Rosh Hashanah is only days away- oy veh- and there is so much to think about. I mean, so much FOOD to think about. 

Last week I took a cooking class- as a student- with the one and only NY Times columnist and author extraordinaire of Jewish cookbooks Joan Nathan. 

I am inspired! Things I learned and will incorporate into my classes: a not-only-not-gross-but-totally-delicious-fluffy-not-fishy salmon gefilte fish, a chicken with preserved lemons, sumac and zatar and a ONE HOUR CHALLAH with anise seed that is to die for, and yes, very quick to make. You can watch Joan braid the challah with to perfection beauty here.

AND WHAT AM I MAKING FOR ROSH HASHANAH?

This year, my mom is letting me take charge the buffet table for our annual lunch of 40 people. (Six years as a professional chef has finally landed me this honor. Whew! Not easy to prove yourself to a Jewish mother.)

So we are going to keep the carbs at bay this year. Thank Moses! I fear a buffet table filled with bagels and challah and kugel and breaded chicken in the salad…oy, it’s too much to digest for my delicate, inbred ashkenazi digestive tract!

The carb count will be: My Honey Raisin Challah for the blessings, obviously. And then my Coconut Milk Kugel served as dessert in small portions….Because, yes people, noodle kugel is not a vegetable. It’s sweet and creamy and bread-y…and in every culture ever to exist on planet earth- except American Ashkenazi Jews- that constitutes dessert!

Our main buffet will have lots of salads from my Sexy Salads Class as well as my Persian lamb and pistachio meatballs and a poached salmon ordered from Joan’s on Third. The choices will be light but still capable of overstuffing people, which is kind of obligatory on any Jewish holiday. 

Click here to find many of my favorite recipes for the holidays. 

To a sweet and prosperous new year for all.

 

Want more? Get the book HERE!

 

TAGS: challah, coconut, coconut milk, honey, jewish, jewish cooking, jewish new year, Joan Nathan, kugel, raisin, Rosh Hashanah, sexy salads class, yom kippur

 

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