New year, new ideas. Here are some artful ways to make your Yom Tov seudos even more special, with a fresh nod to a new year.

Adorable Apple Bilke

Combine the two items that take center stage on your Rosh Hashanah table.

 YOU WILL NEED:

• challah dough
• egg wash (see tip)
• thin pretzels
• muffin pan, sprayed with cooking spray
• small leaves, either real or fake

1. Divide the dough into balls. To make sure they’re all the same size, weigh your balls of dough. (Mine were 95 grams per ball.) Roll into round balls and place in the muffin pan.
2. Paint the challos with egg wash.
3. Stick a pretzel in the center of each ball and bake.
4. Add a leaf to each bilke.

Tip: Using just the egg yolk with a little sugar mixed into it will make the challos shinier.

Striking Striped Salmon

I got this magnificent fish decorating idea from my cousin Avigayil in Denver. She’s a hostess with the mostest, with a focus on healthy cooking — always done with flair! Thanks, Avigayil, for introducing me to sumac. What a stunning color for a spice.

 YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 side of salmon
• your favorite marinade or sauce
• assorted colorful spices and toppings (I used sumac, dried parsley, and white and black sesame seeds)

1. Marinate the fish or spread any sauce on top.
2. Place fish in a lined baking pan and decorate with stripes of assorted spices/toppings. (Note: To make stripes even, I used the width of a 12-inch ruler to measure each stripe. As I measured, I made a small slit in the fish. Then I used a piece of foil folded into a thin strip to use as a divider as I added the spices. Don't put the foil on top of the spices, as it will mess up the design.)
3. Bake. When ready to serve, carefully transfer to a platter and decorate it with lemon slices.

(Originally featured in FamilyTable, Issue 660)