With what dishes would you celebrate the Jewish New Year

A.� The advent of Rosh Hashanah or Jewish New Year is celebrated with traditional Jewish dishes at large family gatherings. Many of the recipes have been handed down through generations. At Passover, it is customary to serve soup, roast chicken and honey cake. (Passover is the Jewish Spring festival commemorating the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, held from the 14th to the 21st day of the seventh month of the Jewish Year. )

One of the most popular dishes includes chopped chicken livers, which is a very historic dish for most Jewish festive meals and is also served on the sabbath. It can be served with Challah bread or with Matzo on Passover. It is traditionally part of the meal before the start of the fast of Yom Kippur.

You will need: to trim and clean 1/2kg of chicken livers. Saute a large onion in chicken fat or olive oil. Add the livers and cook to the point where they are still a little pink. Add salt, pepper and a bit of sugar and chop all the mix roughly in a food processor. It should look quite chopped, rather than a fine mix.

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Q.� How do you make traditional chicken soup

A.� This is probably the best-known Jewish dish. It is very traditional for the Seder meal at Passover, but most Jewish families enjoy it all year round. It is often termed Jewish penicillin as it is produced to cure a variety of complaints. The chicken soup is often served without Matzo balls as part of the dinner for Rosh Hashanah, followed by roast chicken and honey cake.

To make it, you will need:

1 large chicken, 2 chopped onions, 1 stick chopped celery, 2 chopped carrots, 1 handful of chopped parsley, 2 bay leaves.

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer slowly for about an hour. Don't boil, otherwise the fat will be absorbed. Strain off the liquid and cool so you can remove all the fat from the top. Keep this for the dumplings.

To make Matzo balls, dissolve one teaspoon of chicken fat in 225mls of boiling water. Beat four eggs into this mixture and add 200gms of coarse Matzo Meal, salt and pepper and a dash of ground ginger. Mix to a sloppy consistency and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Just before making into balls, add a tablespoon of boiling water to thin the mixture slightly. Roll the balls and simmer gently for between 7 and 10 minutes in the chicken soup with the lid on. This is sometimes mixed with Chrayne, which is minced horseradish and beetroot.

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Q.� What is Gefillte Fish

A.� This dish originated in Eastern Europe, Poland and Russia in the 15th century. It is a traditional minced fish dish that can be eaten hot or cold. Sometimes it is served with a lemon butter sauce, but the most popular accompaniement is to serve it with a little of the fish juice that it is cooked in.

Use about 1kg of mixed fish such as cod, salmon and an oily type such as mackerel. Remove all the bones and mince with two white onions. Add two whole eggs, chopped parsley, salt and white pepper. Mix together and make into balls and then add to boiling fish stock together with a thinly sliced carrot. Cook for about 20 minutes and then serve.

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Q.� What sort of desserts are served

A.� A favourite to end the meal is Lakach, traditional honey cake. There are a lot of ingredients involved, but it is relatively simple to make. You will need:

6 eggs, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of honey, 2 tablespoons of oil, 3 half cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda,� 1/4 of a teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/2 tablespoon allspice, 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup of raisins, 1/2 cup of chopped nuts, 1/2 cup zested citrus fruits, 2 tablespoons of brandy.

Beat the eggs and sugar togther. Then stir in the honey and oil. Sift flour and other dry ingredients. Add the fruit and nuts. Combine with egg mixture and add the brandy. Bake at 170C (325F Gas mark 3) for an hour and 20 minutes.

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by Katharine MacColl