Mem Global | The 4 Cheese Boards of the High Holidays

High Holidays, Hosting

August 18, 2021

The 4 Cheese Boards of the High Holidays

By Ziva Swire

By Alyssa Gorenberg, Associate Director, MHWOW With every Jewish holiday comes a feast and I have always felt like the food at High Holidays, in particular, takes the honey cake. I have been eating the same meals for years… Bubbe’s brisket at Rosh Hashanah, bagels at Yom Kippur break fast, and pizza in the hut is a classic for Sukkot in the United States. This year is the first time in two years I am able to spend the high holidays with my loved ones and I think it’s also time for a fresh take on my classics. Let me take you on a culinary adventure, in 4 different ways, where I have mapped out your spreads and cocktails for your guests. While you can replicate family favorites, it can also serve as inspiration for you to reimagine your own traditions!

Rosh Hashanah

My Jewish new year is typically rung in with apples, honey, dates, pomegranates, and round challot of course. Create this sweet and vibrant fruit and cheese plate for when your guests come over and hand them this mocktail.

Cheese board with apples, mild cheddar, honey goat cheese with a honey drizzle, pomegranate seeds, specialty crackers, and candied walnuts

Mocktail with equal parts pomegranate juice and seltzer water. Add lime wedges to taste.

Yom Kippur Break Fast

Each year my family breaks our Yom Kippur fast with breakfast for dinner. Let’s take those bagels out of the bag and create a lox river on our bagel board! This meal is best served with an orange juice bar.

Bagel board with bagels, lox, cucumber slices, shredded red onion, tomato slices, cream cheese, and sprigs of dill.

Orange juice, berries, and champagne is optional.

Sukkot

Sukkot is usually a turn to fall with a harvest-themed meal. This corn on the cob topping bar is the move and makes sure your guests can go savory, spicy, or both. These are paired perfectly with a fall beer flight sampler.

Corn on the cob pieces served with butter dish, feta and cotija cheeses, olive oil spritzer, elote seasoning, cayenne pepper, and rosemary. Serve the beers of your choosing! Pictured is Bell’s Oberon, a hard Kombucha, New Glarus Moon Man, and a hard cider.

Simchat Torah

The joy of Simchat Torah brings me back to when I was a younger child and I got to sing, dance, laugh, and eat so much CANDY! For dessert, check out this cheesecake and candy spread with a tahini milkshake (the recipe made by the one and only Molly Yeh).

Cheesecake wedges surrounded by chocolate-coated candies, gummies, walnuts, banana chips, chocolate wafers, and chocolate coconut bars.

Vanilla tahini milkshakes topped with a generous amount of whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles.

Like what you see? Going to copycat? Or maybe dream up your own? Show us in the Facebook group or on the Mintranet! We can’t wait to see what you make in 5782!