First, an introduction: The Red Kitchen Recipes is a new segment of Hill's Kitchen run by two (Southern) roommates -- Jillian Thaw [19] and myself -- enjoying our first autumn up north. Our mission is simple: in an attempt to outwit the (oncoming) winter, we will be cooking away our fear of snow, armed with our generations-tested recipes of gumbo, pecan pie, jambalaya and, of course, grits.
Entry One: Rosh Hashanah
L'shana tova umetukah, have a good and sweet new year.
Holidays have long been associated with special food: Yule logs and Christmastime; collard greens and New Year’s Day; Halloween and candy; Thanksgiving and turkey. And Jewish holidays are no different.
Matzo balls and latkes may be the more well-known staples of Jewish holiday food (used in holidays such as Passover and Hanukkah), but it is fruit that is the go-to food for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. The new year is a positive affair where well-wishes abound; it kicks off the Jewish High Holy Days which are followed by 10 days of self-reflection and then Yom Kippur.
Because the hope is that the New Year is sweet, the food should be, too! For Rosh Hashanah, simple and traditional foods are often sweetened. Challah (a particular kind of braided bread) often has raisins or cinnamon flavor added to it. Symbolic foods also include apples and honey, pomegranate seeds and dates.
So though our families may be quite far away, we girls of The Red Kitchen decided to try our hand at celebrating our own version of the holiday. One of us was a newcomer to the holiday and the other an old-hat. But with a few well-worn recipes and lots (and we mean lots) of extra honey drizzled over our dates, Challah and candied apples, we came out with a not-too-shabby dinner to celebrate the oncoming year.
Feel free to try out the recipes whether you're of the Jewish faith or not, it's the start of a new school year and everyone can use a little extra sweetness in their lives.
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Challah
What you need:
4 cups lukewarm water
1 tbsp sugar
5 pkg. dried yeast (or 4 oz fresh)
5 lbs flour (minus 2 cups)
another 2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
poppy seeds or sesame seeds
What you do:
Place lukewarm water and sugar in a large bowl, then add yeast and let it dissolve (you will see bubbles form). In a seperate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients. Make a "well" in the center of the bowl- add egg, oil and yeast; mix with a spoon. Knead the mixture well until stiff but smooth. Oil the dough adn cover with saran wrap in a warm location. Alow dough to rise (about 1 hour and 45 minutes). Grease pans or use wax paper and make individual loaves. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Glaze challah with egg and let rise for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds (or garlic, oregano, sauteed onions, depending upon your preference). Bake for 35 minutes or until golden.
EverJean/Flickr
Candied Apples
What you need:
4 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp nutmeg
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp water
What you do:
Place the sliced apple pieces in a gallon size ziploc bag and pour in the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Shake well. In a dutch oven or sauce pan heat the butter and water (on medium heat) and place the now-coated apples in the dutch oven and let heat until soft. Remove and eat while warm.
Enjoy!
