This week is full of holidays, including the start of the Jewish New Year - Rosh Hashanah. Beginning this Wednesday night, Rosh is also one of the major high holidays, during which Jews get together with family to welcome the new year. Typically, there's a big dinner with lots of sweet things that symbolize the start of a sweet new year. In honor of that, I'm featuring a mini round-up of desserts fitting for the occasion:
Apple Fig and Almond Crostata - I love that this rustic tart combines seasonal ingredients such as apples and figs. While it looks impressive, it's wonderfully forgiving, meaning that you can improvise with it and make lots of aesthetic mistakes, because it'll still look and taste really good.
Castagnaccio (aka spicy chestnut cake) - Another rustic dessert, this one uses mostly dried fruit, nuts and savory herbs such as fresh rosemary. It's a pretty hodgepodge of things that work really well together and remind you of fall. This is a perfect kind of cake to have with tea or coffee, and a generous helping of honey on top.
Nectarine Upside Down Cake -Another fruity dessert, this one switches things up, as it uses nectarines instead of apples, which are traditional for Rosh Hashanah. Fresh or frozen nectarines will do just fine, and make sure you also use the plain Greek yogurt the recipe suggests to keep the cake nice and moist.
Baked Apples with Chocolate Granola - Anyone who's looking to whip up a quick, homemade apple dessert can create this. Made up of any kind of sliced apples, a few dashes of cinnamon, lemon, maple syrup and sage, it's my own take on the classic apple crisp, except with granola on top.
As this year comes to a close, I gratefully remember the wonderful things it has brought. Lots and lots of changes, and some transitions that went along with it, but all in all a really prosperous and rich year that I would never take back. I look forward to what this new year will bring, and can already feel the food adventures bubbling up, but before we go on, let me remind you of the big 2011 milestones that affected Fooditka.
1. My Big Name Change - Of course the most significant thing this year for me was my big name change from the Foodista to Fooditka. As you may remember, my new name ties in closely to my heritage and allows me to stand out more. I happily unveiled this new site name and re-launch at a big party, graciously hosted by my good friends at 5 Napkin Burger.
2. My Big Travels - I've been fortunate to travel the world this year, living the dream of participating in a cooking program in Tuscany, where I learned about the wonders of clean, simple and delicious Italian cuisine. But the fun didn't end there, as the year also brought exciting food adventures in Paris, London, Munich, Slovakia and Mexico. I couldn't be happier to explore the cultures of these beautiful countries, and hope to take it to the next level in 2012. Fooditka goes international again!
3. My Big Love of Astoria/LIC - No matter where I go, what I see, and the fantastic things I eat, my passion continues to rest close to home. And although this year has been fantastic when it comes to international food adventures, what keeps me going are the fabulous food-things percolating at home. I love that this year has brought on exciting changes to the nabe such as new restaurants, cafes and more. Some of the most notable ones that come to mind are The Queens Kickshaw, Sugarfreak, Bear, Veslo, Alobar, Astor Room, among others.
It's been an absolute pleasure Astoria...thanks as always for your support, and I can't wait to do it all over again in 2012. Hope you had a happy, healthy and delicious one as well!
