Rosh Hashanah (רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה‎‎ – head of the year) is the Jewish New Year. It is also known as Yom Teruah (יוֹם תְּרוּעָה‎‎ – day of shouting/blasting) or the Feast of Trumpets.

And it’s quite fitting because no sound on earth penetrates my soul more than the sound of the shofar. Without fail, every time I hear it, I find myself welling up with tears. It cuts to the very core of me. I feel at one with Hashem, Jews around the world, and my late parents watching over me.

Over the years I have wisened up and I head to shul with waterproof mascara and a packet of Kleenex. But as soon as the Rabbi blows the ram’s horn, I begin sobbing. They are usually happy tears. But this year is going to be a very emotional one for me. Unfortunately, I will not be able to share the chag with my entire family.

But it gives me so much comfort knowing they will be making some of my recipes. It also feeds my soul to know I will be able to contribute to your Simchas in some small way. So thanks for giving me this opportunity. I am humbled by and grateful for all of your love and support over the years. I couldn’t be where I am without each of you.

This year I have a lot of non-meat eaters coming for Rosh Hashanah. Despite the fact that we live on steak, I thought it would be a nice change to do a meat-free meal. That way I can go to town on all the salads and desserts and throw cheese, chocolate, and dairy into the mix.

So I am taking my menu to Italy (no surprises there) and doing an Italian-inspired Yom Tov. I know… a little out of the box but you know how obsessed I am with Italy.

If you can believe it, I actually got the go-ahead from my mom who is naturally doing it old school with all the herrings, kichel, briskets, and schmaltz. So fear not I will also be posting a lot of meat, chicken,and pareve options too.

I’m sharing a bigger selection than my actual menu so you can mix and match it up to create your own. It’s also a great menu to use for breaking of the fast cause there are lots of warm pasta options that the kids go mad for.

So here is my spin on a very nontraditional Rosh Hashanah…. Stay tuned for the classics over the next few days.
Shana Tova …Wishing you a full round and sweet new year xxx Chef MM