Hungry for Rosh Hashanah

Spiritual fitness is achieved through many forms: prayer, yoga, meditation; food from the heavens, the joy of eating and the art of cooking.  Our body and mind obviously need physical nourishment to survive, but, we often ignore the spirit-food connection in today's world.  

When manna fell from the heavens, it was obvious that God was the provider.  When we farmed and fished and hunted, we acknowledged that our food was once living and presented to us by the Universe.  Food was blessed and honored, and  rituals using food were performed.  With the advent of fast food and fast-paced lifestyles, the acknowledgement and reverence for our food and where our food comes from has greatly diminished.  

Fortunately, rituals surrounding food still exist, and for Rosh Hashanah we wanted to share some Jewish recipes along with their significance during this holiday season.

Seared Ahi Tuna Salad with Mango   Challah Bread

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new Year, began with a festive dinner on Sept. 29th.  Afterward, families attend the first service of the Days of Awe - the 10 High Holy Days, when we are called upon to reexamine our lives - to wake up and not only smell the roses, but plant them for other people to enjoy.  On Rosh Hashanah renewal and optimism is celebrated.

The Festival of Trumpets begins with the blowing of the ceremonial shofar (ram's horn) and ends with its final call - one long note sounding eerily like a human cry - at sundown on Oct. 9, at the end of Yom Kippur.  On this Day of Atonement, there is fasting from sunset on Yom Kippur Eve to sunset on Yom Kippur Day.  The idea of fasting is to bring hunger pangs, which makes us acutely aware of how difficult it is to face our frailties.  And, following the fast is of course the feast!

Traditional Ashkenazi favorites are chopped liver, blintzes and sour cream and cottage cream and sour cream kugel, which stray far from today's health-conscious diets.  Rabbi and cookbook author Gil Marks has been adapting Jewish fare to fit the health-conscious lifestyle.  "Healthy Jewish cooking is no longer an oxymoron," he laughs.  The recipe we're sharing is Seared Ahi Tuna Salad with Mango, a lighter version of the traditional canned tuna with gobs of mayo.

The second recipe we're sharing with you is  Challah Bread.  In ancient times, a portion of dough known as the "challah" was offered as a sacrifice.  Later the loaf assumed the name.  In the biblical Exodus story, double manna from heaven showered down on Friday before the Saturday Sabbath.  Some families serve two challahs to remember this blessing.  Many Jews don't slice challah.  Knives are symbolic of violence and bloodshed; breaking off a knob of bread to share with others is considered an act of friendship.  

"Challah-baking brings Shalom Bayt, peace in the home," explained Ets-Hokin, cooking instructor and food columnist for the Jewish Bulletin of Northern California.  "The near-meditative rhythm of kneading and rolling braids and quiet baking time remind us to reflect on our lives."

Shalom and enjoy these recipes!    

SEARED AHI TUNA SALAD WITH MANGO

Serves 8

11/2 pounds fresh ahi tuna steaks, cut thick (about 3/4 inch)

2 tablespoons canola oil

FOR SALAD:

1 package won ton skins (about 24 each)

1 quart canola oil for frying noodles

1/2 of a 2-ounce package saifun or dry bean thread noodles, broken in half

1/4 cup dry roasted, salted cashews

1/2 head iceberg lettuce, sliced very thin

1/2 head Napa cabbage, sliced very thin

2 bunches green onion, green part sliced diagonally

2 mangoes, peeled, cut in halves alongside pit and sliced into thin strips

FOR DRESSING:

2 ounces pickled ginger

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 bunch scallions, white only

1 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup Chinese sweet and sour sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

1. Mix together soy sauce and wasabi. Marinate tuna in mixture for 20 minutes.

2. Sear tuna in a hot, nonstick skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil for approximately 1 minute per side. Refrigerate immediately; allowing to cool at least 1/2 hour before slicing for salad. Cut tuna into long thin slices, reserving odd-sized pieces to incorporate into body of salad.

3. Slice won ton skins into thin julienne strips. Heat the remaining oil to near smoking (about 375 degrees) in a large 3- or 4-quart heavy-bottomed pot. Fry the won ton skins in 3 separate batches until crisp, approximately 1 minute, stirring carefully and often. Remove skins with a small sieve or two slotted spoons. Drain on paper towels.

4. Bring oil back to temperature. Quickly fry saifun noodle halves one at a time, carefully turning once before removing to drain on paper towels.

FOR DRESSING:

1. Place all ingredients in blender and mix for 3 minutes.

TO ASSEMBLE:

1. Reserve a small handful of won ton noodles and nuts for garnish.

2. Toss lettuce, cabbage, green onion, nuts, saifun and won ton noodles, and odd pieces of tuna with enough dressing to coat. Place in a mound on a platter; arrange remaining slices of tuna and mangoes decoratively around salad, as shown in photo. Top with additional noodles and nuts.

4 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1/2 cup melted butter or vegetable oil

11/4 cups warm water

4 eggs

1. Put the flour and salt in a large bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir with a wooden spoon or use the dough hook of the electric mixer. Make a well in the center, and add the sugar and the yeast. Stir for 30 seconds. While continuing to stir or with the machine running, add the melted butter and the warm water. Add 3 of the eggs, one at a time, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Knead for 15 minutes by hand or 5 minutes by machine, adding up to 1/2 cup more flour as needed.

2. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover tightly with lightly-oiled plastic wrap and let rise for until double in size, about an hour. Or allow to rise in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, the dough should be doubled in size. (You can also freeze the dough before allowing it to rise. You may defrost the dough either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. When the dough has doubled in size, you may proceed with Step 3.)

3. Punch the dough down, and knead for 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in the mixer. Place the dough back in the bowl, and allow to rise for a second time. The second rise is much quicker than the first, sometimes less than an hour.

4. Punch the dough down, and knead by hand for 8 minutes or by mixer for 3 minutes. Put the dough back in the bowl, and let rise for 20 minutes.

For a round challah (for Rosh Hashanah):

5. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide in half. Take 1 piece of dough, and roll it into a large rope, about 18-inches long. Take one end and put it in the middle of a baking sheet, then coil the rest of the rope around it like a snail. Repeat with the second piece. Beat the remaining egg well. Brush the loaves with the beaten egg. Let rise for 20 minutes, then bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

6. Let cool on a rack before covering. Baked challah also freezes well, but make sure it is completely cooled before placing in the freezer.

For a three-braided challah:

5. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide in half. Then divide each piece into 3 even balls. Roll out the balls into 6 strands, each about 9 inches long. Make 2 braids using three strands each and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Beat the remaining egg well.

6. Brush the loaves with the beaten egg. Let rise for 20 minutes, then bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Reproduced with permission from Contra Costa Times @2000