Rosh Hashanah dinner and Kosher wines to accompany

Tradition, symbolism and sweetness define the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. After attending religious services on Rosh Hashanah family and friends gather for a celebratory meal and here is a suggested menu that is sure to please. The menu is not only for this holiday but wonderful for any time family and friends gather.

As your guests walk in the door offer them a glass of  Abarbanel Brut Cremant d' Alsace. It is a delicious French sparkling wine. Edgar Solis the Examiner Wine pairing expert has chosen just the right wines for the meal.

Wine in hand and in anticipation of the meal, have an appetizer ready. Chopped liver and crackers is a favorite. The meal is pretty extensive, so save some time and call the Kosher Gourmet to get your liver. It is first rate.

Apples and honey are a tradition at this holiday table. Provide different types of honey to dip cut up apples. Label the honey so your guest can decide which they like best.  Local farmers markets carry many varieties of apples and while there, you can shop for many of the items needed to prepare the meal.

Appetizer
• Chopped liver and water crackers
Entree
• Sweet and Sour Brisket   (Wine-2008 Borgo Reale Puglia Sangiovese)
• Roasted Salmon Filet with Remoulade sauce   (Wine-Rashi Vineyards Joyvin Blanc)
• Praline Carrot Soufflé
• Vegetable Tian
• Noodle Pudding
• Honey and cut apples  (Clover, Orange Blossom, Wildflower, Golden Honey)
• Round Challah
Desserts
• Apple Cake
• Honey Cake
Edgar offers two suggestions for dessert wines. 2009 Bartenura Moscato from Provincia Di Pava, Italy and  a 2009 Golan Heights Winery Moscato.

The food item most people associate with Rosh Hashanah is the round challah. It is braided sweet bread baked in a circle to symbolize the circle of life and the continuity of the New Year. Publix Supermarket makes a delicious challah. Order one plain and another dressed in a creamy sugar icing and topped with glaced fruits. It is the hope that when entering a new year, it is filled with sweet things.

On some Rosh Hashanah tables you will find the head of a fish. In Hebrew, the word Rosh means head, and Rosh Hashanah is the head of the year. The fish is on the table as a symbol that the Jew is the head or a leader, rather than the tail or a follower. Fish is also a symbol of abundance and fertility. A pomegranate is served as it has 613 seeds that represent the 613 laws of the religion that are in the Old Testament. Leeks, beets and dates can also be served and  symbolize the protection Jews ask G-d for, from their enemies.

Recipes

Sweet and Sour Brisket
• 6 lbs brisket (leave fat on)
• I bottle Chili sauce
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 1 small jar honey
• 1 t Worcestershire sauce
• Hot sauce (2 shakes)
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• Salt and pepper
Mix all ingredients together and spread over brisket, fat side up. Cook on 250 degrees until tender, four to five hours. Refrigerate beef to congeal. Cut fat off retaining liquid and slice thin. Heat sauce and pour over brisket.

Vegetable Tian
• 6 T extra virgin olive oil
• 1 leek cleaned and quartered length wise and cut into ¼ inch slices
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
• 1 C zucchini thinly sliced
• 1 C yellow squash thinly sliced
• 3 C plum tomatoes thinly sliced
• 1 C Italian eggplant unpeeled thinly sliced
• ¼ C dry white wine
• 1 T chopped fresh oregano
• Grated parmesan for serving
A tian is a prepared dish with layered ingredients. Use an ovenproof round dish with sides. Set oven to 375 degrees. Heat 3 T oil in a large skillet, over medium heat and add the leek and onion. Season onion mixture with salt and pepper and cook until tender. Spread mixture onto dish.
Arrange vegetables on leeks with each slightly overlapping. Start at the middle and layer in a clockwise fashion until entire dish is covered and all vegetables are used. Pour wine, remaining oil, oregano and salt and pepper over all. Bake for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve with cheese.

Remoulade Sauce for fish

A sauce with its origins in France and later popularized in New Orleans, it is a French term meaning a sauce made from a mayonnaise base and flavored with mustard and herbs. It goes well with most items that come from the sea. This recipe serves 8 to 10 portions.
• 1 pint mayo
• 1 t Worcestershire
• ½ C Creole Mustard
• 2 T Yellow Mustard
• Salt to Taste
• 1 T White Horseradish sauce
• Juice of ½ Lemon
• 1 clove Garlic-through press
• Dash Tabasco
• Optional: ½ C Chopped Celery, ½ C Chopped Bell Pepper, ½ C Chopped Onion
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate.

Cooking Tip:
To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing!

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