have an empty stomach, but no one needs to drink very much, and champagne is so festive. A new year. Hope for a good year to come.

Jayne Cohen, author of Jewish Holiday Cooking: A Food Lover’s Treasury of Classics and Improvisations (John Wiley), a 2009 finalist for a James Beard Award.

Start with a fruity drink to cleanse the palate and rev the blood sugar. We serve chilled Pomegranate Sunsets—a blend of pomegranate and orange juices—garnished with a mint sprig and orange slice.
If you’re serving smoked fish and salads, it’s nice to offer one or two warm dishes, too. A Sephardi fritada (different from the Italian version in spelling and because it is baked rather than fried, this crustless quiche is made of a vegetable, like zucchini or eggplant, eggs and often cheese), a bread pudding or a noodle pudding can be made ahead and heated while you set everything up.
You can even make and fill blintzes a day or two ahead (or freeze them). To serve a large quantity of blintzes, don’t fry them. Instead, coat both sides in a generous quantity of melted butter and oil or in Indian clarified butter (ghee) and place, seam-side down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Then brown in a hot (450 degrees) oven until crisp and golden on both sides. If using frozen blintzes, your own or commercial ones, partially defrost before placing on the sheet and make sure they are generously coated on all sides in butter, then bake at 375 degrees. If slow to brown on top, flip them for a few minutes.
Most important—don’t forget a large pot of good, strong coffee to assuage those caffeine-withdrawal headaches!

Joan Nathan, author of 10 cookbooks, including Jewish Cooking in America (Knopf), winner of a James Beard Award and the IACP/Julia Child Cookbook of the Year Award.

Stick to the basics. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. No one will notice!
Everyone loves a dairy meal of lox and bagels and other smoked fish. I always make my mother’s pickled herring.
Make cooked North African salads in advance so you don’t have to prepare anything. Just put out all the food on the table.
Make a apple cake as something sweet.

Leah Koenig, former editor of The Jew and the Carrot, the blog for Hazon, the Jewish environmental organization.

Eating after the fast should be as sacred as the holiday itself. The first thing you put in your body should have thought to it. Food can literally symbolize the intention to nourish ourselves and reconnect back to the land.
Use foods that are not overwhelming, are good for the body and still bring pleasure: a cheese and olive plate; scones; apple salsa with blue corn chips; figs stuffed with goat cheese; yogurt and mint dip with homemade pita chips; apple and pear crisp.

Aliza Green, pioneering Philadelphia chef and author of Starting with Ingredients: Baking: Quintessential Recipes for the Way We Really Bake (Running Press).

Use break-fast to prepare dishes from the Sephardic tradition. Foods tell Jewish history and reflect diversity. In my research, I discovered Galataboureko, a baklava-like Greek dessert featuring a creamy custard filling thickened with semolina, traditionally eaten to break the fast by the Romaniote Jews of Ioannina, who trace their heritage to Roman times. Other Sephardic desserts I include in my book would also be great, and they all can be made ahead of time: Sephardic Stuffed Monkey, a two-layer pastry with a fruit-and-nut filling that takes its name from Monick’s, the London Dutch-Jewish bakery; Pan Levi Cookies, airy, dairy- and fat-free cookies that are delicacies of the Jews of Curacao; and Torta de Miele, an Italian honey cake made with olive oil and infused with celebratory raisins and nuts.

Ethel Hofman, food columnist and author of Mackerel at Midnight: Growing Up Jewish on a Remote Scottish Island (Camino).

Focus on make-ahead foods: cabbage salad, fruit salad, cheese platters, crustless spinach quiches. I especially enjoy my sister-in-law’s Danish herring salad and a friend’s refreshing “biblical salad” of fresh greens and herbs.

Sheilah Kaufman, author of 24 cookbooks and “What’s Cooking with Sheilah Kaufman” at www.jwmag.org.

For break-fast I want real food. My favorites are made ahead and include Fruit Salad for a Crowd; Elegant Cold Rice Salad with Artichokes and Olives; Couscous with Blueberries, Cranberries, Bananas and Almond Extract; and Cold Chicken Chutney Salad. Of course, I need something chocolate (like chocolate mousse) for dessert to give me
energy!

Faye Levy, author of Healthy Cooking for the Jewish Home: 200 Recipes for Eating Well on Holidays and Every Day (William Morrow) and 14 other books.

In my family we like brunch-type foods to break the fast. For me that means easy-to-reheat noodle kugels—usually a savory one with mushrooms and onions and a sweet one with sauteed apples or pears and cinnamon.
When serving a platter of lox and smoked whitefish, in addition to cream cheese, I like to put out a bowl of mashed avocado, which is delicious with the smoked fish.
Israeli salad is colorful and always disappears fast. Dice the vegetables ahead but add the salt and lemon juice at the last minute so they won’t make the salad watery. Use meaty Roma tomatoes, which won’t give off too much juice as the salad sits.
We might also have another make-ahead salad—Israeli roasted eggplant salad with garlic and either mayonnaise or tahini (sesame paste). With this we like whole wheat pita—the thick Israeli-style pita. I buy it shortly
before the holiday and freeze it immediately, then thaw it slightly before
serving.
Use seasonal fruit. I cut up melon in advance and put other fruit on the table whole, with plenty of serrated knives so people will not treat them as centerpieces.
Sour cream coffee cake—my mother’s recipe—keeps well for a few days. It completes the meal.

Devorah Rosen Goldman, creator of The Jewish Woman’s Weekly Planner (Pomegranate) and The New Jewish Family Kitchen (Pomegranate).

Steer clear of heavy dishes and do as much food prep as possible before the fast starts. This way, when you and your family and guests sit down to eat you can pop pre-assembled dishes into the oven and start munching on cut up fruit and salads.
Or, better yet, poach some fresh salmon in moscati d'asti and dill; this takes only minutes.
Serve water, flavored seltzer and ice tea and stay away from sugar-laden drinks.
Finally, even after a fast I have found that a little goes a long way! Don't cook for an army—simple, light and refreshing is best.

Imam Bayeldi

From Ronnie Fein, author of Hip Kosher

1 medium eggplant
Salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
3 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup water

Cut the eggplant into slices 3/8-inch thick. Sprinkle lightly with salt and let rest for 30 minutes. Wipe dry with paper towels. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a non-stick sauté pan over medium heat and cook the eggplant slices a few at a time for 2-3 minutes per side or until they are slightly wilted. Add about 2 tablespoons more olive oil to the pan as needed to prevent scorching. Place the cooked eggplant into a baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the sauté pan and add the onions and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until they have softened. Add the tomatoes, parsley, sugar, salt and lemon juice. Cook for one minute. Spoon the vegetables on top of the eggplant. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and the water. Cover the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot, cool or at room temperature. Makes 6-8 servings (12-15 buffet)

Farro Salad with Feta Cheese, Tomatoes, Olives and Dill

From Ronnie Fein, author of Hip Kosher

1-1/2 cups semi-pearled farro
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1 small cucumber, peeled, deseeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
2 thick scallions, chopped
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the farro in a saucepan and add enough water to cover by one inch. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the farro is tender. Drain any remaining liquid and place the farro in a bowl to cool. Add the tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, scallions, feta cheese, dill and garlic and toss to distribute ingredients evenly. In a small bowl, whisk the olive oil, red-wine vinegar, lemon juice and mustard. Pour over the salad and toss the ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the salad stand at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes 6 servings (12-15 buffet)

Spinach Cheese Squares

From Jayne Cohen

From Jewish Holiday Cooking: A Food Lover’s Treasury of Classics and Improvisations (John Wiley 2008) by Jayne Cohen

Notwithstanding spinach’s bad rap, even kids seem to love these crustless, cheesy squares, here freshened up with plenty of green herbs. Good hot, warm, or at room temperature, they make a fine make-ahead break-the-fast dish or a good lunch, brunch, or light supper on Passover or during the rest of the year. Or cut them into bite-size pieces for a marvelous hors d’oeuvre. They freeze beautifully.

2 pounds fresh spinach or two 10-ounce packages frozen leaf spinach, thawed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus additional butter (or oil) for greasing the pan
1/2 cup chopped shallots or 1 cup chopped onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 cup), softened
4 ounces of crumbled feta (1 cup; break it up well using your fingers)
½ pound farmer cheese (7.5 ounce package is fine)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons dried oregano or mint
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 tablespoons matzoh meal
3 tablespoons shredded Cheddar or grated Parmesan cheese
3 to 4 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted (optional)

If using fresh spinach, wash it thoroughly to remove all traces of sand. Cut off any tough stems and discard them. Place the spinach with just the water that clings to its leaves in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 8 minutes.

Place the cooked fresh or the thawed frozen spinach in a colander and, with your hands or the back of a spoon, press out as much liquid as possible. It should be rather dry. Chop the spinach fine.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the shallots or onion and sauté until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until the spinach is tender and the butter is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt (just a bit--remember that the cheeses can be rather salty) and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Combine the cream cheese, feta, and farmer cheese in a food processor and blend well. Break the eggs into a glass measuring cup with a pouring spout. With the machine running, add the eggs, one at a time, through the feed tube and process until smooth. Crumble in the oregano or mint. Add the spinach mixture, dill, and parsley, and pulse about 15 seconds to combine well; do not puree.

Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan and sprinkle the bottom and sides with the matzoh meal. Pour the spinach batter into the pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the Cheddar or Parmesan, scatter the pine nuts over evenly, if using, and bake for about 40 minutes, until lightly golden and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan. It should feel slightly firm, but it will not set until it has cooled for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm (reheat if necessary) or at room temperature, cut into squares. Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Cook’s Note: Beautifully fresh Swiss chard is increasingly available in markets these days. It is much easier to clean than spinach, and I find its sweet yet distinctively earthy green leaves make an excellent substitute in this recipe. I also vary the cheeses; experiment with some of your favorites, using a mixture of mild (Jarlsberg, Gruyère, Muenster, cottage cheese) and sharp (Kasseri, kashkaval, Cheddar, Parmesan).

Smoked Salmon and Spinach Quiche

From Starting with Ingredients Baking: Quintessential Recipes for the Way We Really Bake by Aliza Green, published by Running Press.

This quiche can be prepared one or two days ahead of time, cut into individual slices, and reheated in a 325ºF oven.

3/4 pound
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion, diced
6 ounces baby spinach leaves, washed and drained
1/4 pound cold-smoked salmon, cut into small squares
4 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
Fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Roll out the pastry 3/8-inch thick to fit into a deep-fluted French quiche pan (about 9 inches in diameter). Drape the pastry loosely into the pan without stretching and press firmly into the bottom and sides. Trim the edges and chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator or 30 minutes in the freezer.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Fit a piece of heavy-duty foil onto the dough and fill with beans or other pie weights. Blind bake (just pastry crust, no filling) on the bottom shelf of the oven until the crust is cooked through but not yet browned, about 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and weights, reduce oven temperature to 325ºF and bake for 15 minutes longer, or until the crust is evenly and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

Melt the butter in a medium skillet and sauté the onion until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the spinach, and stir once or twice so the spinach wilts in the heat of the pan. Mix in the salmon and spoon the mixture into the pastry crust.

Whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, cream, sour cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour two-thirds of the egg mix over top the spinach mixture and stir to combine.

Place the filled crust on a baking pan to catch any drips and cover with foil. Cut a few slashes into the foil to allow steam to escape, and place the baking pan on the bottom shelf of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until the custard forms a skin. Uncover and poke a hole in the middle and pour in the remaining custard so the filling puffs up in the center. Continue baking until the custard has set in the middle, about 45 minutes longer.

Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, or cool to room

Savory Tart Pastry

(From Starting with Ingredients Baking by Aliza Green)

Omit the cayenne pepper if you use the dough for a sweet tart or pie.

3/4 pound (2-3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into bits and chilled
2 large eggs
1/4 cup ice water

Place the dry ingredients: flour, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne in a metal bowl and whisk together to combine. Add the butter bits and freeze in the bowl for about 30 minutes until the mixture is quite cold but the butter is still malleable. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles oatmeal.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and ice water. With the food processor running, pour in the egg mixture and pulse until the dough just comes together. Take a small handful of dough into your hands and press it together. If it is crumbly, add 1 tablespoon additional water and pulse quickly to blend together. Remove from the processor and knead briefly until the dough comes together in a smooth ball. Transfer to a plastic bag, flatten to form a fairly uniform rectangle, and refrigerate to relax the gluten, for at least 1 hour, or until firm before rolling out as desired. Yield: 1 1/2 pounds dough, enough for two 10- to 11-inch tart crusts.

Lemon Galataboureko

(From Starting with Ingredients Baking by Aliza Green, published by Running Press)

In the Green town of Ioannina, the capital of the Romaniot Jews, a slice of galataboureko was traditionally eaten to break the Yom Kippur fast, along with a glass of well-watered ouzo, the Greek anise-flavored liqueur. While no one knows exactly when the first Jews arrived in Greece, legend has it the Romanist Jews escaped from a slave ship traveling from Jerusalem to Rome.

Pastry

4 cups milk
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 pound (1/2 cup plus 2 1/2 tablespoons) fine semolina
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Clarified Butter, melted and cooled
3/4 pound phyllo dough, defrosted if frozen (you will have 1/4 pound left over)

Syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick, crushed
2 whole cloves
Grated zest of 1 lemon (1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons Limoncello or lemon-infused vodka

Assemble the pastry: Scald the milk in a large heavy-bottomed, non-aluminum saucepan, then stir in the butter and sugar. Gradually add the semolina, whisking constantly, and slowly bring the mixture just to a boil.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly. Slowly beat in the hot semolina mixture, whisking constantly. Stir in the lemon zest and vanilla. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, preferably stainless steel, and cool by placing over a second bowl filled with a mixture of ice and water, stirring often.

Brush a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with clarified butter. Unroll the phyllo and drape it with a dampened towel. Place a layer of phyllo in the pan, allowing it to overhang the sides. Brush the sheet lightly with the clarified butter. Repeat, making 5 more layers, changing the direction of the sheets each time and brushing each sheet with the clarified butter. The bottom and sides of the pan should be completely covered with 2 to 3 inches of phyllo hanging over the edges on all sides. Pour in the cooled custard and spread it out evenly over the pastry leaves.

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Cover the custard with 6 more layers of phyllo, this time cut to fit the top of the pan, brushing each layer with clarified butter. Trim the overhanging edges to about 1 inch beyond the edge. Roll up the overhang to form a raised edge to the pastry. Using the tip of a very sharp knife, shallowly score the top phyllo layer into 24 square or diamond shapes. Bake for 1 hour, or until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.

Make the syrup: Place the sugar, water, cinnamon stick, cloves and lemon zest in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from the heat, strain and stir in the Limoncello. Cool the syrup until it is lukewarm, then pour it evenly over the hot pastry. Cool thoroughly to room temperature before cutting and serving. Store, covered, at room temperature for 2 days or cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Yield: 24 squares

Chocolate Cream Cheese-Sour Cream Rugalach

(From Ronnie Fein)

1/2 pound butter
1/2 pound cream cheese
4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream

Filling:

6 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup shaved semisweet chocolate
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
6 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

Beat the butter and cream cheese together until they are well blended. Add the flour and salt and blend them in partially. Add the sour cream and beat the ingredients until a smooth, uniform dough has formed. Cut the dough into 6 portions and wrap the portions in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll each portion into a circle 1/4 inch thick. Brush each circle with equal amounts of the melted butter, then sprinkle with the chocolate, raisins, nuts and cinnamon sugar. Cut the circles into 8 wedges and roll them from the wide end to the point. Curve the wedges slightly to form a crescent. Place the crescents on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 4 dozen.

Red Pepper and Onion Topped Cheese Tart

From “The New Family Kitchen, 40 Kosher Recipes for Jewish Holidays and Every Day” (Pomegranate) by Devorah Rosen Goldman with Miriam Lewitt.

1 large red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 medium red onion, sliced and cut into 1/2-inch strips
Olive oil
15 ounce part-skim ricotta cheese
6 eggs beaten
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dill
1 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350º F. Sauté peppers and onions in oil until slightly softened; season lightly with salt. In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients.

Place cheese mixture in 10-inch fluted tart pan (with removable bottom) that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Top with pepper and onions. Bake for about 1 hour, until firm in center. Cover with foil after about 30 minutes to prevent vegetables from burning. Serves 8

Easy Vegetable Soup

From The New Family Kitchen, 40 Kosher Recipes for Jewish Holidays and Every Day (Pomegranate) by Devorah Rosen Goldman with Miriam Lewitt.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium Yukon gold potato, chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped cauliflower
1 32-ounce boxes Imagine® Organic No-Chicken Broth
1 can chopped tomatoes with basil and garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic until tender. Add potato, corn, mushrooms, carrots, and cauliflower. Pour in broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes, until potato is tender. Serves 12.

Anne's Herring Salad

From Ethel Hofman

Serves 6

1 (8 ounce) jar pickled herring and onions
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, cored and diced
1/4 cup rye breadcrumbs
1 (14-15 ounce) can sliced beets, drained and diced
2 tablespoons sour cream
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Drain the herring but reserve 2 tablespoons. Cut the herring and onions into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a bowl with the apple, breadcrumbs and beets. Combine the sour cream with reserved herring liquid. Gently stir in the herb mixture. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper. Serve chilled in a lettuce-lined dish.

Elegant Rice Salad

From Sheilah Kaufman, a wonderful make-ahead cold rice salad for any occasion.

2 packages (6 oz each) chicken flavored rice and vermicelli*
2 jars (4 oz each) marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 cup pitted black olives, sliced
6 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup diced pimientos

Prepare the rice according to package directions. Combine rice and vermicelli.

Let rice cool to room temperature. Drain the liquid from the artichoke hearts into a large bowl. Coarsely chop the artichoke hearts and add them to the bowl. Stir in the olives, scallions, mayonnaise, pepper, and pimientos. Add the cooled rice, mixing well.

Cover and refrigerate for 4-8 hours before serving. Serves 12.

*If you can't find rice with vermicelli, use chicken flavored rice and about 1/2 cup vermicelli. Sauté the vermicelli in two tablespoons of butter or margarine until lightly golden.

Cold Chicken Chutney Salad

From Sheilah Kaufman. The lime zest is the secret ingredient in this fabulous dish.

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup (or more) chopped mango chutney (or other flavor)
1 teaspoon (or more) curry powder
Grated zest of one lime
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Salt
4 cups cooked diced chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
2 cans (14 ounces each) pineapple chunks, well-drained
2 cups celery, sliced on the diagonal (to avoid “strings” hanging down)
1/2 cup finely chopped chives
1/2 cup slivered almonds, blanched and toasted

In a large bowl combine the mayonnaise, chutney, curry powder, lime zest, lime juice and salt. Mix well and stir in the remaining ingredients, mixing well until they are thoroughly combined with the mayonnaise mixture. Cover and refrigerate the salad until serving. It may be made a day in advance. Serves 4.

Elliott Roesen’s Couscous

From Sheilah Kaufman

12 ounce box couscous
2 cups Coffee Rich or Half and Half
l tablespoon honey
l tablespoon margarine
3 ounces dried blueberries
3 ounces dried cranberries
6 drops of vanilla
3 drops almond extract
2 bananas, sliced
Handful of slivered almonds
Dash of cardamom powder
Sprinkle of brown sugar

In a large pot, heat 2 cups of Coffee Rich, honey, margarine, and couscous, stirring.

Add the dried fruit and stir. Remove pot from the heat, cover and let it stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous, and add the vanilla, almond extract, bananas, almonds, cardamom, and brown sugar, mixing well. Let it sit and serve at room temperature.

Serves 6.

My Mother’s Milchig Mushroom Noodle Kugel

(From 1,000 Jewish Recipes [Wiley] by Faye Levy)

In our family this is a favorite of three generations—my mother, her children and her grandchildren.

4 to 5 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
12 ounces fresh mushrooms, stemmed, halved, and cut into thick slices
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon paprika, plus a little for sprinkling
7 to 8 ounces medium egg noodles
1 cup cottage cheese
½ to ¾ cup sour cream
2 large eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons butter or oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and sauté 10 minutes or until very tender. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoons paprika and sauté 10 minutes until mushrooms are tender and onions are browned. If liquid remains in pan, cook over high heat, stirring, 2 minutes until it evaporates.

Cook noodles uncovered in a large pan of boiling salted water over high heat 4 minutes or until nearly tender but firmer than usual. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain well again. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add mushroom mixture to bowl of noodles and mix well. Add cottage cheese and sour cream; mix well. Adjust seasoning; mixture should be seasoned generously. Stir in eggs.
Grease 2-quart baking dish and add noodle mixture. Sprinkle with remaining tablespoon oil or dot with remaining butter. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Bake uncovered 50 minutes or until set. Serve from baking dish. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Sarah's Challah French Toast Casserole

From Jewish Cooking Boot Camp: The Modern Girl’s Guide to Cooking Like a Jewish Grandmother by Roz Marks and Andrea Marks Carneiro, published by The Globe Pequot Press.

This dish is so delicious guests keep going back for more.

1 loaf challah, sliced
7 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups low-fat milk
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:

1/2 cup flour
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4cup softened butter or margarine

Grease a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish, then fill with the challah slices spread in two layers. Fill in all the spaces with torn pieces of bread if necessary. Mix together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and pour this mixture over the challah. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, bring the dish to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 375º F. Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the topping (flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and softened butter) and, using a fork, make a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle the topping over the casserole. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the eggs are set. Serve warm.

Yogurt Mint Dip with Homemade Pita Chips

From Leah Koenig.

Make this yogurt dip the day before and refrigerate. The pita chips come together in less than 10 minutes.

Yogurt Mint Dip

2 cups plain yogurt
2 shallots, minced
½ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped fine
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste

Homemade Pita Chips

3 fresh pita rounds, split in half and cut into wedges
Olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate before serving.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lay pita wedges on foil or a baking sheet. Drizzle each wedge lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds, salt and pepper. Bake until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.

Biblical Salad

From Ethel Hofman. This is a very forgiving recipe—the amount of greens may vary, but the flavors are always refreshing.

¼ cup bulgur wheat
1 bunch parsley
2 cups baby spinach, packed
2 cups basil leaves or dill, packed
1 medium cucumber, unpeeled and diced
½ cup chopped pecans
½ cup dried cranberries

Dressing

¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt or to taste

Place the bulgur wheat in a cup and pour enough hot water over to cover. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well. Place the parsley, spinach, basil or dill in the food processor. Pulse several times to chop coarsely.

Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in the drained bulgur wheat, cucumber, pecans and cranberries.
Set aside.

Prepare the dressing: Place all the ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to blend. Pour over the green herb mixture and stir lightly to mix. Best served at room temperature. Serves 4 to 6.

Rahel Musleah contributed to this article.

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