Breakfast at Sundown

Yom Kippur is a holiday for fasting, not for eating, though we certainly celebrate when the day is done and we can finally sit down at the table.

Usually, we do it in the same way. Almost every Yom Kippur menu features some kind of smoked or pickled fish, something starchy and filling and a sweet bread. In some ways the menu for when we break this year’s fast Thursday evening is no different. But in others, it’s completely new.

Rather than buying lox or herring, for example, here’s how you can poach your own salmon in a vinegary broth, which gives you a gentle tartness that just points up the rich flavor of the fish. The fish and the two sauces that accompany it can be made a day ahead.

The cheese bread is much the same. It’s not really a bread, it’s more like a cross between a souffle and a savory cream puff. The first time I made this recipe, when it came out of the oven it had risen so high above the cake pan everyone applauded.

The basic recipe can be prepared one or two days in advance, covered with plastic wrap, refrigerated and baked just before serving. It is best eaten when warm, although it can be served the next day with a salad for lunch.

For dessert, serve a banana-nut shortcake with a streusel topping. This moist, delicious cake has become a favorite holiday dessert in our family.

It is so easy to make you don’t even need an electric mixer. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another, then combine the two. I like to use those little tinfoil bread pans for this. I grease them with butter or margarine and then dust them with finely ground walnuts instead of flour; this makes for a crisp crust.

You can also serve this bread topped with warm chocolate sauce or whipped cream and it becomes even better. After all, you haven’t eaten all day.

Banana-Nut Loaf With Streusel Topping

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours

Use the pans specified here; the loaves, which are moist and dense, won’t bake properly in larger pans.

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STREUSEL TOPPING

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, margarine or shortening

1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Stir together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter just until crumbly; do not overmix. Stir in the chopped walnuts. Cover and set aside.

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LOAVES

2 cups walnuts or pecans

3/4 cup finely ground walnuts or pecans

2 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, margarine or shortening, cut in pieces

2 cups (about 5 large) mashed bananas

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

Toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Chop them and set aside.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 4 (8x33/4-inch) disposable aluminum loaf pans; sprinkle them with the ground nuts and set them aside.

In a large mixing bowl, blend the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and blend until crumbly. With a rubber spatula, add the chopped walnuts and mix well.

Beat together the bananas, eggs and milk. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture all at once. Stir gently just until all the dry ingredients are moistened; do not overstir. Spoon the batter into the loaf pans. Sprinkle each loaf with Streusel Topping.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the loaves come away from the sides of the pans, 45 minutes.

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32 servings. Each serving: 294 calories; 215 mg sodium; 44 mg cholesterol; 15 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams protein; 1.12 grams fiber.

Cheese Bread Souffle

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour * Vegetarian

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1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter or margarine

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup milk, plus more for brushing

1 cup flour

4 eggs

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon finely shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese, divided

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8-or 9-inch cake pan with a removable bottom.

Place the butter, Dijon and dry mustards, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mash with a fork until creamy. Set aside.

Place the milk in a heavy saucepan and heat it until bubbles form around the sides. Add the butter mixture and bring to a rolling boil. Add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously until the mixture forms a ball and leaves the sides of the pan clean.

Transfer the dough to the bowl of an electric mixer and add one egg at a time, blending well after each addition, until the dough is shiny and smooth.

Stir in 1 cup of the cheese and blend well. Place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch tube. Pipe half the dough in slightly overlapping ovals to the center of the pan. Repeat one more layer on top until all the dough is used. Sprinkle the top with 1 tablespoon of cheese and brush with milk. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Keep an eye on the souffle so it doesn’t become too browned. Serve immediately.

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8 servings. Each serving: 164 calories; 349 mg sodium; 123 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 0.49 grams fiber.

Pickled Salmon With Two Sauces

Active Work Time: 25 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hours

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TUNA SAUCE

1 (6-ounce) can tuna packed in olive oil, drained

5 flat anchovy filets

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons capers, drained

3/4 cup olive oil

In a food processor or blender, blend the tuna, anchovies, lemon juice and capers until smooth. Continue processing and pour the olive oil in a steady thin stream, through the feeder tube, until the consistency of a thick sauce. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour. Makes about 1 cup.

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TARTAR SAUCE

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup diced red onion

3 teaspoons capers, drained and chopped

3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, capers, basil and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour. Makes about 1 cup.

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SALMON

6 large salmon filets, about 3 pounds total

4 bay leaves

1 teaspoon whole peppercorns

3 tablespoons pickling spice

10 cups cold water

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 large carrots, thinly sliced

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 lemon, thinly sliced, for garnish

Wrap the filets in cheesecloth and tie with string.

Place the bay leaves, peppercorns and pickling spice in a separate square of cheesecloth, tying the ends with string to form a pouch.

In a heavy pot, bring the water, onion, carrots, celery, white wine vinegar, salt, sugar and bay leaf mixture in the pouch to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes; remove the pouch from the broth. Gently lower the cheesecloth-wrapped salmon into the simmering broth and cook 3 minutes. Cool the fish in the broth to room temperature, about 45 minutes.

When cool, remove the fish from the broth, unwrap it and transfer to a serving plate using a large spatula. Serve with the two sauces, garnished with lemon slices.

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6 to 12 servings. Each of 12 servings: 354 calories; 689 mg sodium; 54 mg cholesterol; 27 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams protein; 0.99 gram fiber.

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Vietri Pottery, right and on cover, from Salutations Home stores in Brentwood and Pasadena.

.W