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12 Unique Challah Shapes for Your Shabbat Table

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Here at Team STG, we love a good challah. (Although on second thought, is there anyone who doesn’t?) In addition to being totally delicious – there is nothing, but nothing, like a slice fresh out of the oven – challah’s just so evocative of cozy Shabbat dinners and nourishing holiday meals. 

Usually it’s simply (or not-so-simply) braided – with three, four, five, six, or even more strands – and while the more standard braided loaves can be plenty impressive in their own rights, today we’re turning to some intrepid bakers of Instagram, for whom challah is more than a bread – it’s an art form. 

From Jewish symbols to animals, abstract designs to seasonal specialties, turns out you can shape your challah dough into just about anything. Though it’s just a tiny smattering go all the gorgeous loaves we could’ve shared, feast your eyes on twelve of our very favorite bakes. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Allegra Benitah, Challah Mummy (@allegrabenitah) on

We’ve seen pull-apart challah before, but never like this – HOW stunning is this design from master baker @allegrabenitah?

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Nomad Bakery (@nomadbakery) on

This hamsa challah from @nomadbakery‘s got us wondering why this palm-shaped good luck symbol doesn’t show up more often when it comes to bread baking.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Rebekah Lowin (@rebekahlowin) on

Just in time for Halloween (or really any autumnal occasion), @rebekahlowin brings us pumpkin challah rolls – which not only look like sweet lil’ mini pumpkins, but taste like them too (well, sort of) thanks to pumpkin puree.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by The Challah Artist from Berlin (@challahprince) on

How elegant is this artistic sunrise (or sunset, your call!) challah from @challahprince?!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Amy Kritzer ???? Jewish Food (@whatjewwannaeat) on

Okay, so it’s not the shape we love about this one, but rather the colors – but either way, @whatjewwannaeat bakes up the prettiest rainbow challah we’ve ever seen. And Amy Kritzer, the blogger behind this iconic account, just happens to be a member of Smashing Life, our community for Jewish and Jew-ish women looking to lead authentic Jewish lives on their own terms!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Jewish Food History Blog (@poppyandprune) on

It’s a little late for this year, but keep this lulav and etrog challah by @poppyandprune – aka Smashing The Glass’s very own Client Relations Manager, Emily Sacharin – in mind for next Sukkot!

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Bringing Spirituality into Your Jewish Wedding and Your Home with Micaela Ezra of AHYIN

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Photography; Sasha Israel | @sashaisrael

As brides, we spend so much time thinking about the aesthetics and logistics of our big days, sometimes it’s easy to overlook the spiritual element of your Jewish (or Jew-ish) wedding – and of the home you’re building together. 

That’s why I’m so thrilled to be talking today to Micaela Ezra, the powerhouse designer behind AHYIN, a jawdroppingly gorgeous line of contemporary Judaica that we on Team STG are absolutely in love with. Micaela’s designs – she’s best known for her stunning challah covers, which bring together traditional Jewish symbolism and the embroidery traditions of the craftswomen of Hilando Mexico, a collective whose members hand-embroider each and every AHYIN piece.

Meant to start conversation around the Friday night dinner table, Micaela’s designs reflect her belief in the relevance of Jewish ritual to our contemporary lives, and equally in the fusion of spirituality and beauty.

Micaela’s wedding — Photography: Joe Buissink | @joebuissink

AHYIN’s pieces are intended to be handed down through the generations as heirlooms, and what a beautiful symbol of the beginning of your life together as a family. Even for those of us who are not exactly at the beginning of our lives together – I know I’m adding a few of these beauties to my own wishlist!

What makes Micaela so inspiring is that she really embodies her commitment to tradition and modernity, ritual and aesthetic, not only in her work but also in her life – as she detailed when talking to us about everything from her journey from fashion design to Judaica to how she incorporated spirituality into her own wedding. There’s so much more I could say about this fantastic lady and her art, but I’ll let you read it in her own words.

Photography; Sasha Israel | @sashaisrael

Photography; Sasha Israel | @sashaisrael

Photography; Sasha Israel | @sashaisrael

Photography; Sasha Israel | @sashaisrael

STG: What inspired you to create AHYIN?

Micaela Ezra: Actually a childhood friend from Australia asked me to design her a challah cover in the traditional Mexican Otami embroidery style (I am a designer and artist). The request prompted a creative journey into an industry I had never even considered. I serendipitously came across a community of talented artisans in Mexico and suddenly I realised that this work was the meeting point of so many life passions for me – textile design, Jewish spirituality and social change philanthropy.

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Friday Night Recipes #3 – Beef Stew with rice (a.k.a. a brilliant recipe for busy bees!)

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Friday-night-dinner
Eating is a necessity, but cooking truly is an art. With the busy lives we lead nowadays, trying to keep up with never-ending life goals means that a lot of us  find it hard to dish out delicious meals after a hard day’s work in the rat race.

But the good news is that not every amazingly scrumptious dish takes an insanely long time to prepare. The thought of spending hours in the kitchen slaving over food after an honest day’s work, leaves most of us deflated, frazzled and drinking the wine we should actually be cooking with. Sometimes, all you need are good quality ingredients, and a trusted slow cooker followed by a hearty appetite with enchanting family or dinner guests.

Today’s  alternative Friday night dinner  recipe is just that.  It’s  perfect for you and your loved one(s), a big family gathering, and  even  the Friday night before a wedding celebration as  the  recipe actually allows you to spend  plenty of time with your family, friends and guests. The slow cooker takes on the brunt of the work involved, making it  the perfect end-of-the-week recipe.

This is the third  in our monthly series  of brilliant Friday night recipes. If you missed Mark’s  earlier culinary  delights, they’re right here.

beef-stew-recipe

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Friday Night Recipes #2 – Spaghetti Bolognese

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Spaghetti-bolognese-recipe
There’s Spaghetti Bolognese and then there’s Spaghetti Bolognese… (or Spaghetti Shabbatgnese!)

Friday night dinner doesn’t always have to be roast chicken and I guarantee that your nearest and dearest will go crazy for  this mind-blowing variant  of the recipe by our resident chef,  Mark Frankel.

Spaghetti Bolognese is a dish that  normally takes a huge amount  of love and time, and whilst this one is full to bursting with amour, it takes well under an hour to prepare and make  the entire dish (more time for wedding planning then — yay!).

This is the second in our monthly series  of Frankel-y brilliant Friday night recipes. If you missed Mark’s  first one, it’s right here.

Spaghetti Bolognese

By Mark Frankel

Three. Let’s give you three guesses.

Interested?

Before we start, I must say that it is great to see your culinary appetite whet after surviving my first recipe. There was a noticeable increase in poultry sales here in North West London, which I’m assuming had something to do with me giving away my deepest, tastiest secrets last month…

So, please do take your first guess to which question I am faced with the most. How do I keep my devilishly charming young looks, I hear you say. Ah yes, besides that one. All joking aside, the question of all questions is actually: “What is your most favourite dish?”

Less is more sometimes, and the sweet simple things in life are the real extraordinary pleasures. Therefore, my answer comes easily to this question: Spaghetti alla Bolognese. A hearty, wholesome bowl of steaming pasta covered in generous lashings of deliciously meaty sauce. It’s a fantastic family pleaser and magnificently ticks all the boxes in the comfort food criteria. For the geeks among us, the first documented recipe for this meat based sauce dates all the way back to 1891. Impressively tasty, right?

There are so many variations of this dish worldwide, that it truly boggles the mind. Can you really improve a recipe, which boasts a 125 old food lifespan having rubbed forks and spoons with various meats along the plates from veal to pork, and now the 21st century’s newest fad ‘Quorn’. My amazing grandma, G-d bless her soul, used to prepare her version with carrots and red peppers for a subtly sweet flavour. Others recommend using tomato pureà©, a pinch of nutmeg, a dash of wine & even milk for the non-kosher recipes or even turmeric as part of their take on the world’s best ‘spag bol’. Did you know that in Italy this dish is never served with spaghetti due to its smooth surface, which cannot easily absorb the meaty sauce. The true Italian way is to serve it with tagliatelle, pappardelle or fettuccine, which have a wider more coarse surface to taste every last ingredient in your secret bolognese sauce.

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Friday Night Recipes #1 – Yummy roast chicken

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Friday Night Dinner Shabbat recipes
This is the first in a monthly series of exciting  Friday Night dinner recipes that I thought might be fun for you to  try out on your beloved, as well as other loved ones in your life.  I don’t know about you, but I’m  always looking for inspiration for what to cook for Mr STG, as well as recipe ideas for when  it’s more than just the two of us for dinner.

Quite often our parents, in-laws and siblings join us for Friday nights, and it’s up to my hubby (who does most of the cooking in our house) to rustle up a beautiful dinner. I’d love to get back into cooking and contribute more in the kitchen,  so  I asked  Mark Frankel, a dear friend and talented masterchef, to share some modern takes on the traditional Shabbat meal / Friday night dinner.

I’ll be posting a brand new recipe of his on the first Friday of every month and these  dishes will be  perfect for busy souls who want tasty family dishes that don’t take all day to prepare.

I’d love you to try out the  recipes and share your  results on  Instagram using the hashtag #SmashingFridayNight. It would be so great to see your creations and of course I’ll be sharing mine too!

So let’s  hand over to Mark, our new resident chef, who is kicking off the series  with his take  on the perfect roast chicken. I mean… how could he we start the series with anything else?! This dish is perfect for when the family come over on Friday night, or for the weekend of your  wedding.

I can’t wait to see how you get on… Happy Friday!

Friday Night Dinner Shabbat Recipes Roast ChickenFriday Night Dinner Shabbat Recipe Roast ChickenFriday Night Dinner Shabbat Recipe Roast ChickenFriday Night Dinner Shabbat Recipe Roast ChickenContinue ReadingContinue Reading