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Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths,
celebrates the autumn harvest. Any dish incorporating the harvest of one’s
own region is appropriate for Sukkot, but particularly those which feature
a number of ingredients within, like stuffed vegetables, fruits, and main-dish
pies - miniature cornucopia symbolizing the plenty with which we have been
blessed and for which we hope throughout the coming new year. This concept
is seen in the Ashkenazic tradition of serving kreplach or stuffed cabbage
during this holiday and the Sephardic tradition of serving couscous, with
its accompanying variety of vegetables and toppings. In cooler climates,
baked casseroles or hearty one-pot meals are especially favored, since
it is convenient to ferry them to the sukkah, the temporary hut constructed
to symbolize the wanderings in the desert by the Children of Israel and
in which as many meals as possible are eaten during the eight-day holiday
(one week in Israel). According to the Talmud, the table should be decorated
with pomegranates, themselves a symbol of plenty, and flasks of wine. |