3 Great Ways to Break the Fast this Yom Kippur Holiday
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is considered the holiest day of the year in Judaism. It’s a day Jewish people atone for their sins and that of the nation, and repent by fasting and praying for roughly 25 hours during the holiday, most of which is spent in a synagogue.
Following the 25-hour fast comes what’s known as the break fast, when Jewish people have their first meal following the fast. After 25 hours of not eating or drinking and prayer, many Jewish people are yearning for a good break fast meal. Why not try Yom Kippur break fast catering to help nourish yourself and your guests while you gather on the holiest day of the year?
This year, Yom Kippur will begin on the evening of Tuesday, October 8 and end on the evening of Wednesday, October 9. While there are many different traditions around the world about how to break the fast, here are three great Yom Kippur food ideas for your break fast this year.
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Offer a Variety of Food That Can Be Served Over Time
One of the most difficult things to do after the intensive fasting period of Yom Kippur is resisting the temptation to simply gorge yourself with food and water. After not eating or drinking for 25 hours, who could blame you for that reaction?
The best way to break the fast, though, is to take it slow. Start by drinking some water and slowly introducing food back into your system. You may want to take a break after the initial consumption to take a walk, before returning for some more food and water.
As such, you can plan your Yom Kippur break fast catering to be set up like an extended meal. The first offerings can be lighter fare, such as bagels with cream cheese and lox with fresh vegetables that are presented in small portions. Small salads and cups of soup are also great ideas when catering your break fast.
Second and possibly third rounds of food can gradually become more hearty and substantive, as your body is getting used to having food and water back in its system.
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Stick with Fish
Fasting for that long can throw your system off a bit. That’s why easing back into eating, and opting for lighter foods, is recommended.
If you’re looking to theme your Yom Kippur break fast catering meal, one of the best ways to do so is to offer a variety of fish. Fish can be eaten in small portions and it is light on the stomach. Meals revolved around smoked fish can also be prepared in advance and not require anyone to slave over a stove while catering your break fast.
To this end, offering a buffet of a variety of fish is a great idea. Your Yom Kippur break fast catering buffet can include sturgeon, sable, smoked salmon, herring in cream sauce, whitefish salad or whole whitefish, for example.
Where your Yom Kippur break fast catering can really stand out is with the accoutrements that are presented with the fish buffet. Traditional pairings are cream cheese and bagels (and you can’t go wrong with that), but you can also offer other traditional Yom Kippur delicacies such as noodle kugel, blintzes and potato pancakes, also known as latkes.
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Offer Different Sweet Treats
Another staple of Yom Kippur break fast catering is blintzes, cheese-stuffed crepes that serve as the sweet complement to the other offerings on the table. One of the downfalls of blintzes, though, is they are individually prepared and best served hot after they’ve been fried in butter.
Instead of catering your break fast with a dish that requires a lot of work, attention and preparation right before it’s served, you could opt for miniature sweet bites that your guests can pick and choose from.
Some ideas include having your Yom Kippur break fast catering company offer a variety of puff pastry stuffed with jams and other sweet concoctions. In fact, this is the basis for what rugelach is. You can offer bite-sized treats filled with apricot jam, raisins, a variety of nuts and other sweet spices.
Another option is a fruit-filled strata. By pairing fruit flavors such as lemon and raspberry, you can take this traditionally savory dish and turn it into a sweet treat that is more like French toast. This is a wonderful way to offer something slightly different than normal when catering your break fast.
Choose a Great Yom Kippur Break Fast Catering Company
On the holiest day of the year, the last thing you want to worry about is having to prepare a meal to break the fast. That’s why choosing the right Yom Kippur break fast catering company that knows all the traditions and limitations required for catering your break fast is so important.
Paul Evans Catering, a premier New York caterer serving Manhattan to Montauk, can help you do just that. No matter how you like to break the fast, Paul Evans Catering can help you personalize it to you and your guets’ liking.
Paul Evans Catering has locations in Long Island, The Hamptons and Manhattan, and can help you choose among endless menu options to help you curate the perfect items for catering your break fast. Visit their website or call Paul Evans Catering today to plan the perfect Yom Kippur break fast meal. Long Island (516) 889-4101, Hamptons (631) 288-5992, Manhattan (212) 321-1822.
