Dear Friends,

I feel like it’s still the middle of summer…and it is!  However, the ads are starting to appear for Back to School paraphernalia and dark wool suits are appearing in ads instead of shorts and bathing suits. The biggest jolt to my summer idle is that Rosh Hashanah begins  just two days after labor Day!  I don’t know when I will find the time to plan the menu, prepare the food and send out the invites to my New Year’s gathering?!?

The good news is I keep a detailed list of every dish I make (I entertain about 100 people for dinner the first day of Rosh Hashanah), how much I made  of each recipe and how much was left over.  The bad news, for me, is that I always like to add some new dishes and experiment with new recipes.  My guests love the experimentation but it can be nerve wracking to figure out quantities.

Speaking of more recipes, if you don’t already own a copy of  Entree to Judaism now is the time to get a copy online from URJ Books, Barnes and Noble or Neiman Marcus, because there are great recipes in the Holiday Section of the book that will definitely “spice” up your Rosh Hashanah or Break Fast table.  Why not try a Moroccan or Indian dish this year instead of all your Ashkenaz recipes?  Tunisian Carrots with caraway seeds can just as easily represent the symbol of prosperity as a Carrot Tzimmes in honey  and why not dip your challah in Dulce de Mansana instead of dipping apples in honey?  There is a wide world of Jewish culinary culture waiting for you to explore.

Not enough recipes here to satisfy you?  Can’t wait for your Reform Judaism Magazine to arrive?  Check out my weekly postings on   Facebook and, to help you make your holiday challah, check out my video on You Tube, scroll down on the URJ page to see How to Shape a Challah for Rosh Hashanah

Enjoy the rest of your summer and don’t hesitate to email me if you have any cooking questions; just don’t ask me to plan your entire menu!!!

L’Shanah Tova and Eat in Good Health!

Tina

Not too many book signings before Rosh Hashanah but check out the following and join me if you are in the area.

• August 4-8: Glen cove, NY, URJ Kallah, classes and book signing
• August 26: Dallas, Neiman Marcus, Willow Bend, Book Signing 2-4
• September 1: online, URJ webinar-Rosh Hashanah foods
• September 1: Plano, TX, Anshai Torah Sisterhood, Legacy Books 7-9

If I’m not coming to you then listen to my appearance on local NPR station KERA to hear me talk about the history and stories in Entre’e to Judaism.