In the kitchen with Henny: Sweetness in every course

Rosh Hashanah marked two beginnings for Henny Shor: the start of a new year and, in 2020, the unexpected start of her career as a kitchen coach.

After months of quarantine, Shor’s daughter began first grade. On that day, Shor sat down to plan the family’s Rosh Hashanah menu and wondered whether she could share her ideas and recipes with others. “In the Kitchen with Henny” became a simple PDF for friends and family, and eventually a new chapter in her life.

The holiday now reminds her how something small can become something far bigger than expected. Shor builds her recipes around the simanim, the traditional symbolic foods associated with Rosh Hashanah, using honey, silan, pomegranate, apples and other familiar flavors. Her aim is to carry that sweetness through the meal, from the first bite to the last spoonful.

One recipe turns salmon into bite-sized starter portions. The fish is marinated in honey, fresh orange juice, orange zest, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, then baked at 200°C, or 400°F, for 10 to 12 minutes. Shor says the format lets guests sample fish without adding a separate course, while pomegranate seeds, parsley and orange slices complete the festive presentation.

Her silan-roasted carrots and squash also include zucchini, which she says adds flavor and a flash of green to the platter. The vegetables caramelize in the oven with the help of silan, or date syrup, and can be served alone or over warm brown rice.