NOSH ON THIS

SHARING RECIPES

MY GRANDMOTHER'S APPLE KUGEL

By a Holocaust survivor's granddaughter

This recipe reminded me of the wonderful and fun times I had with my mother when we picked fresh apples together. My mother would forget to bring the basket, so I would pick the apples as she held out her apron to carry back to our home.

The smell of this baking was amazing, and even now, when I make it, I think of my mother and grandmother. The soft scent of apples. The desire to eat it as soon as it came out of the oven. The sweetness. All good memories from a time before the horrors of the Holocaust.

This recipe is good all year round, including Pesach. It is my favorite and I want to share it with you.

INGREDIENTS

5 medium apples (yellow delicious are my preference) 2 medium eggs 1 cup Matzo meal 1/4 cup sugar (add more if you like it sweeter) 1 cup orange juice 1/4 cup oil 1/4 cup raisins 1/4 cup chopped Walnuts Cinnamon Lemon rind (optional, but makes it so good) DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 ̊.

2. Peel apples and slice thinly; set aside.

3. Add all liquid ingredients to bowl; mix together.

4. Add dry ingredients to liquid mixture (except for cinnamon and apples); mix well. 5. Stir in apples and pour into a wellgreased 9x11 casserole dish.

6. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

7. Bake for approximately 1 hour.

Stacy Seslowsky,RD,LDN ,MSN , y J e B w i s h ance Alli Community

PERFECT PRE-FAST MENU

Tish’a B’Av culminates the three-week mourning period for the destruction of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. If you are observing the fast, it’s traditional to eat a Seudat HaMafseket (Meal of Cessation). Traditional mourning foods have round shapes to remind us that misfortunes are part of the life cycle. These foods don’t have mouths which remind us that mourners grieve in silence. Joyous foods such as wine and meat are avoided. Fasting is no easy task, especially in the heat of Florida summer. Here are my top recommendations to optimize nutrition intake for a healthy and successful fast. Tzom kal!

TIPS & TRICKS

Eat protein, fi ber, and resistant starch.

• Protein is essential for every functional process (immune, hormonal, metabolic, etc.) and structural component in our bodies. Animal sourced protein (beef, poultry, fi sh, eggs) is complete and the most bioavailable form. Plant protein must be eaten in specifi c combinations to provide a complete protein. For example, rice with beans. • Fiber helps regulate digestion speed and blood sugar. Soluble fi ber normalizes blood sugar (found in oats, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, apples, pears, strawberries) while insoluble fi ber promotes healthy bowel movements to eliminate toxins (found in whole grains, brown rice, nuts, seeds, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, celery, dark leafy vegetables, grapes, tomatoes). • Resistant starch nourishes the gut microbiome which also helps regulate blood sugar and promote bowel regularity (found in potatoes, beans, lentils, rice, oatmeal, bananas).

Hydrate well. Drink at least 8 cups of water the day before. Adding salt and/or electrolytes is helpful to ensure the water is absorbed into the cells.

Avoid C.R.A.P. Skip the Caff eine, Refi ned Sugar, Alcohol, and Processed Foods to inhibit infl ammation, blood sugar imbalance, fatigue, brain fog, and other discomforts.