How are You Preparing for Rosh Hashannah?

We've done shopping, since we must eat festive meals on Rosh Hashannah. And we have freshly picked pomegranates, too.

And for the second time ever, I've attempted to cook lamb. I managed to cut the leg of lamb into two giant pieces, without harming myself. I seasoned and wrapped them in foil. Then I baked them in a hot oven until the entire house smelled "lamby" and fat escaped the wrapping.

My favorite pre-Rosh Hashanah activity is going to Tefilat Chana, Hannah's Prayer at Shiloh Hakeduma, Tel Shiloh.

I joined women, young and old, praying and enjoying the scenery. Of course, for me it was especially easy to get there, since I live in Shiloh.

The main speaker, and only guest speaker this year, was Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi, who was super inspiring as usual. The musical entertainment was the Yonina Duo, a very talented young couple, who encouraged everyone to sing along.

There were stands selling jewelry, clothes, food and Judaica. Also, besides the usual public toilets, there were enough of the "portable chemical" ones, so there weren't long lines at all.

Shiloh Hakeduma, a recognized archaeological site, is open all year, except for Shabbat and Jewish Holidays. There are always special activities on Chanukah and the Intermediate Days of Succot and Passover. I highly recommend visiting. There are attractions for all ages.

Cooking Lamb, Easier and More Delicious Than Expected

As I had posted not long ago, I finally gave in to my husband's nudgings requests and bought some lamb to cook for Rosh Hashanah.

Considering the size of my oven and the size of the smallest piece of lamb I could pull out of the freezer in Rami Levy, you can see that I had a major logistics problem to solve if I was going to get some lamb on our Rosh Hashanah table.

Obviously, I had to find a way to carve it up before cooking it, and I don't have an electric saw!

I attacked cut/carved it with the limited tools in my kitchen and came up with a few pieces that  could somehow suit my very limited needs. I did try rinsing off the pieces, but I didn't do the usual soaking as my custom with poultry and beef. I presume that's why, even though I hadn't added any salt, the cooked lamb was salty.

I managed to cut it into two basic types of pieces, one type for baking, and the other for a stew*. I then wrapped up those to be baked in foil adding just the dry rosemary my husband had picked up (since all the recipes I found included it) and pieces of fresh garlic.

I then baked them on a high heat until the house smelled of lamb, rather delicious, and I could see the baking tray filling with fat that had dripped out of the lamb. I trusted that to be the sign that it had fully and safely baked. Remember that I don't use timers, and my oven doesn't have numbers.

The pieces looked like they'd feed a mob. The aroma of the baked lamb made us very hungry, but I put one large piece in the freezer and prepared the others so they could be heated up on the electric "platta" hotplate on Rosh Hashanah.

OK, now, you're waiting for a report no doubt. Of course, we have no photos of the cooked lamb. Most important was that it was finger-licking delicious. I ate from the boniest pieces making a point of saying that my father and brother, who both died just a few months ago, would have claimed those bone for themselves and enjoyed them. And something I must take into account next time I make lamb, and yes, I do plan a next time, is that there was much less lamb than expected from the weight and expense. I don't know how much was due to the freezing, which adds water, or was it the fat that had dripped out. Of course, it could also be the weight of the bones. So, next time, we'll try to buy from a different source and not frozen, even though it will cost more. Recommendations in Jerusalem are welcome, thanks.

So, if you, too, haven't cooked lamb, do not fear, it's not hard.

PS the mint sauce was fine, too.

*lamb stew to be blogged about at a later date Gd willing

Cooking Lamb? Looking for No Fail Healthy Recipes

For the past few years just before Rosh Hashanah, my husband has been hinting for me to cook some lamb. So, maybe I'll take the plunge. Here are some giant frozen "things" labeled as "lamb" in Rami Levy, the discount supermarket I sometimes/frequently shop in, since it's next to Yafiz where I work.

These "things" are a bit large for my freezer and my oven, but I trust that they shrink when thawed out. The recipes I've seen aren't very appetizing. So, I'm asking my loyal, trusted and creative readers for help. And of course it must be kosher, meaning no adding dairy or fish products.

You should know that I'm not interested in adding a jar of jam or bottle of juice (especially not concentrate) or a cup of oil or things like that. I'm not that sort of cook...

So, please comment with your suggestions, guidelines and recipes. If you're a reader of this blog, you know that I'm not very good at following recipes and measuring, unless it's a cake. So, let's see if this request helps, thanks.