Current:Home > InvestBagels and lox. Kugel. Babka. To break the Yom Kippur fast, think made-ahead food, and lots of it -AssetScope
Bagels and lox. Kugel. Babka. To break the Yom Kippur fast, think made-ahead food, and lots of it
View
Date:2025-04-14 01:05:49
The Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, which begins this year on Sunday evening (Sept. 25), is a solemn 25 hours of fasting and atonement.
But when it’s over, fast turns to feast.
The spread at a “break fast” gathering (not to be confused with breakfast) traditionally consists of foods that are made ahead, served either at room temperature or reheated right before serving. Observant Jews don’t cook on Yom Kippur, and even if you’re less observant, it’s pretty hard to stand in the kitchen cooking while you’re fasting.
BAGELS, LOX, THE FIXINGS
Perhaps the most common foods used to break the fast are bagels and lox (or smoked salmon) with all the fixings. Those typically involve dairy and fish dishes, such as smoked fish, whitefish salad, flavored cream cheeses (“schmears” or “shmears”), pickled herring, capers and cucumber salad.
The break fast meal is usually meat-free, since meat and dairy don’t mix in kosher foods.
I always include a noodle kugel in my break fast menu, another traditional offering that can be made ahead and reheated (or served cool, as you like). That, plus egg salad, are substantial vegetarian options for the non-fish eaters.
Jake Cohen, author of the just published “I Could Nosh: Jew-ish recipes Revamped for Everyday” (Harper Collins), mostly adheres to traditional foods for his break fast, but has some firm opinions about the components. Quality counts, he says, and he has dedicated time looking for the best bagels, the best smoked fish, and so on.
“It’s like the difference between a charcuterie board from a high-end cheese shop versus one from a grocery store,” he says.
Cohen is particular about his bagels. Since bagels are usually bought the day before the break fast, they are never at their freshest. Cohen compensates by keeping them whole, placing them on a wire rack on a baking sheet, and heating them for 5 to 7 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven. This warms them through and crisps the outer crust, bringing them as close as possible to just baked.
Slice them after they come out of the oven, he says, and “you get a short window of the memory of a fresh bagel.”
ORDERING IN
Joe Ariel is the founder and CEO of Goldbelly, an online company that ships foods from restaurants, delis, bakeries and so on across the country.
“This is a busy time for many of our most iconic New York bagel shops and bakeries like Ess-a-Bagels, Russ & Daughters, Breads Bakery babkas, Kossar’s Bialys, Junior’s Cheesecakes, Yonah Schimmel’s knishes, and more,” Ariel says. This year, Goldbelly also starts shipping from another famous New York deli, the 2nd Ave Deli.
Since many people are ordering for a crowd, Ariel says he ships a lot of meal kits for eight to 12 people.
Beyond bagels and salmon, he says, some customers “take their break-the-fast meals to a new level with full meal kits from some of the most famous Jewish chefs. For example, one of my favorite chefs, Mike Solomonov, from Zahav in Philadelphia, does a showstopping braised pomegranate lamb shoulder feast with all of the classic Israeli salatim (salads) and sides to go with it.”
EXPECT BIG APPETITES
How much food should you have for a very hungry crowd? Cohen recommends allowing for two bagels per person.
For smoked fish, I suggest buying ¼ pound per person; for cream cheese 2 ounces per person; and have a generous amount of other sides like tuna, whitefish salad, and egg salad, about 4 ounces per person.
Many people take a bit of this, and a bit of that, so better safe than sorry.
Don’t forget to put out a beautiful platter of sliced tomatoes, onions, and maybe cucumbers, with some capers for sprinkling and lemon wedges for squeezing.
DESSERT
Cohen feels strongly about including dessert in the break fast meal, preferably a cake that can be made ahead and will stay moist for a few days. In his book, the dessert chapter is called “Who doesn’t serve cake after a meal?”, a memorable line from “Seinfeld.”
Honey cake is the traditional cake served at Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, with the honey symbolizing sweetness for the year to come.
Ariel says desserts like babka and cheesecake are popular too.
“I feel like we’re in the middle of a babka renaissance this year, as it’s having a moment,” he says. “We’ve been seeing some really fun twists on it to make it a little more creative and fun. Breads Bakery is one of my favorites, they are doing this gorgeous apple and honey babka.”
This year, his family is opting for a Brooklyn Blackout cake to wrap up their meal.
___
Katie Workman writes regularly about food for The Associated Press. She has written two cookbooks focused on family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at https://themom100.com/. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.
___
For more AP food stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/recipes
veryGood! (9)
Related
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Provost at Missouri university appointed new Indiana State University president, school says
- Execution date set for Alabama man convicted of killing driver who stopped at ATM
- Panthers owner David Tepper pays visit to bar with sign teasing his NFL draft strategy
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- A California bill aiming to ban confidentiality agreements when negotiating legislation fails
- Owner of exploding Michigan building arrested at airport while trying to leave US, authorities say
- Worried about a 2025 COLA? This is the smallest cost-of-living adjustment Social Security ever paid.
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- He hoped to be the first Black astronaut in space, but never made it. Now 90, he's going.
Ranking
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- In-home caregivers face increased financial distress despite state program
- Pilot on Alaska fuel delivery flight tried to return to airport before fatal crash: NTSB
- They say don’t leave valuables in parked cars in San Francisco. Rep. Adam Schiff didn’t listen
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- This week on Sunday Morning (April 28)
- In-home caregivers face increased financial distress despite state program
- Skelly's back: Home Depot holds Halfway to Halloween sale 6 months before spooky day
Recommendation
From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
What time is 2024 NFL draft Friday? Time, draft order and how to watch Day 2
10-Year-Old Boy Calls 911 to Report Quadruple Murder-Suicide of His Entire Family
Businesses hindered by Baltimore bridge collapse should receive damages, court filing argues
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
At least 17 people died in Florida after medics injected sedatives during encounters with police
Execution date set for Alabama man convicted of killing driver who stopped at ATM
Ariel Henry resigns as prime minister of Haiti, paving the way for a new government to take power