Just in time for Rosh Hashanah, we have some honey-filled recipes to use up all our honey – when we’re not dipping apples into it or spreading it on challa.

Honey Glazed Meatballs

These mouth-watering meatballs are saucy, sweet, and tangy, with a hint of umami. I like to serve this recipe with rice and it can be doubled. If we’re in a party mood, we eat these meatballs with toothpicks or skewers.
 
2 large eggs

1 c. corn flake crumbs

1/2 to 1 c. finely chopped onion

2 tsp. salt

2 lbs. ground beef

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. oil

3/4 c. ketchup

1/2 c. honey

3 T. soy sauce

Pre-heat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, mix eggs and add corn flake crumbs, onions, and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on sprayed racks in shallow baking pans. Bake, uncovered for 12-15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the ketchup, honey, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain meatballs; add to sauce. Carefully stir to evenly coat. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to blend the flavors.

It is sometimes tricky to figure out what to serve during the Nine Days. But between parve and dairy, there are plenty of dishes out there. In fact, I see the restrictions as actually giving me a “framed canvas” within which to work. Here are a few of my favorite easy-to-cook and well-received recipes.  

Fish Tacos

I find that the more involved my kids are in their dining experience, the more they eat. I love food where my kids can pick exactly what they want and assemble it themselves. For this recipe, you can use soft tacos or hard tacos; you could even use a burrito. If I’m making these for my kids, I eliminate the hot sauce.

My oldest son is in second grade at Talmudical Academy, and this year, I went on the Chemdas trip for the first time. Last year, I hadn’t even ever heard of Chemdas. At the beginning of the year, we got a Chemdas booklet filled with learning that is good to know, even if it is not taught directly in school. Each student needs to learn and/or memorize different information and then get tested on it. If they pass the tests, they get points. If they get 400 points, they get to go on the Chemdas trip.

Every Shabbos we worked on the Chemdas booklet. At first, it was super easy, but as the year went on, the information became harder, and it wasn’t quite as much fun to memorize completely new information, so we resorted to chocolate chips, cash, promises of candy, toys, and more. Not only did we get to 400, we got to 600 points! (This is worthy of some kind of special prize.)

This is the time of the year we bring out our trusty cheesecake recipe and wonder why we only make it once a year! Whether you’re going with the tried and true, this year, or want to get bold with something new, here are some tips to making your cheesecakes fantastic: 

• If you are using a mixer, mix on low speed using paddles so that you don’t add air to the batter. It’s important to never whip your ingredients.
• Bring all the ingredients to room temperature before starting.
• Do not put your spring form pan directly in water; place the water bath on a different rack. 
• Cheesecake is not a cake. It’s really a custard. If you bake it at a lower temperature, it sets creamier, even though it takes longer to cook. 325° for about 45 minutes is about right.
• After baking, turn off the oven and leave the door closed for an hour – no peeking!
• Allow the cake to come to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight if possible.
• Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes to an hour before serving.

I love Purim and everything about it. I love the groggers and the shalach manos and the coming together of the community. And I love letting the people you love know you love them. I love that tzedeka is a big part of the day, and I love that we won over the evil Haman! I love the unlikely heroes, Mordechai and Esther, because of their devotion to the Jewish people, and I love how good triumphed over evil. I love getting dressed up, I love sewing my kids costumes, and I love making the food. I love reconnecting with people I haven’t seen since last Purim. I love hamentaschen, and I love theme parties.

And all of this love culminates in a very fun Purim seuda! This year, I’ve decided to do an easy and delicious meal with a Mexican theme. The food lends itself to buffet style – everyone can make their own tacos! – or if they are low-carb, they can make “naked” tacos (all of the fillings and none of the tortilla)!

I seem to forget, from year to year, how cold it can get in Baltimore. Winter winds are no joke and make me think of staying cozy indoors with friends. A great plan is to invite your friends over for a game night. Make a big pitcher of sangria and and set it out with some “tapas” (a fun way to say savory appetizers).

What is sangria? you ask. Sangria is a traditional, wine-based drink that originated in the Iberian peninsula, probably to make the wine more palatable. The Spanish word may be derived from the Latin word “blood.” White grapes did not grow well in the area (back around 200 BCE), so most of the wine was red. Thus, sangria could have referred to the color of all wines in the region. Today, sangria is also made with white wine and even sake!