I have been struggling to come up with a menu for our eve of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, meal this Sunday night. I went to the library and took out my favorite go-to cookbook, Fast and Festive Meals for the Jewish Holidays, by Marlene Sorosky. However, the Whole Foods Challenge is proving to be quite challenging in this context!
A typical Rosh Hashanah feast would include challah, of course. This is the traditional sweet, eggy bread that is served at every Shabbos dinner and holiday, except for Passover. I am eating no grains and no flour, so challah is out. Normally I would serve an apple cake, as apples are also a typical item, along with honey or honeycake. I can use whole apples, but not sugar or honey, so I am considering just slicing them up and serving them with a sprinkle of lemon juice and sea salt. I have had this before and it is surprisingly yummy. Not a cake, for sure, but this will have to do.
Many foods served on Rosh Hashanah are symbolic. The honey symbolizes sweetness we hope for in the year to come. Round foods, like a bundt cake or a loaf of challah baked in a ring, symbolize the cyclical nature of the year. And round slices of carrot symbolize wealth, like gold coins. Ahh, finally a food I can cook and eat! And since carrots and apples are naturally sweet, these will have to suffice as our symbols of a sweet year to come.
For all of you celebrating this new year, I wish you a joyous celebration with your family and friends. If you decide to ditch your whole foods diet for a meal or two, I completely understand. Food is intimately tied to tradition, and breaking those patterns can be particularly difficult. Especially if there is pressure from your family. We need to make the choices that feel right in each situation, taking the best care of ourselves and our loved ones. If you have a story to tell about how you walked this precarious line, I would love to hear it!
A typical Rosh Hashanah feast would include challah, of course. This is the traditional sweet, eggy bread that is served at every Shabbos dinner and holiday, except for Passover. I am eating no grains and no flour, so challah is out. Normally I would serve an apple cake, as apples are also a typical item, along with honey or honeycake. I can use whole apples, but not sugar or honey, so I am considering just slicing them up and serving them with a sprinkle of lemon juice and sea salt. I have had this before and it is surprisingly yummy. Not a cake, for sure, but this will have to do.
Many foods served on Rosh Hashanah are symbolic. The honey symbolizes sweetness we hope for in the year to come. Round foods, like a bundt cake or a loaf of challah baked in a ring, symbolize the cyclical nature of the year. And round slices of carrot symbolize wealth, like gold coins. Ahh, finally a food I can cook and eat! And since carrots and apples are naturally sweet, these will have to suffice as our symbols of a sweet year to come.
For all of you celebrating this new year, I wish you a joyous celebration with your family and friends. If you decide to ditch your whole foods diet for a meal or two, I completely understand. Food is intimately tied to tradition, and breaking those patterns can be particularly difficult. Especially if there is pressure from your family. We need to make the choices that feel right in each situation, taking the best care of ourselves and our loved ones. If you have a story to tell about how you walked this precarious line, I would love to hear it!
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