A 1941 ad for Heinz baked beans. (J. Archives) Columns From the Archives Sardines and lungs for Rosh Hashanah? How our pages have reflected changing palates Facebook Twitter Email SMS WhatsApp Share By Maya Mirsky | September 27, 2024 Sign up for Weekday J and get the latest on what's happening in the Jewish Bay Area. Honey cake for Rosh Hashanah — that’s a classic. But that’s not the only kind of food we’ve suggested for the Jewish New Year across the nearly 130 years this paper has been in operation. For example, how about lungs? In our “Quaint Jewish Customs” column in 1915, we wrote that “in the New Year people eat ethrog (citron) and parsnips, but in Germany they eat apple and honey, in the Provence new fruits, lamb’s head, and a lung. The reason for this is that we hope by eating a lamb’s head that we shall be for a head and not for a tail. Lungs, said the author, are very digestible and that is why we eat the lung.” Perhaps lung isn’t to your taste, no matter how digestible. How about giblets? In other words, poultry livers, gizzards and hearts. In our New Year’s “Pantry Platter” column of 1933, we offered what would now be called “sponsored content,” or suggestions of how to use products of our advertisers — in this case, Globe and Leslie. We suggested this “tasty dish” for serving before or with an entree. Here is the recipe: Noodles with Giblet Sauce 1 package Globe “A-1” Egg Noodles 1 small onion, minced Leslie salt, pepper and paprika (to taste) 1 tray of chicken giblets 2 tablespoons Globe “A-1” oil 2 tablespoons Globe “A-1” flour “Cook the noodles in boiling, salted water for 15 minutes, drain and serve with giblet sauce which has been made as follows: Cover the giblets with plenty of cold water, add salt, bring to boiling point and cook slowly until very tender. Drain and mince fine. Brown the minced onion in the oil, add the flour and stir until browned, then add the broth and cook until it thickens, add the minced giblets, salt, pepper and paprika to taste.” While you might associate cheesecake with Shavuot, our “Pantry Platter” of 1936 stated that “no New Year is complete without cheese cake. Here is a dandy recipe. Take two cups of Kraft cottage cheese, four Nu-Laid eggs, a heaping tablespoon of Golden State delicious butter, a teaspoon of Leslie Salt, a half cup of Golden State milk, sweeten to taste, add a half-cup of currants and place between two layers of thin biscuit dough. Bake in a hot oven 10 to 12 minutes.” That’s a lot of dairy. How about some vegetables instead? In 1970, you might skip the recipe for “fresh vegetable plate,” which is, as the name suggests, just some vegetables on a plate — albeit it suggests cutting the radishes into roses, not a skill everyone has mastered. Instead, you might consider this recipe: Carrot Torte 5 medium carrots 6 eggs 1 tsp. grated orange rind (fresh) 1 tsp. orange liqueur (or brandy) 1½ cups sugar 1½ cups ground almonds ½ cup flour 1 tsp. baking powder “Pare the carrots, slice, and cook in one cup of water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain them and mash through a sieve or in an electric blender. “Beat the egg yolks in a bowl. Add the sugar, beating until thick and light in color. Add the carrots, orange rind, liqueur, ground almonds, flour, and baking powder. Mix lightly. “Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan. “Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold one-quarter of the beaten egg whites into the carrot mixture. Repeat with another quarter. Then fold the carrot mixture into the remaining egg whites. Fold very carefully but thoroughly. “Bake for 50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool and remove from the springform pan. This cake keeps well and stays moist when completely wrapped with plastic wrap or aluminum foil in the refrigerator.” In 1995 we managed, on a single page, to write about both King Oscar sardines and Heinz baked beans for Rosh Hashanah. “Sardines may be an acquired taste, like limburger cheese, but for those who find bliss in a tin, these High Holy Days bring a new treat. King Oscar … is introducing kosher sardines, caught and packaged in Norway and shipped to the Bay Area for Jewish epicureans. … If Holy Day recipes for these aquatic delights escape family chefs, they can be obtained by calling.” On the same page, we wrote: “This year, as the High Holy Days roll around, Heinz U.S.A, hopes its Premium Vegetarian Beans will grace the tables of Jewish families nationwide. To drive home this aim, the company is distributing a glitzy holiday press kit featuring recipes, health information and a history of the product. The packet’s richly photographed cover is a veritable ode to beans, showing a sea of the moist kosher legumes swimming in a rich tomato-based sauce.” What, you don’t want lungs, giblets or sardines on your High Holiday table? Well, we can still offer you a recipe for tried-and-true honey cake. Our longtime food columnist Betty Newman suggested one in 1987. She acknowledged that every honey cake recipe “basically is the same, with slight variations. My favorite is one that my aunt made every year for Rosh Hashanah.” Here is her aunt’s recipe: Laura’s Honey Cake 3 eggs 1 cup sugar ¾ cup oil 1½ cups honey ½ cup strong coffee Rind and juice of one medium orange 3 cups sifted flour 1 tsp. baking soda 3 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. ginger 1 tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. ground cloves (optional) ½ cup chopped walnuts (plus 9 whole walnuts for topping) ½ cup white raisins “Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Beat the eggs and sugar until thick. Add honey and oil, and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and ground cloves (if using). “Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the orange juice, rind, and coffee to the egg mixture. Mix in the chopped walnuts and white raisins until well blended. “Grease a 9×13-inch pan or two loaf pans. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). Place the whole walnuts on top of the batter. Bake for about 1½ hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Invert the pan onto a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool completely before serving.” Maya Mirsky Maya Mirsky is a J. Staff Writer based in Oakland. Also On J. Rosh Hashanah Food: New Years tips to keep you smiling Holidays Sweeten your holiday — leave the cooking to others Rosh Hashanah food on Web for the table or just for laughs Rosh Hashanah seders are growing in popularity Subscribe to our Newsletter I would like to receive the following newsletters: Weekday J From Our Sponsors (helps fund our journalism) Your Sunday J Holiday Bytes