2 leeks, cut in half lengthwise, rinsed well
2 large carrots, cooked, mashed
1 large sweet potato or yam, cooked, mashed
2 tablespoons butter, melted, (or vegetable oil)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon each cayenne pepper, grated nutmeg
4 green onions, finely chopped
4 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
2 large potatoes, cooked, mashed
2 cups pitted prunes, soaked in hot water 15 minutes

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add leeks, simmering over low heat until slightly softened, 1-2 minutes. Drain. Separate strips out into green and white piles, place on clean towel, drain and dry well.

Combine next 9 ingredients plus half the green onions in large bowl. In a small bowl, beat 2 eggs and one yolk and stir into carrot mixture. In a second bowl, place mashed potatoes and remaining green onions. In another small bowl, beat remaining 2 eggs and yolk and add to potato-green onion mixture, beating until well blended.

Lightly grease a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Lay blanched leek strips across bottom of pan, alternating and overlapping white and green parts. Let strips hang over sides of pan. Spoon half of carrot mixture evenly on top of leeks at bottom of pan. Place one-third of drained prunes on carrot layer, leaving space between prunes. Cover evenly with half of potato-green onion mixture. Place another third of prunes on top. Continue to layer remaining carrot, prune and potato-green onion mixtures. Fold over ends of leek strips on top of pan to enclose ingredients. Cover tightly with foil.

Place loaf pan in shallow roasting pan or baking dish filled with boiling water about 1-1/2 inches deep. Bake 1-1/4 hours in a 375°F oven until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Add water to pan if necessary. Cool tsimmes loaf completely before removing pan from water. Dry bottom of pan, place on dish and weight the top overnight. Wrap foil around piece of cardboard to fit top of loaf. Press against surface and place 2 heavy cans on top of board. Refrigerate.

Unmold and slice into thin slices. Serve cold.

Because many of the dish's ingredients are peeled, scrubbed, sliced, simmered and then spiced, its name has come to mean, in Yiddish slang, a complicated chore or fuss. But food processors and other equipment make the preparation of tsimmes considerably easier than in the past.