From the first night of Rosh Hashanah until Simchat Torah, I have counted 20 festive meals I’ll be serving over 24 days. That level of entertaining means that many of us will be heading into the festive season with mixed feelings: on the one hand looking forward to celebrating the new year with family and friends, but also fretting over honey cakes and the rising cost of living. It’s possible to keep your chagim food spend under control, and to enter the holiday season in high spirits rather than extreme anxiety.
As with my previous columns, the key principle is planning. Here are my tips on how to manage the Yom Tovim on a budget: As soon as possible, you need to know how many meals you are hosting and the number of people expected. Don’t forget food allergies and aversions.
Get those invitations out to the people you want around your table as soon as you can. This is not a time to experiment with miso paste or kimchi. What you need now are tried and tested recipes, not expensive new ingredients.
Make dishes your families love that always work. When you are cooking and serving back-to-back meals the key is a focused menu for each meal — with loads of repetition. Plenty of pumpkin - a simanim and seasonal special Photo: Getty Images Choose menu items that can be shopped for and cooked in bulk.
One year I made 20 potato kugels and served one with every meal, no one complained — as far as I can recall. Chicken soup, brisket, stuffed cabbage, meatballs, honey cake and .