Saturday, September 27, 2014

Shanah Tovah 5775! (All you wanted was pictures of food, right?)

Because that's pretty much all you're going to get. 

When school ended on Thursday, I began a more-or-less uninterrupted run of cooking and eating that lasted until Survivor brunch ended around noon today. What follows actually begins before Thursday, with the Challah Odyssey that Hannah (new history TF) and I undertook in advance of our unprecedented four-Jew Rosh Hashanah dinner. Look on in wonder as:



The dough, with yeast successfully cultivated, begins its first rise.



Post-rise dough looking awfully risen.




Out of the fridge, into silly looking little rolls, and ready to rise once more.



Look how it keeps growing!



Let's skip right to the final product. Having never made bread before, I was pretty thrilled with these results, and they tasted nearly as good as they looked. Here's a shot of our holiday table:



This just before Mike graced it with lamb and cauliflower soup and carrots and egg noodles, to go along with (of course) apples and honey and challah and wine. Note my sneaky pomegranate-vase/Jewish-holiday-multipurpose-tool to the left of the candle. It was a delicious dinner, a great way to ring in the New Year, and made us all feel lucky to have one another to celebrate with. Is more bread in the future? With Hannah's and my hubris adequately burnished by our first attempt, you can bet on it.

***

Then came Friday, and the Sulafat progressive brunch! At long last, our dream of moving from apartment to apartment and eating too much food in each place came true. I have tried to spare you the gory details, but here's the basic progression:



Stage One: The Smith Abode. Yogurt parfaits with granola and fresh fruit; deviled eggs; Irish tea brack; coffee and tea.



Stage Two: The Watsky/Procknow Palace. Shown above is the spinach and cheese strata I made (pour one out for Yasmine).



Stage Two (con't): Strata, now accompanied by juice and johnnycakes.

Stage Three (not shown) included an unreal mint cake and a delicious and flaky spinach pie. I thought I wouldn't have to eat for a week or so, but then it was time to cook for the weekend activity.

***
This weekend, Nihal house hosted their annual international dinner, in which students cook food from their respective homelands. Chase and I hosted team dessert, the hallmark of which was an all-American apple pie. Take a look:


***
So it was, by all accounts, an utterly delicious weekend, and I tried my best to think of the ideals of reflection and self-improvement that should characterize the Rosh Hashanah season. Now, just five short school days separate us from a two-week vacation that will see me trekking through the Balkans and shepherding some old friends up and down the King's Highway here, so be on the lookout for pictures if I ever feel like posting them. Onward to October!

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