Let them eat cake ‚ for Rosh Hashana I know that people are always looking for new recipes for the holidays. One does go looking around and yet always comes back to the same traditional stuff every year! Here in Israel I do not make Rosh Hashanah; did it once, the first year we arrived in this country and swore never to do it again! Never did! We go to a hotel and pretend that we are tourists.

That first time was a nightmare; it was still very hot (the middle of summer, here in Israel); we reserved seats in the only air-conditioned place available, but forgot that we had to get there! On foot! Quite a long 'schlep' from where we live. Being fresh out of New York, I dressed accordingly, pushed one kid in a pram and dragged the other behind me, getting to the synagogue drenched, hot, exhausted, furious and ready to go 'home' to the States right there and then!

My father-in-law decided that it was the perfect time to visit and see how we are doing; secretly, I think, he wanted to see if we had enough of this crazy adventure and are ready to come back home. He arrived when all preparations were made, so he had no choice, but to join in. He hated everything! The weather, the synagogue, the food I served and us probably most of all. It was "a jolly time had by all" and I swore:never again!!

And it really worked; when the children were small we would go into one of the large hotels; it was boiling hot and no Israeli would go into the pool! The hotel would be full, people sitting around the pool, but nobody went into the water. "It¼s after September 1st", I was told by one and all, therefore it was autumn and one did not swim any more. AND: do NOT eat ice cream! It simply disappeared when September 1st came along!

But, I tried to argue; "It is still 40 degrees!" They all assured me that the first cold always struck at that time of the year, IF one went swimming! "Stay out of the water", I was told, "and keep those children out"! Ridiculous, we decided, and into the inviting cool waters of the pool we went and both children came down with sore throats and high temperatures. I was followed by shaking heads throughout our stay; "Those crazy Americans" I heard whispers "They don't know anything and will not listen to reason...those poor children... tzk,tzk".

The following year, the same thing happened; the next one as well. We persevered and so did the kids! They got sick every year, until they grew up or got used to it. Have no idea what came first. That is the reason I have no specific recipes for this holiday. I tried making honey cake, a number of times; it always flops in the middle and looks very sad. I prefer the old American stand by of date-nut loaves; you make two of those and they keep in the fridge forever! So, I make those, and when we return home, the 'loaves' are "aged" and ready to enjoy! This is what you do:
Into 1/2 cup of cognac (Ok! Brandy fine as well) dump 100 gr. raisins.
Let that sit for an hour. Or, do it in the morning and forget it until you want to bake; the longer the raisins sip the cognac the better.
Now: you have two large bowls: into one sift together:
2 cups sugar
4 cups flour (regular white)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger (in powder form)
Shake and leave alone, while you take 2 loaf pans and grease them well.

Into the other bowl go:
1/2 kilo pitted dates (they come in a block here in Israel; you really have to work with your hands to get it going into a good-looking 'datey'-mess; boiling water helps)
100 gr. walnuts (no need to chop them)
100 gr. butter or margarine
1 and 1/2 cup of boiling water
Pour the water over the butter or margarine; with your hand (really the best!) mix it all well together; add the raisins and all the cognac and mix again. Pour that into the flour mix, mix well divide into the two loaf pans, and bake for 1 hour in a 350 oven.

Let cool and wrap well in foil; store in the back of the fridge.
Do not touch for a few days! Let it rest and age!
Then you can slice it, quite thinly, serve it that way, or put cream cheese between two slices, cut into two across or four and you always have something in the fridge for coffee or tea.
The longer you keep it,the better it gets. But remember; keep it well wrapped in foil and in the fridge.

Shana Tova!