A Little Old World Tradition Cooked Up for a Modern Palette
Traditional Recipes of our Grandmothers Meet Up with Modern Dietary Choices
by Shoshana Isaacson
UNORTHOBOXED Magazine Food Editor
Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah all fall within less than 30 days from the evening of September 25th through sunset on October 18th this year. If one is living outside of Israel that means there are approximately 14 holiday meals plus at least six Shabbat meals that will need to be prepared during this time. Those meals are steeped in traditions regardless of one’s ancestral origins. As with all things our diets today reflect a greater awareness of how the foods we eat affect our health and well-being. Taking those Old World foods and
updating them so that we don’t feel like we are cheating or missing out can be challenging.
Whether we are craving our Bubbie’s Brisket or our Savta’s couscous with sweet dried fruit, eating the foods we grew up with and learned to associate with these holidays is an important part of how we celebrate. Below are a few recipes that have been updated to fit both vegan, vegetarian and in some cases gluten-free diets. L’shana tova u’metuka!
Sweet Challah in the Round
The round challot we serve during Rosh Hashanah and through the end of the fall holidays are generally sweeter and often studded with sweet dried fruits. Round to represent the cycle of life, as well as the crown of the Torah, they can be braided or twisted into a spiral. Here is a delicious egg-free version that your vegan guests will adore. (No honey either, so it is safe for babies as well.)
Ingredients
4 tablespoons yeast
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar of your choice
5 cups warm water
1 ¼ cups neutral oil
1 teaspoon salt
Optional mix-ins – raisins, chocolate chips, pomegranate seeds
5 lbs bread flour
Neutral oil for glazing or try one of the sweet toppings below
Basic Sweet Vanilla Crumble Topping
Makes enough for 1 or 2 challot
Ingredients
½ cup flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons neutral oil
Step 1
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl with a fork or your fingers until the consistency of crumbly sand.
Step 2
Sprinkle onto the tops of challah loaves before baking.
Savta Shoshana’s Cinnamon Crumble Topping
Makes enough for 1 or 2 challot
Ingredients
½ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons neutral oil
Step 1
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl with a fork or your fingers until the consistency of crumbly sand.
Step 2
Sprinkle onto the tops of challah loaves before baking.
