Here’s to the haters.
The haters of gefilte fish, cloyingly sweet noodle kugel, dry brisket and tzimmes that sits in your stomach from Rosh Hashanah all the way through Yom Kippur.
No offense to Tevye (“Tradition!”) or Bubbe, but for 5778, we’re accepting their challenge and ringing in the new year with lighter, more modern fare. Staples of the Mediterranean diet star in the Italian tuna loaf with a bright sauce that’s standing in for the gefilte fish that always goes untouched and the regal pound cake that’s enhanced with the Israeli favorite, tahini. Kugel and brisket, while still rich (How could they not be?), get a touch of veggies. Local, seasonal produce shines in a modern tzimmes, in an apple crisp and crostada, both of which can be made vegan, and in a festive cocktail. And instead of boiled chicken or stewed meat, try roast chicken pieces with carrots, dates and pistachios or lamb meatballs over quinoa.
So here’s to the haters, for challenging us to come up with new, better alternatives for the High Holidays. And here’s to everyone else, who gets to start off the new year on an especially delicious note.
L’shanah tovah u’metukah!
Merav Levkowitz and Paul Entis