cheese blintzes
Martin Jacobs, AlamyA Little Something More for Yom Kippur...

Breaking the Yom Kippur fast is a thrilling event. If skipping one meal seems tough, missing three squares and a few snacks is certainly trying. By the time the afternoon rolls around, thoughts of food sometimes outweigh those of repentance for which the holiday is observed. In my family -- and in most American-Jewish families from Eastern European descent -- it is custom to eat "appetizing." This milchig or dairy meal consists of bagels, cream cheese, smoked fish and all the appropriate accompaniments. Sometimes, though, I like a little something homemade.

Cooking for the break-the-fast meal is a challenge (work of any kind is strictly prohibited during the Yom Kippur fast). That's why "appetizing" is ideal, as it requires no preparation or cooking, can be purchased before the holiday begins, and enjoyed the moment the holiday ends. Also, such food is considered much lighter than a fleishig or meat meal, which might be rough on the digestive tract after having fasted. There are, however, a few foods we can prepare in advance to add that homemade touch to this most holy day, including the following.

Herring in Cream Sauce with Apples and Walnuts

This is usually the very first bite I take after the long fast. I just love the combination of pickled fish, sweet apples and onions, crunchy walnuts, and smooth cream. It's a full flavor and texture profile in just one bite! And it's better the longer it sits in the refrigerator (up to one week), so making it a day or two in advance of the holiday is a good thing.

Lox, Eggs, and Onions Quiche

Smoked salmon and eggs are traditional break-the-fast foods, and there is no prohibition against serving them in an unconventional way. The combination of lox, eggs, and onions is a quintessentially Jewish dish -- salty and savory goodness scrambled to perfection. Making the dish in a pie shell as a quiche means it can be prepared ahead and served elegantly for a larger group.

Carrot Cake Kugel

Lukshen kugel, or noodle pudding, is one of the few homemade dishes always at my break-the-fast table. This year I thought it would be fun to give my kugel a theme and make it in the style of my carrot cake, filled with grated carrots, plump raisins, crushed pineapple and lots of spices. Cooking the noodles in milk instead of water makes them creamy and tender. Topped with a cinnamon-flavored sour cream, this kugel is the perfect blend of tradition and the unexpected.

Cheese Blintzes with Cherry Sauce

Cheese blintzes can be bought from a delicatessen, or even from the freezer section of your local grocery store. But nothing beats the homemade variety. The blintzes and the sauce can be prepared before Yom Kippur begins and then simply fried at the break-the-fast meal, or just warmed in the oven. If you are a blintz fan, it's worth the fuss to make them from scratch.

Chocolate Chip Rugelach

I usually prepare a double batch of dough for rugelach right before Rosh Hashanah; I bake one batch right then and there, and then freeze the remaining dough to bake another batch for Yom Kippur after Rosh Hashanah ends. Rugelach stores beautifully in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. Fruit and nut rugelach are most traditional, but chocolate lovers need to be satiated after the fast, too.

Breaking the fast with these dairy and fish recipes is not the norm for many cultures around the globe, I have learned. I once celebrated Yom Kippur in Strasbourg, France many years ago with local friends while I was in school. All I could think about the entire day in synagogue was how I was going to enjoy a big plate of "appetizing" in France. How I had missed such food during my semester in Europe!

As grateful as I was to be included in an intimate family gathering on such a holy day, I must admit that I was astonished and more than disappointed when I was served a sweet roll (albeit homemade) and fruit salad. "Where is the rest of the meal?" I asked. My friends were surprised that I was expecting more food. "Don't you eat like this in New York? You should not eat more. It is not good to overeat after a fast," they told me.

This is good advice, of course, no matter how you break the fast. I definitely plan on the usual appetizing spread with a little something homemade, too. I'll just have to invite lots of family and friends to share it with me so we all eat a little less!

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