Rosh Hashanah 2010

I moved into my new house 10 days before I gave birth to my son this past April. We (ok, my husband) painted, and I spent my time decorating and picking out new furniture, including a new dining room set. The day we moved in, my mother said to me that I would be hosting every Jewish holiday from now on. Apparently she wasn't kidding.

Last week my mother asked me what I was making for Rosh Hashanah. Usually this question is answered "Kelly is making an appetizer" and we bring it over to her house. Nope, not this time. She wanted to know what we were making for the dinner, because she was serious when she said that we were hosting. To be fair, she hosts Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and all the BBQ's we have during the summer. Unfortunately, Kelly works a lot so that I can be home with Jackson, so this meant that I would be the one cooking for 10 people. This was trial by fire if I have ever seen it. Either dinner was going to be great, or we would be eating Chinese turkey.

Traditionally my family always has mazoh ball soup, brisket, apples and honey, and kasha for Rosh Hashanah. I designated my grandmother to make the mazoh ball soup (her's is the best - recipe to come later). I decided on this brisket, this kashsa, and I also wanted to make this kugel. We also had string beans almondine, apples and honey, and rainbow cookie cake for desert. I realized that this was going to be quite an undertaking - especially since not only was this my first holiday dinner, but my first dinner EVER, but I figured that I watched enough Food Network that I should be OK.

My ultimate goal in making this dinner was to prove to everyone that, given a chance, it is possible that I can cook. Growing up my mother made all of our meals, so I never had to learn. I met my husband in college, so since we met either he would cook or we'd go out to eat. Anytime that I did try to cook something while Kelly was present he would step in and either tell me that I was doing something wrong or take over completely. Between Kelly and my mother, I gave up cooking completely.

I believe that I succeeded. I'm sure you're looking to read about some kind of epic failure of cooking drama, but surprisingly I have none to report. I followed the recipes, and with NO help whatsoever I made a holiday dinner for 10 people. No fires, no burns, no cuts, no salmonella. It's almost like transforming ingredients into a recipe transformed me as well.

With that being said, I solemnly vow that from now on, barring any unforeseen circumstances, I will cook at least one meal per week. I will do my best to not repeat any recipes, and I will cook this meal without help from anyone. I will then write about that meal here. I think that this is the only way that I will be able to teach myself how to cook...trial and error. And if a meal sucks? So what. That's what Chinese turkey is for.