little LADIES WHO LUNCH

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Daddy & Daughter Bentos

For daddy: Leftover brisket (antibiotic-free, humanely raised) covered in a tomato-based sauce with veggies; creamy mashed potatoes; organic strawberries; raw sweet yellow and red mini bell peppers

For the Little Ladies (who have no way to reheat their mashed potatoes and don’t dig them lukewarm): Whole grain mini roll with raisins; 2 types of extra sharp cheddar from our local cheese monger; a few heirloom cherry tomatoes; organic apple slices; organic strawberries; star fruit; raw sweet yellow and red mini bell peppers (or as my children call them: dinosaur jelly beans)

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Our family isn’t Jewish, but we live in a neighborhood with a lot of Jews. During holidays like Rosh Hasanah, the delicious smells of simmering food are impossible to ignore and are always inspiring. Have you ever smelled fresh Challah bread baking? I don’t know about you, but one sniff and my mouth is watering like mad. Heck, just the thought of extended families and friends coming together to feast is enough to get me feeling warm and fuzzy inside. I love holidays, even if they’re not my own.

One year around Christmastime my husband and I baked Chanukah doughnuts, and to this day they rank as the best doughnuts we’ve ever had. Known as “Sufganiot,” (or the greatest jelly doughnuts ever) they appear to be more popular in Israel than the States, but if you know any Jews stateside who bake them (or any Christians like us who insist on diving into Jewish culinary traditions), get your hands on some. You’ll be thankful you did.

Back to Rosh Hasanah. Since I wasn’t raised in a Jewish household, my Jewish cooking adventures are strictly recipe-reliant. For the brisket pictured above, we used a cross of 2 recipes from 2 Jewish cooks I admire (and like — they are both very good seeds), Ronnie Fein from Kitchen Vignettes (right here on Tumblr — you should follow her!) and Tori Avey from The Shiksa in the Kitchen.

Check out their recipes when you have a chance. Yom Kippur is coming up next Wednesday, and I know I will be bowled over by the food aromas once again. What shall we make? Noodle Kugel?