The Jewish Internet with Mark Mietkiewicz, Special To The Dayton Jewish Observer

Sukkot is almost here and like most Jewish holidays, it’s time to get stuffed. But I’m not just talking about the revelers. I’m referring to the foods themselves. Sukkot — along with Hoshanah Rabah and Simchat Torah — has a long and interesting relationship with stuffed foods.

Why the connection? Rabbi Mark Hurvitz offers this culinary metaphor: Sukkot “includes the notion of welcoming guests (both living and historical heroes) into the sukkah, thus ‘stuffing’ them into a wrapper of sorts (http://bit.ly/stuffed01).”

Ruth Heiges suggests stuffed vegetables are like “miniature cornucopia symbolizing the plenty with which we have been blessed and for which we hope throughout the coming new year (http://bit.ly/stuffed02).”

Gil Marks writes that “Stuffed vegetables — a most ancient Sukkot dish, probably having its genesis with the grape leaves remaining on the vine after the harvest that were then filled and simmered until tender — are common sights on holiday tables in all communities. As there were few or no grapes in much of Northern and Eastern Europe, the prevalent cabbage became a handy substitute.”

Marks includes recipes for Yaprakites de Peshe (Greek Fish in Grape Leaves), Zarkhop (Bukharan Lamb Stew with Vegetables) and Inferike (Syrian Meat and Potato Casserole) (http://bit.ly/stuffed03).

Browse through the Sukkot section of one of the premier Jewish cooking sites and you’ll find dozens of recipes for stuffing just about any vegetable — and fruit — you can think of: squash, zucchini, artichokes, eggplants, avocados, tomatoes, beets and dates. And of course, the cabbage (http://bit.ly/stuffed04).

Lovers of stuffed cabbage may encounter a semantic barrier as they surf for a favorite recipe.

“Philologos,” the linguistic columnist for the Forward, did an entire piece on how your name for that food depends on where your family hails from.

Letter writer Milton Lasky responded, “Whether you call it Prakas, Golubtzi, Holubtsi, Holeptshes, Gulomkes, Oleshkes, or WHATEVER is really immaterial. My Mother of ‘Blessed Memory’ called it ‘Gevilkte cabbage’ (Rolled Cabbage) and that was good enough for me providing what was rolled into the cabbage leaves (http://bit.ly/stuffed05).”

If the filled food tradition appeals to you but you are looking beyond cabbage rolls for your festive dinner, you do have some untraditional options.

“Try meat-stuffed tomatoes, pesto stuffed mushrooms, cheesy stuffed zucchini (the round ones are astonishing for stuffing), and baked stuffed nectarines for desserts…Strudels are an additional one difference on the stuffed theme — you can take this in many separate directions — stuff with meat, sautéed eggplant and mushrooms, tuna, or fruit (http://bit.ly/stuffed07).”

Another filled food associated with the holiday are kreplach, dumplings traditionally eaten on the seventh day of Sukkot, Hoshanah Rabah.

Hoshanah Rabah is when each person’s judgment that had been written on Rosh Hashanah and sealed on Yom Kippur is finally handed over to the angel — giving us one last chance to repent (http://bit.ly/stuffed08).

So what’s the connection to the humble kreplach? Judgment (symbolized by meat) is clothed in kindness, symbolized by the dough (http://bit.ly/stuffed09).

Now that you know the reason, you can take your pick of 13 kreplach recipes in the Jewish Food Archives including beef, chicken liver, kasha, bite-sized and cheese (http://bit.ly/stuffed11).

Mark Mietkiewicz may be reached at highway@rogers.com.