Prepare ahead for the end of the fast

It's hard to cook when your belly's growling, but when it's time to break the Yom Kippur fast Oct. 9, this is a dilemma. You can't eat while you cook and you can't cook before the last shofar blows. The solution to this stomach-rumbling sequence is to complete the bulk of the break-the-fast menu the day before. Final reparations will only require a quick flash in the oven or on the stovetop - something you can do even on an empty stomach.

After fasting, eat foods that aren't heavy. Look to dairy dishes and vegetables, traditional fast-breaking nourishment, to fill you up without overdoing it. A day in advance, assemble a vegetable crudite platter with a lemony hummus, smoked salmon cakes, and noodle kugel. As soon as the sun sets on Yom Kippur, heat up what you need to and you'll be the hero of a hungry crowd.

Though the summer growing season is over, sturdy sweet fall vegetables - fennel, carrots, radishes, and celery - have wonderful snap and color. And they're colorful. For a dip, pulse canned chick peas, garlic, lemon, and tahini into a creamy hummus.

Noodle kugel, a staple of the Jewish High Holidays, anchors this meal. A good kugel is rich and filling and just the sort of thing you can eat guilt-free after a day of going without. It should also be a study in balance, which is hard to achieve when you're dealing with pasta and dairy products. You want it to be creamy but not heavy, sweet but not cloying. To achieve this, sour cream and orange rind add tang and perk up the egg custard surrounding the noodles. A crushed cornflake topping adds a crisp element. Some cooks like raisins and crushed pineapple in kugel; add them if you like.

Smoked salmon cakes made with mashed potato are also part of this nourishing menu. Crumble meaty hot-smoked salmon into the potatoes, add fresh herbs and fry the mixture in patties. They can be shaped and refrigerated for a day or two without harm. Serve them with a dollop of creamy horseradish sauce.

As long as you're preparing everything ahead, set the table the day before if possible. Sometime next weekend, tuck a coffeecake into the freezer and let it defrost at room temperature. Round out the menu with bagels and cream cheese, a green salad, frittata, and sliced fruit.

On this day, abundance is not a bad thing.