FAMILY D I NING Food Featuring Our - "Senior Menu PP to our 60 and Over Valued Guests! Nightly Dinner Specials Stay Away From Breads After Yom Kippur Fast LINDA MOREL Jewish Telegraphic Agency New York B reaking the Yom Kippur fast wreaks havoc with your best intentions. You've only missed two meals, but your stomach is scream- ing for relief. So when you catch wafts of sweet vanilla noodle pudding and the yeasty aroma of warm bagels, you inhale these floury foods in a frenzy. The next scene: You are so full that it's painful to walk. Rocking and rolling, your stomach keeps you awake all night. Isn't there a healthier, more reflec- tive way to bring closure to the holi- est day of the year? "You don'thave to pile your plate to the ceiling," says registered dieti- cian Leslie Bonci, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "It sounds like a simple thing — you don't have to eat every- thing in sight." A Jewish woman who often invites a crowd to break the fast, she is aware of how tempting it is to go overboard when a sumptuous spread lures you on an empty stomach. Like many Americans, she serves a buffet of delicacies, foods usually associated with brunch. To stop the pattern of overeating, groaning and regret, she's a hostess with practical advice on how to approach this tricky meal. "Place salad-sized plates on the buffet," says Bonci. "If there's less room on the plate, there will be less food on it." If people are still hungry, they can always return for seconds. She suggests presenting prepared foods in small groups at various sta- tions around the room so guests aren't confronted with everything at once. "Encourage guests to start with sliced fruit and different kinds of salads," she says, explaining that they are not only nourishing, but also sit lighter in the stomach than the bulky carbohydrates that most people grab first. For eye appeal, she serves a platter of sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese along with her colorful spinach salad, containing mandarin oranges and dried cherries tossed in a citrus vinaigrette. "Try serving and eating less carbo- hydrates," says Bonci, explaining that because they are comfort foods, people tend to mindlessly down large quantities of them. She sug- gests placing the bagels, challah, noodle pudding and pastry at the far end of the buffet table, away from the plates and silverware. Let people see the salads first. Another one of her tricks is to buy mini-bagels or, if they're unavailable, to cut the jumbo ones into quarters. She discourages family and friends from eating whole bagels because there are healthier foods on her menu. "I always do a zesty egg bake," says Bonci, describing a piping hot casserole of salsa, chili peppers and beaten eggs. She cuts this casserole into small squares, suggesting the appropriate amount to eat. While dishes containing fruit, vegetables and protein are the most nutritious, Bonci is not suggesting people forgo the kugels and coffee cakes they crave. Indulge in tradi- tional favorites in moderation, but consider alternatives that favor pro- duce, such as the corn and carrot kugel recipe below, which calls for vegetables and grain. Instead of ending the meal solely with cookies and cake, offer a dessert bursting with seasonal fruit. Aware that dairy products, which are often high in fat, grace the break-fast table in abundance, Bonci feels this is not a bad thing because cheese offers needed protein. Knowing its fat content is seductive, she suggests presenting cheese in 1- ounce cubes or slices to encourage people to slow down. Serve cream cheese on a small plate and replenish it, if necessary. "As the hostess, I'm in charge," she says, laughing because she's not sure that everyone appreciates the trimmed-down portion sizes she presents. Yet her buffet can't be too meager, Mon -Thurs Starting at $4 95* Every Night has Different Specials (all include Soup or Salad & Desert) If you're looking for something lighter at lunch... Enjoy our New 1/2 Sandwich & Cup of Soup Specials Different Every Day! Mon Thurs Only Starting at $2 95* - *Specials are not good with any other offer or discounts. 2292'1 NORTHWESTERN HWY. (Corner of le Mile Rd.) • Southfield (2483 358-2353 L'Shana Tova to all my friends and all my devoted customers past & present stizanne's BRIDAL GALLERY It Doesn't Have To Cost A Fortune... Only Look Like It! FEATURING • Wall Units • Bedrooms C Dining Rooms • Home Theatre • Offices • Kitchens & Baths • • • • • Woods Formica Stones Glass Lucite Mickey Alterman and the fly at Floori/4 Warehouse wish you a happy; healthy' and prosperous New Teat STAY AWAY on page 141 7577,10 20750 Hoover Road (3 miles south of 1-696) Open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and by appointment. Call Mickey at 586-756-2400. Flooring Warehouse We set the floor on prices. tTN 9/26 2003 139