Dear friends,
Tomorrow evening begins Rosh Hashanah, and I’d like to wish those who celebrate a very happy, healthy and peaceful new year. My immediate family will be far flung for the holiday — my husband is on his way to Toronto where he’ll be working as a rabbi and my older daughter is in Sri Lanka (!!). After a good but intense first week of my new day job, I’m quite happy to be home with our other three kids for the holiday, which we’ll celebrate with our shul and community.
As we enter the new year of 5784, it’s a good time to say THANK YOU for subscribing to this newsletter! Whether you enjoy the book reviews, the Literary Modiin events, my brief writing updates, or whether you’re just here for the recipes :-), I appreciate your support!
Rosh Hashanah Reading
A Rosh Hashanah Story: “Three Strikes” (from The Book of Jeremiah) - a fictional RH and baseball story that takes place in 1932. You can hear me read it (or read it yourself) on The Other Stories podcast, followed by an interview with Ilana Masad.
I can’t remember the original spark for this story, but at the time I wrote it, my oldest son was very obsessed with baseball and, like the protagonist, had a good head for statistics. Another very clear memory of Rosh Hashana from my childhood that made it into the story — the rabbi entreats the congregation to “give heed to the clarion call of the shofar,” which my own rabbi would bellow from the bimah. (If you like the story and haven’t already read the whole book, I’d love for you to pick up a copy of The Book of Jeremiah! Get it Direct from Me; Press 53; Bookshop; Amazon).
More Stories: the latest issue of JewishFiction.net is out and looks great! I’m looking forward to digging in!
What I’m reading/listening to right now: The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty (winner of the National Book Award, expecting to finish it soon); The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (about halfway through the audiobook). And I’ve been looking forward to the two-day yom tov to start The Covenant of Water, the new (736-page) novel by Abraham Verghese. Stay tuned for book reviews next month!
What I’ll be reading in shul (besides my machzor): Rosh Hashana Readings, a compilation of readings, essays and thoughts by rabbis and thinkers on topics appropriate for the holiday, and This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation by Alan Lew.
Two Favorite Recipes for Rosh Hashana
Sheva Minim (Seven Species) Salad
I received the recipe for this sheva minim (שבע מינים - seven species) salad from my friend Nava at least 20 years ago and I’ve been making it ever since. The seven species refers to the seven agricultural fruits and grains mentioned in the Torah and native to Israel (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates). TBH, it’s a bit of a patshke (fuss) but worth it, perfect for Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Tu B’shvat or other holidays. There’s a pareve and a dairy version — try them both!
4 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
¾ cup pearl barley
¾ cup – medium bulgur
1-3/4 to 2 cups – vegetable or pareve chicken broth
2 tsp. fresh or 1 tsp. dried thyme
1/3 cup dried figs – cut in thin slices
1/3 cup raisins
2 tsp. pomegranate syrup
2 TBSP white wine vinegar
2 tsp. honey
1/2 cup chopped dates
¼ cup chopped scallions
¼ cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup black olives, halved
½ cup feta (optional)
¼ cup pomegranate seeds for garnish
¼ cup toasted sliced almonds (optional)
Divide the onion in half and sauté in olive oil in two separate medium-sized pots. Stir for five minutes, and then add the barley and bulgur to each pot, along with the broth (divided), salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, and then cover and cook on low heat until tender (the bulgur will be ready quickly, around 10 minutes, whereas the barley will take longer 30-40 minutes. Add more broth if liquid evaporates before the barley is cooked. Add the figs & raisins to one of the pots, cover and cook for another five minutes. Combine the two in a large bowl with the dressing (the pomegranate syrup, honey, vinegar, and a bit more olive oil). Add dates, scallions, parsley, and black olives, and then prior to serving, add the pomegranate seeds, feta (if using) and almonds, and mix gently.
Chicken with Dried Fruit and Almonds
This one comes from The Gourmet Jewish Cook by Judy Zeidler, and it’s an easy and good recipe for Rosh Hashana and Passover!
1 whole chicken
2 onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup pitted prunes, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper to taste
Sauté the onions in olive oil until transparent, about five minutes. Sprinkle half of the onions onto a foil-lined large shallow roasting pan and set it aside. To the onions in skillet, add the apricots, prunes, almonds, raisins, cinnamon, tarragon, thyme, salt and pepper, and sauté for five to ten minutes, mixing well. Once cooled, stuff the chicken with the onion mixture. Place the chicken, breast side down, on the onions in the broiler, and sprinkle any leftover stuffing around the chicken. Roast for 30 minutes at 375 F / 185 C. Turn the chicken over and continue roasting for another 30 minutes, or until well-browned and crisp.
See you in two weeks, with book recs, writing notes, recipes & more. Stay cool and happy reading!
Request: If you’ve read (and liked) The Book of Jeremiah, please help me out by writing a brief review on Amazon or wherever you purchase books online. It can be as simple as one or two lines. Thank you!
Julie Zuckerman's debut novel-in-stories, The Book of Jeremiah, was published in May 2019 by Press 53. Her fiction and non-fiction have appeared in CRAFT, Tikkun, Jewish Women’s Archives, Crab Orchard Review, The Coil, The SFWP Quarterly, Ellipsis, MoonPark Review, Sixfold, and The MacGuffin, among others. A native of Connecticut, she lives in Israel with her husband and four children. www.juliezuckerman.com