The sweet round challah on Rosh Hashanah is a symbolic food. The round shape is meant to show the cycle of the new year, and the sweet flavor is a reminder to have a sweet new year.

This recipe yields 2 large loaves or 18 rolls.
6 cups flour
4 eggs
1 egg plus 1 teaspoon water (for egg wash)
1 package or 1 tbsp of yeast of rapid rise yeast
1½ cups warm water (110 degrees)
Pinch of salt
4 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup oil

Mix all ingredients, except for egg wash, in a large bowl. Knead dough for 5-10 minutes. This can be made in a mixer with a dough hook. Place dough in greased bowl and let rise for 10 minutes. To create small rolls, separate dough into 18 equal sized pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a snake-like shape. Coil dough to create a round shape and place on a greased baking sheet. Brush with egg wash. Let rest for 30 minutes. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. If making 2 large loaves, bake for 40 minutes or until golden.

In April, we celebrated Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day). Each grade had the opportunity to cook a different Middle Eastern dish to experience the foods commonly eaten in Israel. At the end of each session, we all got together to sample falafel and hummus made from chickpeas, Israeli chopped salad full of cucumbers and tomatoes, baba ghanoush made from grilled eggplant, and blue and white (Israeli flag) cupcakes. All these recipes can be found on a great website that shows films of how to make these delicious dishes. Go to www.videojug.com. Then go to "food" and then choose "middle eastern". Here is my favorite recipe for hummus. Serve it with pita bread or carrot sticks.

1 15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
2 gloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1/3 cup water
Juice of one lemon
6 tablespoons sesame tahini
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
Drain chickpeas. Put all ingredients in a food processor and
process until smooth. If too thick, add a little more water.
Hope you all have fun cooking!

This month we made Matzo Brei in Hebrew School. We discussed the meaning of Passover and why we eat matzo. The kids enthusiastically crushed matzo and scrambled eggs.

Ingredients:
3 matzot
2 eggs
salt to taste
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Margarine for frying

Break up the matzo and put in lukewarm water for a few minutes.
Drain on paper towels and squeeze dry.
Beat the eggs.
Mix the eggs with the salt, honey, cinnamon and matzo.
Heat margarine in a frying pan.
Fry 2 tablespoons of batter, patting down slightly into pancakes.
Turn over and fry til golden.
Have a happy Passover!