Food
A New Break
Some new twists to the standard break-the-fast are.
ANNABEL COHEN
Special to the Jewish News
F
or the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and
Yom Kippur, we are literally in awe. Not in the
sense of fear, but in wonder and introspection.
Though Yom Kippur is the actual "day of atone-
ment," penitence, charity, asking for forgiveness,
among other actions, should occur during the "days of
awe" between these holy days.
In order to not be distracted from atonement, we
undergo a complete fast — a denial of food — for 25
hours. As a rule, most American Jews break this fast
with a milchig, or non-meat, meal. Smoked fish, lox,
bagels, blintzes, fresh fruit or compote and sweets are
often included in this mostly buffet meal.
Though delicious, there's plenty of room for food
diversity. For instance, a savory bread pudding will add
"an egg dish" to the menu. Gravlax, with its compara-
ble texture to lox, is slightly sweet and a flavorful alter-
native that, while easy to prepare, can add gourmet
flair to your meal.
Home smoked salmon, unlike lox, is a slow cooked
salmon fillet that's flaky, like roast salmon. The variety
is boundless.
The following recipes are adaptations of what we
"normally" serve, so they seem familiar. Best of all,
these meal choices are perfect for break fast because
they can all be prepared ahead of time.
SAVORY VEGETARIAN BREAD PUDDING
A variation of the layered bread Strata, you can serve
this hot or at room temperature. For a change, vary the
vegetables and cheese.
2 T. butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 t. minced garlic
2 cups sliced mushrooms
4 cups milk
8 large eggs
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. dried parsley flakes
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
12 cups French bread cubes (or baguettes)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6 oil-packed sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
and drained well
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Spray 9x13 glass baking dish or equivalent with non-
stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Melt butter in large non-stick skillet over medium-
high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5
minutes, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms and
cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms give
up their liquid and the liquid evaporates, about 15
minutes (the mixture must be dry). Remove from heat
and cool.
Whisk milk and eggs in large bowl until smooth.
Whisk in the sugar, parsley, salt, pepper and cayenne
pepper. Add the vegetables and Swiss cheese and stir to
combine.
Arrange half the bread cubes in the prepared baking
dish. Pour the egg/vegetable mixture over the cubes.
Arrange the remaining cubes over the mixture. Press
the bread cubes gently to submerge them. Cover with
plastic wrap and chill for several hours, up to
overnight.
Preheat oven to 350F Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese
over the bread pudding. Place the baking dish on a
baking sheet (to catch drips) and bake, uncovered, for
60-80 minutes, until hot and puffy.
Serve hot or at room temperature (the pudding will
deflate as it cools). Makes 12-16 servings.
GRAVLAX
Gravlax is salmon that's cured in sugar and salt, which
causes a chemical reaction that "cooks" the fish. It's
very, very easy to make, but needs to cure for a few
days. It's a fresh alternative to lox.
2-3 lb. fresh, boneless salmon fillet (with or
without skin)
1/2 cup kosher or coarse sea salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 T. coarse ground black pepper (not powder)
2 cups fresh chopped dill
Place salmon fillet in a large glass or ceramic baking
dish skin side down (you may need to cut the salmon
into large pieces, the larger the better). Sprinkle the salt
over the salmon. Sprinkle the sugar over the salt.
Sprinkle the pepper over the sugar.
Place a plastic sandwich bag or disposable glove over
your hand and press and rub the salt, sugar and pep-
per into the fish. Sprinkle the salmon with the
chopped dill.
Turn the seasoned fish over so that the
salt/sugar/pepper/dill side is now down. Cover the
salmon with plastic wrap directly on the flesh of the
fish — not the pan. Place another baking dish or a
piece of wood that's smaller than the original dish over
the fish. Place several filled cans in the pan or over the
wood (the object is to weight the pan so that it presses
down on the fish — this is an important step). Chill
for 24 hours.
Turn the fish pieces over — spoon the mixture over
the unseasoned side — and repeat with the plastic
wrap and weighting the fish. Chill for another 24
hours. The gravlax will be ready, but you can continue
to "cure" the salmon for another day or so (I make it
over 4 days).
To serve, remove the salmon from the dish and
remove the sugar, salt, pepper and dill (don't worry if
you don't remove it all). Place the salmon on a clean
cutting board and slice it against the grain, into thin
diagonal slices. (If the salmon has skin attached, slice
the same way, but not through the skin and slide your
knife to remove the fish from the skin).
Arrange the gravlax on a platter and garnish with
capers, thin lemon slices and fresh dill sprigs.
TUNA AND VEGETABLE SALAD
This takes tuna to a different level. Not so much a
sandwich spread as a side salad, this recipe is a great
way to serve this traditional favorite with a twist.
6 (6 oz.) cans white tuna in water, drained
2 cups diced seedless or English cucumber, unpeeled
1 cup chopped red or yellow bell pepper (or 1 pepper)
1 cup chopped red or Bermuda onion
1 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
Combine all ingredients except tomatoes and toss
well. Chill up to a day ahead. Toss again with tomatoes
and adjust salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Makes 12 servings.
WALDORF SALAD
Another version of a popular salad.
6 cups chopped Granny Smith apples, peeled or
unpeeled
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup chopped scallions, green and white parts
1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
1/2 cup sour cream
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