Crunchy Fennel, Schnitzel-style (Parve)
Another symbol (Siman, in Hebrew) in our Rosh HaShana seder is the mysterious Aramaic vegetable Roviah. Mysterious because some Italian communities translate it with fennel, others with green beans, go figure! Roviah resembles the Aramaic root "Irbu" (to multiply), and when we eat fennel or green beans we pray that our merits will be multiplied. fennel happens to be my favorite vegetable, and battered and fried it's a real treat!
Ingredients
2 large heads of fennel
2 eggs
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Clean the fennel, discarding the green leaves and the outer layer.
Slice each fennel into 6 wedges, drizzle with fresh lemon juice, and place in a steaming basket over a pot of boiling water. Cover and allow to cook on medium/low heat for about 12 minutes.
Drain and place on two layers of paper towel, covering the top with more paper towel, and dry very well (you should always dry extremely well any foods you'd like to dip-fry, to prevent them from absorbing the oil and getting soggy).
In a large bowl, slightly beat the eggs with salt and pepper.
Dip the fennel wedges (again, they must be completely dry on the outside) into the egg and then roll them in the breadcrumbs.
Heat the oil in a large skillet till it reaches frying temperature (test with a piece of bread - if bubbles form around it, the oil is ready), and fry the wedges in it on medium heat, until until soft inside and golden on the outside.
Drain well on several layers of paper towel (also place paper towel on top) and sprinkle with a little salt before serving. If you need to re-heat, leave fried foods partially uncovered and set your warming drawer/oven/plata at the highest possible temperature.
* tip: you can dip in the egg and then in the breadcrumbs twice for a thicker crust. In this case, use more eggs.
Pomegranate Chicken
This roasted chicken is a perfect main course for Rosh HaShana, since the Pomegranate (Rimon) is the sixth of the symbols on our holiday table, eaten with the prayer "May our merits/good deeds be as numerous as the seeds in a pomegranate". Apparently the Sages took the time to count the seeds in a lot of pomegranates, and decided that they average 613, 
the number of Mitzvot Jews are bound to observe - which is also why silver Rimmonim (pomegranates) are used to decorate Torah scrolls.
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
- 1 chicken, cleaned (I buy Kosher, organic, grass-fed and it makes a difference!)
- 2 pomegranates or 1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, slightly pressed
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- salt and black pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Cut the pomegranates in half and using a citrus reamer scoop out the seeds. Set 2 tablespoons of the seeds aside and press the rest through a food mill or potato masher, gathering the juice in a bowl. .
Heat the olive oil with the garlic in an oven-proof pan or sauteuse; add the chicken and brown it on all sides. Add salt and pepper and the white wine and allow the wine to evaporate.
Transfer the pan into your oven and roast for an hour at 350 F, turning it and basting it with its own juices a couple of times. When you notice that the garlic is becoming dark, discard it.
When the chicken is cooked, transfer it to a serving bowl; add the pomegranate juice to the roasting oil/juice in the pan, and heat it on the stovetop, allowing it to simmer for about 3 minutes. Add the 2 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds, and serve this sauce as an accompaniment to the chicken.
Pear and Honey Cake (Parve or Dairy)
Ingredients
- 3 ounces unsalted butter, left outside for at least 2 hours (parve margarine for a Parve version)
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup potato starch
- 1 large pinch of salt
- 1 package baking powder
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup milk (parve soy or rice milk for a Parve version)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large and juicy pear
Instructions
Heat oven to 350 F and grease a 9" springform pan with extra butter or margarine (or line it with parchment).
In a food processor, grind the walnuts into a powder. Add the sifted flour, salt, baking powder and combine.
In the food processor or using an electric mixer, combine the softened butter, honey, and sugar. Beat until fluffy (about 10 minutes). Mix in the eggs (for an even fluffier cake you can beat the egg white till stiff, and add it last).
Slowly stir in the milk (or soy/rice milk) and vanilla, until completely incorporated.
Cut the pear into thin slices and arrange them in concentric circles on the bottom of the pan, then pour in the batter. Bake until golden brown (about 45 minutes).
Allow to cool on a wire rack and decorate with confectioner's sugar. It can be served on its own or accompanied by a warm custard cream.
About Alessandra Rovati:
Alessandra Rovati is a food writer with a focus on Jewish and Kosher Italian Cuisine. 
Born and raised in Venice, Italy, she now lives in New York City with her husband and children. Besides contributing to several magazines, Alessandra teaches cooking classes and lectures about Italian culinary traditions. She also posts free recipes and cooking tips on her website www.dinnerinvenice.com.
Alessandra's articles and recipes have been published in The New YorkTimes, The Forward, Joy of Kosher, Kosher Inspired, Hadassah Magazine, Bitayavon, The Jewish Voice, the Australian Jewish Week and more. She has also been featured on Foxnews.com Live, and her video has appeared on thejewishweek.com.
Photos courtesy of dinnerinvenice.com
Headshot: Steve Lars Photo
