Golden Challah
In Eastern Europe, it became traditional to serve an oversized challah on Purim, both because for a meal one needs bread for the hamotzi blessing, and because challah is tasty!
In a bread machine, this works just fine to be processed on the "dough" cycle and then shaped and raised as the recipe directs. Just use the ingredients in the normal order for your machine, and omit the yeast-soaking process. With a food processor, (if yours is large enough to accomodate so much dough), knead until the dough leaves the sides of the processor.
Ingredients:

• 1 package dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon saffron, or a few drops yellow food coloring
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 1/4 lukewarm water
• 4 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
• 4 tablespoons poppy or sesame seeds

1. Combine yeast, sugar, saffron, 1/4 cup water, and let stand 5 minutes, until yeast foams. (If using food coloring, don't add yet.)
2. By hand: Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the flour, and drop in the eggs, oil, water, food coloring (if not using saffron) and dissolved yeast mixture. Work in well with your hands, turn out on a floured board and knead well.
In your food processor: Combine all ingredients. Process until dough leaves the sides of the processor. Remove from machine and shape into a ball.
3. Place in an lightly oiled bowl. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for one hour. Punch the dough down, re-cover, and let rise again until doubled (if you poke a finger into it, the dent should spring back fairly quickly).
4. Divide into three or four parts and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out the sections into ropes and braid. To braid with four ropes, take outside left rope and place between the third and fourth ropes. Take outside right rope and place between the first and second ropes. Repeat until all is braided. Shape the loaf to round it off and plump it up. Tuck under the ends and press together.
5. Cover the loaf and let rise again until double.
6. Brush with the beaten egg/water mixture, sprinkle with seeds, and bake for 50 minutes in a 375 oven.

Purim Hamantashen Challah
Courtesy of Susie Q's Holiday Recipe Page
You will need:

• prepared challah dough
• fruit preserves for filling
• 1 beaten egg

These are directions for making a challah that is shaped like a "hamantash" or a triangular filled pastry traditionally eaten on Purim. This challah can be used for "Mishloach Manot" baskets (it uses up a lot of room), to be eaten later at the traditional festive Purim meal.

Hopefully you will have already mastered the art of folding pastry dough into a hamantash shape, as challah dough is a little harder to handle, since it is thicker and spongier. Either prepare challah dough in advance and freeze it, preferably a sweet dough, or use any of the prepared commercial frozen raw challah doughs such as Kineret or Korn's. Use as much dough as you would for an ordinary medium sized challah.

1. Thaw dough to room temperature and roll into a ball. Flatten ball and roll out into a thick circle with a heavily floured rolling pin.
2. Spoon approximately 1/2 to 3/4 cup of filling in center of circle, at least 2 inches away from edges. I generally use apricot or strawberry preserves for the filling as they go well with bread. Fold up edges, 1/3 at a time, just as you would with a hamantash.
3. Pinch and seal edges completely and tightly, as challah will rise and stretch quite a bit, and if it opens too much, it could be a sticky mess. Cover with clean dish towel and let rise for one hour.
4. Brush with beaten egg and pop into a 350 degree preheated oven. Make sure edges are tightly pinched together before baking. The "hamantash" should open very slightly in the middle while baking. Bake for approximately 1/2 hour or until golden brown. Serve warm, and pull the challah apart rather than slicing it.

Persian Lamb Stew
What would a feast of Shushan be without some good Persian cooking? This is a treat from one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world, dating back to the exile of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon in BCE.
Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp margarine (PARVE!)
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 1/2 lbs lean lamb meat, cubed
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• 16 oz can of red kidney beans, drained
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper