I am not trying to freak you out, but do you realize that the High Holidays are right around the corner? Rosh Hashanah is a week from Monday. A week from Monday, people! Okay, maybe I am trying to freak you out.
I am more than a little freaked out myself because I have so much to do between now and October 2, which is Erev Rosh Hashanah, or the night before Rosh Hashanah, when I am hosting a holiday dinner. On the menu for that festive meal will certainly be chicken soup with kreplach, brisket, maybe these carrot tzimmes or roasted carrots with pomegranate molasses and a round challah. Be sure to check out my tutorial on how to make a braided round challah.)
And then, as soon as Rosh Hashanah is over, it’s time to think about Yom Kippur: what to eat the night before the fast. (Chicken soup with kreplach is actually traditional for this occasion, even though my family always had it on Rosh Hashanah.) And, of course, what to eat for your Yom Kippur break-fast party.
For some reason, it is traditional to break the Yom Kippur fast with brunch foods. I think the idea is that these foods are usually lighter and therefore are easier on the stomach. Plus, everyone loves brunch. It also harkens back to the days when most Jews kept kosher: the Yom Kippur break-fast was usually a dairy meal, or one at which no meat, but plenty of smoked fish, was served.
Because I spend much of the day at the temple, my Yom Kippur break-the-fast meal is usually a combination of store-bought items, like bagels, cream cheese and smoked salmon, and homemade foods that I can prepare in advance and warm up as necessary or quickly put together right before the party, like my Aunt Ann’s delicious whitefish salad, which was my brother’s favorite growing up. I also like to serve the meal as buffet and allow guests to help themselves as they arrive. After a day of fasting, no one wants to wait to eat, least of all the host!
One staple of my Yom Kippur break-the-fast party is a rich, sweet noodle kugel studded with raisins. This recipe is a family favorite and came to me from my friend Rowena. Every Jewish family has a version of a noodle kugel but I think this is the best one I have ever had. It’s so rich that I try to limit it to once a year!
If desired, the kugel can be baked for the first hour the day before you plan to serve it. Then cover and refrigerate it. The following day, when you get home from services, bake it uncovered for thirty to forty-five minutes just prior to serving. That’s the kind of trick that helps me stay sane when hosting a party on an empty stomach!
Ingredients
- 1 lb egg noodles
- 6 eggs
- 1 1/2 lb. small-curd cottage cheese
- 8 oz whipped cream cheese
- 15 oz unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 oz butter, melted
- 1 cup raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Cook egg noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain. set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs. Add the cottage cheese, cream cheese, applesauce, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and stir to combine.
- Add the drained egg noodles and the melted butter followed by the raisin.
- Stir to combine. Pour mixture into a 3 quart glass baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for one hour.
- Remove foil and bake an additional thirty minutes.
- Serve warm.
