ight

and E asy

Breaking the fast without breaking
the holiday, using prepare-ahead recipes.

Tuna salad with olive oil
and capers on a bagel.

ANNABEL COHEN

Special to the Jewish News

F

or American Jews, this Yom Kippur and the preceding days of awe
are especially poignant, given the state of recent domestic terrorism
and the violence that's ongoing in Israel.

Normally, during the period that begins with Rosh Hashanah and ends
with the breaking of the fast of Yom Kippur, each Jew experiences individual
and unique closeness to God. This year, American Jews are more thoughtful
as sorrow and horror are not merely close to the heart, but to the hearth. ,
Commensurate with the day devoted to many prayers with messages of
atonement there is the 25-hour period of fasting. Though other Jewish holi-
days also include days of fast, Yom Kippur is the most observed by even secu-
lar Jews.
The fast has many significances. It is a way for Jews to rise above physical
needs and to pray with complete focus. It's also a symbolic way to cleanse
ourselves as we begin a new year.
After a day of fasting, it's not customary to gorge and indulge in an evening
of heavy eating. Food is not the reward for a day of not eating. Consequently,
the breaking of the fast is often light and easy.
It should be light because heavy foods may hinder digestion and leave peo-
ple feeling weighty and tired. It should be easy because there is little time for
preparation and work is prohibited during Yom Kippur.
Most observant Jews prepare the break-fast meal the day before Yom
Kippur. After a short Havdalah ceremony at shul or at home, it's permissible
to eat.
The following recipes are appropriate for Yom Kippur. They can all be

made ahead and served without any other heating or preparation. While
they're much like foods you may serve every year for break-fast, some of these
preparations use the same ingredients with a twist.
Rather than serve more lox or smoked salmon, the make-ahead recipe below
for gravlax, cured salmon, is both simple and refreshing. A tuna salad made
with olive oil instead of mayonnaise, capers and dill has a decidedly
Mediterranean flavor.
A simple favorite, egg salad, gets an update with fresh herbs and scallions.
Cold borscht, a bright, light, beet soup, is an old-fashioned treat that will
remind many of bubbie, though ours is served with new potatoes and
chopped egg.
Fresh fruits served simply tossed with fresh fruit juice are refreshingly tangy.
Honey-baked apples with cinnamon and sour cream coffeecake make wonder-
ful sweet desserts to end this meal and begin the year anew.

TUNA SALAD WITH OLIVE OIL AND CAPERS
Tuna Salad:

3 6 1 /2 oz. cans white tuna in water, drained
3-4 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. dried dill
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. drained capers
1/4 c. minced red or orange bell pepper
kosher salt and pepper to taste
Garnish:
Fresh basil leaves
sliced tomatoes and cucumber

9/21
2001

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