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When it gets colder, grab a sweater — and a spork

Of all the family-oriented holidays on the Jewish calendar, Sukkot, which entails setting up a temporary house, is probably the most homey of all.
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October 12, 2006

Of all the family-oriented holidays on the Jewish calendar, Sukkot, which entails setting up a temporary house, is probably the most homey of all. But even as we complete our days in the one-room harvest hut, whose interior walls are draped with apples and eggplants, peppers and squash, the taste for Sukkot, with its gracious hospitality, can endure into autumn and winter.

In today’s fast-paced world, people treasure time at home, explains Sandra Blank, the editor of “The Kosher Palette II: Coming Home” (2006). Published by the Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy in Livingston, N.J., this community cookbook of more than 300 recipes follows the wildly successful “Kosher Palette,” which sold more than 70,000 copies worldwide.

“In creating a sequel cookbook, we wanted to honor the home, to reflect peoples’ lifestyles, to be welcoming and warm,” she said.

When she conducted research to discover trends for the new cookbook, she spoke to people around the country. Many of them felt the tragedy of Sept. 11 instilled an appreciation for family and the value of sharing meals with loved ones. She knew that a cookbook celebrating home would strike the right chord.

Like its predecessor, “The Kosher Palette II” evolved into a community project, bringing together Kushner Academy parents as they contributed their most enticing recipes, the ones that remind their families of home. The new cookbook, features sophisticated international recipes, typical of both Ashkenazi and Sephardi cuisine.

“The recipes are well tested — it’s a book you can rely on,” says Blank, adding that these dishes appeal to both children and adults.

Blank, who teaches studio art to 11th- and 12th-graders at Kushner Academy, sends her four children to the Orthodox school. Because school is closed in observance of Sukkot, she has the opportunity to cook a cornucopia of food. She gushes about autumn recipes from her latest cookbook.

Sweet Potato Puree with Almond Streusel is a tempting alternative to noodle kugel. Sweetened with orange juice and dark brown sugar, its soft center plays counterpoint to its crunchy topping.

Fall Starburst is a deeply satisfying casserole filled with butternut squash, Granny Smith apples and cranberries, artistically arranged to bring the brilliance of autumn hues to the table.

Herbed Standing Rib Roast is a crowd pleaser that requires minimal preparation for the impact of its presentation. Its intense aroma and taste emerge from a sensational spice rub.
For eight nights, Blank bakes Apple Crisp, Pear Tatin and myriad chocolate confections. After all, isn’t abundance what Sukkot is all about?

“People know I have a plentiful array of desserts [for Sukkot],” she said. “They like their little sugar fix.”

The highlight of her dessert table are Warm Chocolate Souffles, decadent confections that are a surprising departure from the usual fruit desserts on Sukkot. Served in individual ramekins, they are as warming as coffee on chilly nights.

“The Kosher Palette II” is not just about recipes but creating an ambience to enjoy the flavor of food and the glow of family. The book offers tips on decorating tables so festively they could grace magazine covers.

Here’s how to turn an ordinary table into an enticing harvest scene: Buy a tablecloth splashed with fall colors. Make a centerpiece by arranging gourds, squash and eggplants, accenting them with burgundy dahlias. Spread unshelled nuts around the table, along with pillar candles in harvest colors.

Sweet Potato Puree With Almond Streusel (pareve)

Streusel

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole almonds
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 cup margarine, chilled and cut into pieces

Combine all ingredients in order listed in a food processor.
Pulse to blend, until mixture forms small clumps. Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to two days.

Sweet Potato Puree

4 pounds red-skin sweet potatoes
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons margarine, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Grease a 9-by-13-inch oval baking dish.
Pierce potatoes in several places with a fork.
Bake directly on the oven rack for one hour, or until very tender.
Cool and peel.
Mash flesh in a bowl with orange juice, brown sugar, softened margarine, and orange zest.
Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon into prepared baking dish.
Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees.
Scatter streusel over potatoes.
Bake for 40 minutes, until puree is hot and streusel is crisp.
Cool five minutes, then serve.
Makes eight to 10 servings.

Fall Starburst (pareve)

1 1/2 to 2 pounds butternut squash, cut into halves and seeds removed
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1-2 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar (sold commercially or made at home with 1 part cinnamon to 4 parts sugar)

Boil squash in water to cover in a saucepan until tender. Cool until it can be handled.
Scoop out flesh, discarding peel.
Puree squash with margarine and brown sugar in a food processor.
Cook apples and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a saucepan for eight to 10 minutes, or until juices begin to be released and the sugar melts and coats the apples. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat cranberries with 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a saucepan until berries soften and burst, stirring often.
Arrange apples around the edge of a 9-inch French white oven-safe dish.
Pour the squash puree in the center.
Top with the cranberries, leaving a small border of squash. (The cranberries may bleed into the apples slightly.)
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake for 20 minutes.
Makes six to eight servings.

Herbed Standing Rib Roast

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

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