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Rosh Hashana — the Jewish New Year — begins sundown Sept. 22. The menu for our dinner has settled in through the years and always includes gefilte fish, chopped liver, capon or turkey, side dishes and apple cake for dessert.
If the weather is cool, I make chicken soup with matzo balls — there is nothing more comforting than a bowl of this rich, hot, homemade creation. Matzo balls can be floaters, which are light and fluffy, or the more dense and chewy sinkers. Our family prefers the less heavy version. There is a secret to this: Simply separate the eggs. My mother learned this during the 1950s from a Hungarian-Jewish woman who was a fantastic cook and baker.
You can make the soup a week ahead and freeze it, but I like to prepare the matzo balls the day before the dinner and keep them chilled in a covered container.
On the Jewish New Year, challah is baked in braided loaves. Their roundness signifies the creation of the universe. Apples, the defining fruit of autumn, are dipped in honey in hopes of a sweet new year. Apple cake and honey cakes are traditional desserts.
Side dishes also are an important part of our holiday table. I usually prepare glazed carrots, a green vegetable and a noodle kugel.
L’Shanah Tova! (Happy New Year!)
Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
Oil, to coat the bottom of a 5-quart soup pot
1 large onion, diced
3 ribs of celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 (4-pound) chicken, cut into eight pieces
1 (28-ounce) package of chicken stock
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Snipped fresh dill
Directions:
Heat the oil over medium-high. Add the onion, celery and carrots and saut� for about five to 10 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
Add the chicken. Add the stock and enough cold water to cover the poultry. Add the bay leaves, salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Place the lid askew and lower to simmer.
Cook for about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from the heat and add the dill.
Serves six.
Matzo Balls
Ingredients:
Salted water, to cook the matzo balls
6 jumbo eggs, separated
1-1/2 cups of matzo meal
Kosher salt, to taste
Directions:
Bring a large pot of the salted water to a boil.
Place the egg whites and yolks in separate large bowls. Beat the whites with a wire whisk until frothy. Beat the yolks until well blended. Add to the whites. Blend well. Add the matzo meal and salt. Blend well with a large spoon. The mixture should be slightly sticky. Add more matzo meal or water for the preferred consistency.
Using a soup spoon, form balls the size of walnuts. Keep hands wet so the mixture doesn’t stick when forming. Drop into the boiling water.
Lower heat to simmer and place the lid askew. Cook for 45 minutes to one hour. The balls will float when done. Test by piercing with a knife to ensure fluffiness.
Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: The soup and matzo ball recipe can be easily doubled. Use two pots for each, rather than trying to fit into bigger pots; It’s easier to handle.
Glazed Carrots
Ingredients:
1 (1-pound) bag of peeled baby carrots
4 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
Honey, to taste
Sprinkling of cinnamon
Directions:
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the carrots and cook for about three to five minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cold water. Drain again.
Melt the butter and oil over medium-high in a large skillet. Add the carrots and saut� for about five minutes. Add the honey and cinnamon and cook for another minute, or until the carrots are tender but not mushy.
Serves six.
Spinach Noodle Kugel
Ingredients:
1 pound of medium-width egg noodles
3 jumbo eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons of butter, melted
2 packages of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sprinkling of nutmeg
Directions:
Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain in a colander and run under cold water. Drain again and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs and butter. Blend well.
Hand squeeze the water from the spinach. Add to the noodles. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Blend well.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Pour the noodles into a greased glass lasagna pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Serves six.
Note from Phyllis: You can make kugel the day before dinner. Cover with plastic wrap and chill, but bring to room temperature before baking.
