Chocolate Matzah Torte
A deliciously rich, sweet, velvety ganache-filled torte with a beautiful crumbly, crunchy base.
This torte can be made parev or dairy, and we think it’s best served with single cream (when applicable) and fresh fruit.
Blood Orange and Almond Cake
Our team at Ta’amim have drawn inspiration from the Tu B’Shevat seder to create a beautifully moist blood orange, olive oil and almond cake, topped with fruit and a blood orange and cardamom syrup. Olives
Honey Bourbon Tiramisu
Whilst developing a dairy menu for Rosh Hashanah, we decided to put a twist on one of our favourite Italian desserts, Tiramisu. A crowd-pleaser that is surprinsingly easy to make, we’ve switched out the usual brandy for a rather less traditional spirit – Honey Bourbon.
Sweet, warming and heady, these little tiramisu pots are a wonderful, unconventional dessert to round off a dairy meal this Rosh Hashanah. You could, optionally, add in a layer of apple puree or serve with caramelised apples for an extra nod to tradition!
Apple, Carrot and Beetroot Muffins
Three Rosh Hashana Simanim come together in one beautifully moist, sweet and delicate bite. These muffins are even reasonably healthy, as cakes go, sweetened with honey rather than refined sugar, and made with olive oil in place of butter or margarine. They’re also a sneaky way of getting kids (or fussy grown ups) to eat their fruit and veggies! A tasty dessert, snack or breakfast-on-the-go, this is a recipe you’re sure to be coming back to again and again, and make an excellent homemade Mishloach Manot treat for Purim.
Chocolate-dipped Honeycomb
This recipe is pure, sweet indulgence. True honeycomb, of the bee-made variety, is one of the Simanim, has multiple health benefits and is emblematic of the bees on which the harvest relies, but these chocolate dipped treats are somewhat less healthy and despite what the name suggests, they contain no honey whatsoever! They are, however, delicious and the combination of crunchy honeycomb and rich, dark chocolate is a winner, sure to bring a smile to the faces of friends and family as they ask for a sweet and good new year.
Caramelised Apple with Honeycomb Ice Cream
A contemporary spin on the iconic Rosh Hashanah offering of apple and honey, this dessert is the perfect way to round off an autumn evening. Our baked apples are caramelised in honey and served warm, alongside a delicious homemade parev ice cream, sweet and full of crunchy honeycomb crumbs. We used Granny Smith apples for their tartness to balance the sweetness of the ice cream, but you can use any other apple of your choosing.
Moroccan 7-Vegetable Couscous
As seasonal as it gets and a celebration of Simanim, the earthiness of the root vegetable mash, rich with parsnip, potatoes and sweet potatoes exquisitely complements these deliciously tender and sweet ribs, which are marinated in pomegranate molasses and date honey, both Simanim, omens for abundant blessings and redemption from our enemies. The greens are the finishing touch on a perfectly rounded Autumn warmer, just what’s needed as those shorter nights start drawing in. Leafy greens (swiss chard, spinach or beetroot leaves) are another of the Simanim – ‘silka’ in Aramaic or ‘selek’ in Hebrew, related to the Hebrew word ‘silek’ (to depart). We ask that Hashem remove our adversaries from us in the coming year. Ifcooking this dish for Rosh Hashanah, you may also choose to add squash to the mash and leeks to the greens to add two more Simanim to the dish.
Sweet and Sour Fish Tacos
Another contemporary twist on a traditional dish, these tacos are inspired by the Italian-Jewish custom of eating sweet and sour fish for Rosh Hashanah. Pesce All’Ebraica (lit. Jewish Fish) is normally made with fillets of white fish cooked in oil, honey or sugar and vinegar, and flavoured with raisins or sultanas and toasted pine nuts.
We have seasoned our fish with South American flavours of agave and lime, bringing sugar and vinegar into the dish with pickled onions, and throwing juicy sultanas and tart green apples through a crunchy red cabbage slaw. All this is stuffed into homemade corn tacos for the perfect mouthful. (N.B. You will require a tortilla press for the tacos. If you haven’t got the time, equipment or patience to make your own corn tortillas, you can use store-bought flour tortillas, or forego the wraps altogether and serve as a plate of fish and salad with chips!)
Zesty Leek and Spinach Tagliatelle with a Garlic and Parmesan Crumb
Throughout the month of Tishrei, when we celebrate the High Holy Days, Sukkot and Simchat Torah, there are dozens of Yom Tov and Shabbat meals. The Torah tells us that it is a mitzvah to make these days of rejoicing and the Prophet Isaiah that we should make Shabbat “a delight”. Talmudic sources draw a connection between food and delight, and implore us to eat the finest meals within our means. Historically, when fish and meat were costly luxuries, these became the standards for a fine meal, reserved for these days of celebration. Many have subsequently assumed the custom of eating a heavily meaty diet on Shabbat and Yom Tov, though there is no absolute obligation to do so, and there are those who feel that in 2023, when meat and fish are abundantly available, and good cheese costs almost as much as a chicken, a delicious pasta dish topped with a fine quality cheese can be every bit as delightful and luxurious! This tasty tagliatelle showcases two of the Simanim at their best, making it a superb choice for a milky (or parev) Rosh Hashanah meal.
