You think chocolate grows on trees?

My friend from college, Dorit, used to send us a Tu Bi'Shvat card every year. Only problem was, she did not acknowledge any other holiday (religious or secular) except Tu Bi'Shvat and she called it Arbor Day. Which it is not. I found it all very confusing.

A truly awful music teacher I've met last year had bad mouthed the holiday, claiming it was invented by the priests of ancient days who wanted taxes. And what makes it worse is, he was almost right. Tu Bi'Shvat is first mentioned in the Mishna in relation to tithes (which were sort of like taxes)  http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3264/jewish/Tu-BShevat.htm

That being said, there is no call to speak ill of either the priests (hey, everyone has to make a living and, in any case, it was ordained in the Torah) or the holiday itself. Tu Bi'Shvat is a nice little holiday with no strings attached, only good stuff. Why be mean?

OK, but you have logged on for food ideas, not a legal discussion of taxes in Mishnaic times. So let's talk food.

The best part of Tu Bi'Shvat is that the main food is fruit, which means you can pretend that the food you're eating is healthy, maybe even slimming. Of course, my daughter tells me that chocolate is made of cocoa beans which grow on trees so technically, we should eat chocolate for Tu Bi'Shvat. My chocoholic brother is responsible for this corruption of young people's minds.

The internet is filled with ideas for Tu Bi'Shvat Seders and as we all know, a Seder must include a meal. Here it comes:

Appetizer - bruschetta with olive tapenade

 You can buy bruschetta toasts or slice a french or Italian bread and toast it yourself (of course after rubbing it with olive oil and a cut garlic clove. Duh.). Tapenade can also be store bought but you can puree green or black olives with spices and olive oil yourself.

Salad - Baby greens with pears and walnuts

 Toss baby greens (one or more types, you can use a mix) with sliced pears (that you have brushed with oil, sprinkled with cinnamon and broiled very quickly until just slightly caramelized), toasted walnuts (or you can buy sugared ones) and a vinaigrette made with olive oil, pomegranate (or some other fruit) vinegar, honey mustard, salt and pepper.

Chicken - with dried fruit

 In a lightly oiled, deep baking pan, layer slices of one medium onion sliced thin. On top of the onion place a whole chicken cut into pieces and about 2 cups of mixed dry fruit of your choice (whole fruit, not chopped or cubed). Season with salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, coriander, turmeric (all or some). Mix a cup of orange juice with a tablespoon of honey. Pour all over everything. Cover tightly with foil. Bake one hour at 400 degrees. Remove cover and continue baking another 20 minutes or until nicely browned. If you wish, sprinkle some chopped parsley or cilantro on top before serving. I also squeezed half a lime on the chicken before I served it. It brightened the flavors and balanced the sweetness of the fruit. 

Rice with cranberries, dried apricots and almonds

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil (not olive oil) in a pan, add 2 cups of long grain rice (I use Basmati) and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until rice is toasted (It will turn opaque and some of it will turn very light brown). Season with salt and pepper to taste, add 4 cups of boiling water in which you have dissolved 1/4 teaspoon of saffron (powdered or crushed strands). Return to a boil, lower heat to low, cover tightly and cook for 25 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and immediately mix in 2-3 Tbs dried cranberries and 2-3 Tbs chopped dried apricots. Cover tightly and let stand for 20 minutes. Before serving, mix in 1/4 cup of toasted almond slivers.

Dessert - Awesome baked apples

We all love my cousin Francie. We visited their succah a few times in the past and it is always so much fun. And her daughter is this super gifted cook who makes the best soups ever. Anyway, this year we visited their succah erev Succot and Francie's  sister in law was there and it turned out she is an amazing cook, too (she also designs baby clothes with magnetic closures, so she's talented all around). She made a dessert that took my breath away. You all know about baked apples, right? I'm sure you have also heard of stuffing the apples with all kinds of things before baking, right? Well, listen to this: Take 4 apples (Cortlands are perfect) and carefully cut off the top of each one with a paring knife so that you have a "lid". Remove stems. Hollow out the apples without going all the way through to the bottom. It's sort of like prepping tomatoes to be stuffed. Meanwhile, soak 1 cup of cubed mixed dried fruit (the kind that comes already cubed into small cubes) in a mix of orange juice and sweet red wine or some delicious brandy (or you can soak it in juice alone but it won't be as much fun) for an hour and drain. Mix in 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts. Stuff the prepared apples with the fruit and nut mix and return the lid to each apple. Put a cinnamon stick through each lid to hold everything together like a toothpick. It will look as if the stick is the apple's stem. Place apples in a roasting pan and pour some orange juice (about a cup or so) around them. Bake at 375F, basting the apples every 10 minutes, until apples are fork tender (1-1 1/2 hours). Carefully remove from pan, place in individual bowls or plates and pour the pan juices (they will turn into a syrup within minutes) over them. This is for 4 servings. 

 

stuffed before baking

after over baking

Note of apology: I went surfing in cyberspace and forgot to remove the apples on time. They got over-soft and were very delicious but not as pretty as the original ones. Trust me, if you don't neglect them, they will be as impressive to look at as to eat.

 

And let us not forget - chocolate.

As explained above, it seems that chocolate is a fruit. On the other hand, tradition calls for fruit from Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel). What to do? what to do? No problem: Israeli chocolate balls. These little gems were extremely popular when I was a kid in Israel, mainly (I think) because even a child can make them. Come to think of it, a child is the best person to make these.  And, we can improve on the original by using Oreos, which we did not have back then. Start with Oreo type cookies (you can get parve ones for this meal or dairy ones if it's just for a fun afternoon). Break each cookie into quarters. Place in a sturdy zip top bag, close and crush with a rolling pin or by rolling a can over the broken cookies until you have crumbs that resemble wet sand (some large crumbs are OK). This is much easier to do in a food processor (in pulses) but way more fun for kids to do by hand. Transfer crumbs (they might be sticky) to a large bowl (much larger than you'd think is necessary if your chef is under 12).  Add enough liquid - one tablespoon at a time - to make a dough that feels like grainy play-dough  (For liquid, use milk if it's not for a meat meal, almond or soy milk if it IS a meat meal). This is where the child chef comes in handy since kids love to get all messy with this thing. And it's perfectly safe to eat as is. You notice I'm sort of vague about amounts. You will need to add ingredients as you see fit. Start with small amounts and add as needed. Once the dough holds together without too much sticking, have your little chef make small balls (about the size of a walnut) and (optional) roll them in sprinkles or shredded coconut or cocoa powder. These are even better if you chill them really well before serving, because they become less squishy.

Note: For grownups, the liquid in the recipe can be some sort of liqueur, brandy or other alcoholic beverage of your choice. 

Plague it again, Sam

(This entry is being posted earlier than planned because someone (and I am not naming names) has been pestering me every day for it and will not wait patiently even one more day. So there.)

To remind you, we are still on the "Plagues menu". We have just "cleansed our palate" with a Hail sorbet and we are ready for the last three plagues. Was Pharaoh ready? Apparently not, since it really sounds as if he was caught unprepared, unaware and totally surprised. You'd think with all the warnings (not to mention all the other plagues that came before) he'd be prepared. Or at least know what to expect.

Isn't it often the case? Many times disaster strikes and we are sooo surprised, but looking back we can see that the signs were there all along. We just chose to ignore them, assuming they will go away if we did not acknowledge them.


At the end of last week's parasha, Pharaoh tell Moshe not to bother him again. How's that for "ignoring the problem will make it go away"?

Bet he changed his mind when his own son died. Oh, wait, he did. Don't be a Pharaoh, my people. Do not wait until the problem is so big and irreversible that you cannot ignore it any longer. Act now to fix what need fixing. 

Tikkun Olam, anyone?

Locusts in vinaigrette

Buy thick asparagus (the thin stalks will not look as good), about 3 stalks per person. Trim the woodsy lower third of each stalk. Cook for 6-8 minutes in salted boiling water (if you can figure out how to keep the heads out of the boiling water - more power to you and write to tell me how you did it), drain  and immediately plunge into ice water.

Wrap every 3 stalks in a thin slice of smoked salmon (about the size of your palm) and tie them with a piece of chive. Lay the bundles seam side down and chill until serving (can be made a few hours ahead and stored in fridge, tightly covered with plastic wrap). Put one bundle on each plate and pour a tablespoon or two of good vinaigrette all over it. You can sprinkle a few capers on it, if you wish.

If you have people who will not eat fish, serve just the asparagus with the sauce. If they don't eat asparagus, serve just the fish with sauce (won't look like locusts, though). If they don't like either, disown them on the spot. This is a very elegant dish, don't waste it on ingrates.

A vinaigrette is a sauce made with one part vinegar, two parts oil, a little mustard, some crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Adjust everything to your taste - after you shake it all (really well) in a jar with a tightly closed top, dip a lettuce leaf in it and see if you like it and what needs to be changed, if anything. If you made too much, do not despair. It keeps for a few days in the fridge and you can just shake it again before pouring it on a new dish (say, a green salad).

Sweet darkness

No recipe. No cooking. Buy the best dark chocolate truffles you can find and serve them on beautiful dessert plates with mint tea or espresso coffee.

Pesach is notorious for the abundance of chocolate products available. Take your pick. And if you serve only this as a dessert (and believe me, it's quite enough after a heavy Seder meal), you can really go all out and buy the good stuff.

Chopping of the first grown

This salad contains 4 ingredients that are among the first things to come out of the ground in spring and they are all chopped. Hence the name and the connection to "death of the first born". 

4 new potatoes (medium sized)

6 large radishes, cut into 1 inch cubes

4 scallions, sliced

1/2 cup arugula, coarsely chopped

1 large garlic clove, minced

Juice of 1 large lemon

2 Tbs olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Whisk together oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

Scrub potatoes but do not peel. Cut into 1 inch cubes and put in a pot. Cover with water and cook until fork tender. Drain.

Immediately pour dressing over hot potatoes and toss gently.

Add remaining ingredients and toss gently.

This is good warm or cold.

4-6 servings

(Note about the picture: since it is now winter, new potatoes are not available so I used baking potatoes. For this dish, when using any potatoes other than new potatoes, you need to peel them before cooking. On the whole, I do not recommend it. New potatoes hold their shape and texture. Mine got too soft and mealy very quickly. Still, it was yummy.)

"A plague on both your houses"

There is a curious distribution of plagues this week. You'd think that since there are 10 plagues, and we got so used to thinking about them as one unit, they will all appear in one parasha. Not so. 7 appear in this week's parasah, and the last 3 are kept in reserve for next week.

Generations of rabbis, scholars and commentators have struggled with the reason for this division. They came up with some very interesting explanations and beautiful midrashim.

However, they were all men. And in the good old days, men rarely, if ever, had to cook. The truth about this plagues division is very simple. The plagues represent a suggested Seder menu (as every woman worth her brisket knows, Pesach is all about the food) and there is a perfectly natural and simple reason to pause after the hail. Look at the following menu:

Appetizer: Salmon wrapped asparagus bundles in vinaigrette sauce.

Soup: Tomato and roasted pepper soup with pesto dumplings

Main course: Brisket (how else?)

Side dishes: 1. Quinoa almond pilaf

                   2. Wild beets in a light garlic and lemon sauce

                   3. Radishes, new potatoes and scallions salad

                   4. Pearl onions in a red wine vinegar reduction

Dessert: Dark chocolate truffles.

Now, wouldn't you say that there is a need for a palate cleansing sorbet somewhere in there? A pause that refreshes? Think raspberry-sauce-filled lemon sorbet balls. Perfect, isn't it?

So, naturally, the bible pauses after the hail plague and lets us refresh ourselves before the final onslaught.

But, says the bewildered reader, how does the above menu relate to plagues? Fair question. OK. List of plagues. But with a twist. They will not be in the order we are used to. Ready?

Locusts (Arbeh)

Blood and Frogs (Dam, Tsefarde-ah)

Dead cow (Dever)

Lice (Kinim)

Wild beasts (Arov)

Death of the first born (Bechorot)

Boils (Sh'chin)

Darkness (Choshech)

And, of course, our great divider, Hail (Barad).

For those who still don't see the connection, compare the two lists (menu and plagues) side by side.

Don't mention this comparison to your guests. Men do tend to get all bent out of shape when we call their attention to anything they did not come up with themselves. And kids pay too much attention to what the food is called instead of how it taste. So let's keep it between you and me, huh?

Recipes for plagues in this week's parasha

Blood soup

4 Tbs olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 red bell pepper, broiled, peeled and coarsely chopped

28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes in thick puree

Salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in oil until golden brown. Add garlic and cook another minute.

Add tomatoes. Refill the can with water and add to pot. Season to taste.

Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook, covered, over low heat for half an hour.

Puree soup (in blender, food processor or immersion blender) and continue cooking another 15 minutes.

Add seasonings as necessary.

7-8 servings

Frog dumplings

1 cup mashed potatoes made with no liquid or fat.

1 egg

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil processed in food processor (or chopped very fine) with 2 Tbs olive oil

3/4 cup potato starch

Mix all ingredients. Dough will be sticky and wet.

Shape with wet hands into dumplings the size and shape of large pecans and drop gently into a pot of salted boiling water.

Simmer over medium high heat for 10-12 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon into a colander (very gently), and immediately slide carefully unto a platter, separating the dumpling.

Note: Dumplings will be "slimy" and "rubbery" (sort of like a frog, I guess). Also sort of sticky when you cut them and very, very soft.

Add dumplings to soup and reheat gently.

Makes 22-23 dumplings

Very Important Note: You need to heat the dumplings in the soup but if you leave them there for more than a day, they become (to quote my family) "yucky". So only add the number you plan to actually serve that day, heat it up and save the rest in a covered dish to be heated with the soup next time. Oh, what the heck, you know you're gonna eat the whole thing on the spot. How else will you get to eat a frog?

Lice Pilaf

1 1/2 cup quinoa (The only kind that has a hechsher for Pesach does not need to be washed, which saves time and annoyance)

3 cups vegetable broth

1/8 tsp turmeric (optional)

1/8 tsp paprika (optional)

Salt to taste

1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Bring broth to a boil. Add quinoa and spices. Cover and cook over very low heat for 20 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Cool to room temperature. Fluff with a fork. Mix almonds in.

6-7 servings

Wild beasts with garlic and lemon

1 bunch beets with leaves attached (about 4 medium beets)

3 Tbs olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

Juice of half a medium lemon (or more to taste)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Separate beets and leaves. Boil or roast 2 of the bulbs. Peel and cube them. Save the other 2 bulbs for another use (why not make home-made ch'rain? Just kidding).

Wash leaves carefully and cut off the stems. Let the leaves drip dry, No need to dry them thoroughly.

Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the garlic over high heat for a few seconds (don't let it get brown). Add leaves and immediately turn heat to medium and cover well.

Cook leaves for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally but keeping the cover on between stirs.

Remove to a flat serving platter, add cubed beets, salt and pepper (has to be freshly ground and be generous with it) and lemon juice. Toss very gently.

Serve hot or cold. Can be made a day ahead but won't be as good.

4-6 servings

Beef brisket

Brisket is sacred. Everyone claims theirs is the "right one", every family has their favorite and every balehboosteh  knows (in her heart of hearts) that her way of cooking brisket is not only the best way but indeed the only way. The only thing we can all agree on is that in order for the brisket to work, the cow has to be departed from this world first and therefore this is an excellent dish to represent the fifth plague. Use your own (correction, "unique and best ever"), recipe.

Boils in red wine vinegar

2 Tbs margarine
1 Lb frozen pearl onions

3 Tbs sugar

3 Tbs red wine vinegar

1/2 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Pinch of black pepper

Thaw onions in a non metal colander (this will take a few hours).
Melt margarine in a large skillet over medium heat.

Add onions. Turn heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally for 8-10 minutes until onions start to brown (do not let them brown completely).
Turn heat to medium and add sugar and vinegars.
Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens.
Add salt and black pepper.


6 servings

Hail sorbet

Buy (or make) parve lemon sorbet (or any other flavor where the sorbet is white). Scoop a ball of sorbet into a small serving dish.

Using a sturdy straw (or one of those cool gadgets that are used for inserting jam into a doughnut, or even a squeeze bottle with a long spout that is usually used for ketchup at a BBQ), fill the center of the sorbet ball with a tablespoon of raspberry or strawberry syrup (store bought or make your own by mixing seedless jam with a little bit of water until runny enough to use). This is much easier to do when the sorbet is a little soft.

Make one ball per person. You can refreeze the prepared ball (covered) until ready to use, in which case this can be made a few days ahead of time and kept in the freezer. Just soften it up a bit on the counter before serving

The idea for this came from my oldest daughter, who, as everyone knows, is a genius (and I am not saying this just because I am her mother or anything).

 

Global warming

I got up this morning with soup on my mind. Lentil soup, to be exact. With aromatic vegetables slowly caramelizing in dark green extra virgin olive oil, and fresh tomatoes (my excessive shopper strikes again) gently releasing their pale winter juices into the rich broth. Redolent with spices from the far east and the near east, evoking the memory of narrow alleyways in a Mediterranean marketplace; and fat little disks of brown lentils changing color and texture, becoming creamy enough to absorb all the flavors.

Downstairs, I found a gift from my lovely husband. An enameled cast iron pot. I have wanted one for a long time. True, not this particular size, but still. It's heavy, it's red and it can hold enough soup to feed all of us (and various friends and family) all winter long. Eshet Chayil (Woman of Valor) that I am, I immediately set out to show my appreciation by filling the cauldron with a soup worthy of its magnitude.

Pot-O'-Plenty Lentil Soup

4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 very large onion, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, sliced

4 small parsley roots, peeled*

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced

2 1/2 cups chopped carrots (I used baby carrots)

1 1/2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and halved

4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1/4 tsp each: paprika, cumin, coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp black pepper

Pinch each: cinnamon, dried sage, dried thyme

Kosher salt, to taste

Optional: 1/4 tsp kh'wayej (a Yemenite-Israeli spice mix, available in stores that carry Israeli spices. Make sure you got the one that is "for soup")

1 1/3 cups brown lentils

1. Over medium heat, saute onions in oil until golden. Add garlic and parsley roots and cook 2 more minutes.

2. Add celery and carrots. Cover and cook for 10 minutes,      stirring once or twice.

3. Add all the spices except salt and mix well.

4. Add tomatoes. Mix again. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Add lentils, stir and add boiling water to cover plus 2 inches more. Bring to a boil again.

6. Cover, turn heat to low and cook for 90 minutes.

7. Discard parsley roots and ginger. Scoop out 2 cups of the soup's solids and reserve.

8. Puree the soup (using an immersion blender or regular blender or food processor).

9. Add salt to taste, return reserved soup solids and mix well.

10. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, if you wish.

Serves about 10 people on a cold winter night

* Parsley roots are sold in most supermarkets but are not always available. You are more likely to find them around Jewish holidays (especially Pesach). Buy as much as you think you'll need in the next 6 months, peel the whole bunch and freeze in zip-top bags. Then remove as many as needed whenever you make soup. They add an earthy, sweet, home-made-soup flavor. Do not substitute parsnips. They are not the same. Do not freeze the parsley roots tops. They can be substituted for parsley in cooked dishes but not in salads, so plan ahead to make some soup on the day you buy the roots and use the tops in that.

Darling husband is sleeping the sleep of the just. Will be pleasantly surprised to wake up to a house redolent with the winter-y smell of lentil soup. Earthy, spicy, warm and filling. 

Just the thing to help us face global warming.

Sister, sister

Anyone noticed the abundance of action-taking women in this week's parasha? It starts with the midwives, continues with Yocheved, goes on to Miriam, then to Pharaoh's daughter, back to Miriam and Yocheved and finally to Moshe's wife. Not to belittle Moshe's importance, but seriously, where would he be without these women? At the bottom of the Nile, that's where. Without the well coordinated conspiracy of the women of Shemot, we might very well still be in Egypt (not the best place for a Jew to be. Then or now).

The most active, innovative, brave and persistent of these women is Miriam, Moshe's sister. It's a funny thing about sisters. They can be the plague of your life, the bane of your existence, the thorn in your side. I am speaking from experience, here. Being an older sister, I know for a fact that I have been all of these things to my siblings. It's part of my charm.

But sisters can also be your salvation (see Miriam and Moshe). They can be your safe harbor when you're drifting helplessly on a dangerous river (ditto) and they can be the ones to come up with a brilliant plan that will land you in the palace (and after that, you're on your own, buster. And you'd better come back later and take us out of Egypt or I'm telling Mom).

So. Sisters. I have one. You have one. Everyone has one. Mine is younger than me (do not get me started) and has been a terrible annoyance when we were growing up. Still, after years and years of devoted pseudo-parenting, I am beginning to see some results. Who else knows exactly what I am talking about when I complain about our mom's meshuggas? Who else knows the difference between simple kvetching and having a legitimate cause for complaint? Who else will dare tell me the truth to my face (and then duck for cover)? Lately she is even offering sage advice, tailored to my specific personality. Who else could do that but the one who has made me her main study subject from the day my parents forced her on me? (the law suit against them is still pending on that one).

In short, she's my sister and she is awesome (and I do not dare say anything negative about her for fear of retribution. No one can inflict pain on you like your sister, believe me). 

 There's a sweet little story in the Talmud that credits the Jewish women with the Jews' salvation in Egypt.(http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/pesach/5761/vol7no01.html). An important part in the story is played by fish stew. I suppose part of the misery of Egypt was the necessity of eating fish stew. Eww. But G-d saved us form that bad place and we can now, (Baruch Hashem) eat proper soups with nary a fish in sight.

So here is a recipe my sister shared quite a few years ago. It's wonderful. Especially now that winter has finally got its act together.

To my sister: You're still a royal pain but I love you anyway. Thanks for being a part of my life.

Turkey neck soup

I know. It sounds bad. Trust me when I tell you that turkeys' necks are some of the most succulent parts of the turkey. Only, it's not easy to find them. Ask your butcher for help.

You'll need:

1 large turkey neck, chopped into 4-5 pieces

1 can of chickpeas

2  large yams, peeled and quartered

2 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

3 medium zucchini (see if you can get the light skinned ones, they absorb the flavors better) halved length-wise

1 garlic clove, peeled and halved

2 medium carrots, peeled and quartered

1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash cubes (optional)

2 Tbs tomato paste

1/4 tsp each: turmeric, cumin, coriander, paprika

Salt, to taste

Put the turkey necks in a large pot. Cover with fresh water and bring to a boil.  As foam forms, skim it off. Drain and return to pot. 

Add all the other ingredients. Cover with fresh water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to low.

Simmer for an hour (or more, if you want to intensify the flavors).

When serving, be sure to ladle from the bottom of the pot so each serving will have some of everything. The turkey necks are a bit messy to eat (you may end up using your fingers. Clearly this is not soup "for company") but are very much worth the trouble.

Yam Yam

I complained before about my husband's habit of buying perishables in bulk. However, this post is not about him (Just don't tell him that. The fragile male ego will never survive the thought that something is not about 'him').

Last week Shoprite had a sale on yams. You know these sales, a box of yams for a very good price (Albeit, says hubby, not as good as where he shops. I told you they can't take not being the center of attention). Yams are very healthy and, growing underground, they fit into my "Eating with the seasons" philosophy (more about that some other time). So I got a  box.

And you can guess the rest. I never even opened the blasted thing. Last night I just about had it. It's a large box, it's heavy and it generates guilt. And I do not need more things in my life that generate guilt, thank you very much. I have a husband, 2 teenage girls, a Jewish mother and a younger sister. I've got guilt.

To make matters worse, I have also bought (and promptly forgot about until I have unearthed it last night) some lovely Israeli couscous. You see I was at the kosher store a couple of weeks ago and they had this colorful couscous and I remembered that my little one does not eat any other type of pasta, so I got some. So I had the yams, I had the couscous and I had the guilt.

And here is what I did:

Yammy Israeli couscous

4 Tbs canola or vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

3 1/2 cups yams (about 2 large) cut into 3/4 inch cubes

8.8 oz (1 and 3/4 cups) colored (or regular) Israeli couscous
1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

2 1/2 cups boiling water

Saute the onion in the oil until slightly browned. 

Add yams. Cook over medium high heat for 3 minutes, stirring often.

Cover pot, reduce heat to very low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes, until yams are a little tender (not fully cooked, just not totally raw).

Add couscous and spices. Stir.

Add boiling water. Stir. Cover and cook over low heat 10 minutes or until all water is absorbed.

Makes about 6 or 7 cups.

As long as I was by the stove, I tossed together this little gem:

Chickpeas in pizza sauce

(because kids will eat anything if you call it pizza)

2 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp granulated garlic

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tsp Italian seasoning

25 oz tomatoes, whole, from a can, with the liquid they were in (mine were in thick sauce, almost puree)

1 tsp kosher salt

3 cups cooked (or from a can) chickpeas

Chop the tomatoes.

Over low heat, saute garlic, pepper and Italian seasonings in oil for a minute, stirring. 

Add tomatoes and salt and bring to a boil.

Add chickpeas and cook uncovered over medium-low heat for about 20-25 minutes. There is no "ready" point, really. The liquid will reduce (hence the 'uncovered' part) and the whole thing will look slightly thicker than when you started it. It might thicken a little more after it cools. Just stir it. 

You can, of course carry the 'pizza' scam further and serve it with some cheese on top.

This makes about 6 servings (I served it with the couscous as a main vegetarian dish).

Now what will I do for guilt? No rest for the wicked.

Shabbat Shalom,

Osnat

Blessings

This week's Torah portion will deal with blessings. Ya'akov is dying. It's not necessarily a sad thing. People die. "Mourn not a life lost but a life not lived" to paraphrase Tuck Everlasting. You can't say Ya'akov's life was a "life not lived". Heck, the man managed to squeeze enough drama into his life for 3 regular people: Sibling rivalry, greatest love story in the bible, murderous in-laws, rivaling wives, a keen business sense, teary reunions, out of control sons, lost son, found son, outrageously successful son. You name it, Ya'akov had it. 

So the "deathbed scene" is more of a rite of passage than a terrible event. And so he gathers his kids around him and doles out the blessings. And boy, oh boy, is he right on the money. Oy, the 'tsuris' Jewish kinder give their poor, long suffering parents. Oy.


For years, I have tried to have a good time on my birthday. Some years I had to work on that day. And those were the good years. If, G-d forbid, my birthday fell on a day of no school and no work, you could bet it will end up with some sort of mess.

One year I said I'd just like to spend the day in my pj's, watching tv and vegging out. Right. Try to do that with two young kids.

Fine. Another year I said all I ask for on my birthday is one day (One!!!) where no one asks me for anything. You do not want to know how that ended. Suffice it to say that I have never dared raise the issue again. 

So I tried to convey the idea that "Please, please, just treat it like any other day. Do not do anything special. Please." Unfortunately, my family seems to love me despite all my efforts to dissuade them of the notion and they refused to accept a "no frills birthday for Imma".


This year I think I have finally figured it out. 

When my birthday got closer I gathered my loved ones and blessed them. I said that for my birthday I'd like to take my oldest daughter to an afternoon tea at a nearby cafe that seems like she would love to go to, have a mani-pedi with my younger daughter and take my husband to lunch at our favorite restaurant. You see I chose things that I knew they wanted to do, assuming that was the best way to avoid tears and misery.



They were shocked. "And what about you? What do you want to do for yourself?" they worried. But I stood my ground and we did exactly that.

Lunch with hubby was wonderful as always. We laughed and talked and had great sushi.
The cafe turned out to be even better than we expected and we are soooo going back. It was pure joy to have afternoon tea with a 15 year old who thinks and talks like an adult. We talked about books and philosophy and art and life choices. And we had tiramisu.

Mani-Pedi with my sweetie pie child was so much fun. She chose dark red polish for me (I never would have but what the heck) and we shmoozed while having our nails done and laughed as we ran through the gathering darkness to the car in our paper flip-flops, freezing our poor toes, loving every minute.

We had  a nice dinner at home and I even got gifts (which I did not expect). The oldest made a power point presentation that was so funny I had a stitch in my side from laughing so hard. The youngest sang me a song. I thought she would choose some song I used to sing for her, which we consider "our" song. But no. She chose a song I did not even remember telling her about. A song from long ago, which threw me back to my innocent youth, evoking the feelings I used to have so many years ago, so very far away. And I cried and hugged her and was so grateful for all the riches in my life. For children who can be a chore and a bother and then you find out they are really a joy and a treasure. For a husband who seem incapable of changing a toilet paper roll but has been a safe harbor for my "Boat on the river" ever since the time and place where that old song first moved me to tears.

Not quite a "death bed scene", Thank G-d, but I wonder if Ya'akov, surrounded by his children and grandchildren, nearing the end of a rich and exciting life, was as happy as I was that day.

Why wait until we are almost done before we realize what we have? 


We have all kinds of things in the fridge this week. Over-shopping does that. You buy stuff thinking "Oh, there are all kinds of events this week. Surely we'll use/need this". Then you don't. And now here are the mushrooms and the goat cheese and what are we to do with them?


 We remove the stems and keep them for some future soup or vegetable stock. We use the caps of large white mushrooms (or portabellas if we have those). We make olive tapenade from the olives hubby insisted on buying in bulk (which was actually a good idea since olives sort of keep forever so why not?). We defrost  a little pesto we made this summer from the overabundance of basil in the garden (what? you threw yours away? of course we make pesto from the extra basil). We spread some pesto on the mushroom caps, then some tapenade, then a slice of goat cheese, then we bake them at 375 for 20-30 minutes until the cheese bubbles and the mushroom soften slightly. Then we serve it as dinner with the leftover champagne from New Year's Eve and feel like millionaires. 


I bet you Ya'akov did not eat better.






P.S. And what, you might ask, did my husband get me for my birthday? I'm glad you asked. My husband likes to preach high and low how he does not buy gifts for special occasions because then it would mean he does not love me on other days. This method had allowed us to be debt free since he has saved so much money on gifts over the years. However, after he finishes preaching loudly, he meekly goes out and buys me all kinds of stuff. One year he bought a washer-dryer and insisted it was a birthday gift. Everyone at Kiddush at the temple tried to convince him otherwise to no avail. Another year he bought me cookie sheets. I cook OK. I can bake a cake or two. I do not do cookies if it can be at all avoided. Still, it was a nice gesture and they did come in handy when my sister in law (of potato fame) made a cookie jar for me (I asked for a tea pot), which I felt obligated to fill with home made cookies. There may be a conspiracy there. So finally, I wised up and simply told him what to get. Whereupon he became even smarter than he usually is and started giving me surprisingly perfect gifts.
This year I got a potato ricer. Don't scoff. I wanted one. And I am very happy with it. And hubby got the joy of being the perfect husband (for a minute, at least) and giving his wife exactly what she wanted. Did your spouse manage that on your last birthday?

Souper leftovers

This week we stayed home. I already explained how much I hate traveling. You are always uncomfortable. You don't get enough sleep. The food is unpredictable (Which can be a good thing but usually isn't). The bathrooms are filthy. And, if that's not enough, you can't get a decent cup of coffee. One winter break we traveled to Kansas to visit my sister (who was living there for a year). We traveled by car (very interesting experience with two young kids). We stopped for the night in a roadside motel and in the morning I could not get a decent cup of coffee. Now, I am an unreasonable person, everyone knows that. G-d forbid I will ever be happy about anything (If I can't complain, what is there to get up in the morning for?). But not being able to get a cup of coffee with non flavored cream will cause anyone to complain. I ended up buying a quart(!!!) of milk, pouring a bit in my coffee and throwing out the rest. Now, mind you, the store did sell coffee. And they had plenty of sugar and syrupy creamers. But no milk for your coffee. I call that un-American.



I hate throwing food out. Pouring that almost full quart of milk into a ditch by the road broke my heart. I totally subscribe to the "There are starving children in Africa" philosophy. How can anyone justify throwing away perfectly good food when so many people in this world go without?


In this spirit, I approached my refrigerator. You know how you go to the market and see that awesome produce? On sale? Or some really exotic cheese? Or you get carried away and buy more than you realistically can eat in one week (before it goes bad)? Or your husband bought enough turnips for a small country? (oops, wrong post).

Anyway. There I was, day 5 of vacation time. No more latkes. The kids are over-candied. We need some wholesome food. The weather is somewhat winter-y and my fridge is filled with vegetables that looked really good in the store but not so good through my kids' eyes. 

What to do? What to do?

 Soup.
 
So I fried some onion in olive oil and a little butter. Added crushed garlic, some baby carrots that by now should more suitably be called toddler carrots, a turnip (we're still trying to get rid of these), a lonely zucchini that has survived the zucchini latkes night, some mushroom stems (we like the caps only) and the broccoli that had looked so lovely in the store. You can just dump everything in at once but a better method will be the patient one of sauteing each one in its turn (in the order they appear here) and wait until it turns slightly brownish before adding the next step. This is done over medium-low heat and in a covered pot, so as to keep the bottom from drying out and burning the vegetables (as my husband is doing to the eggplants at this very moment). Once everything is nice and soft and a little colored, add vegetable stock to cover (since, naturally, everyone have Ziploc bags of frozen, home made vegetable stock in their freezer) and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for an hour or so until all the veggies are nice and soft. Puree the soup in a blender or use an immersion blender (and if you don't have one - buy one. It is not expensive, as kitchen gadgets go and it is soooo worth it). Once the soup is all blended - add a little bit of cream (heavy, light, half and half, even whole milk). Just enough to change the color of the soup when you mix it in. Adjust the seasoning. From that moment on - you can reheat the soup (it freezes nicely, too) but do not boil it again. 
Serve with some grated cheese, if you want (we used Parmesan), and croutons. My daughter made the croutons. She cubed some leftover (more food not being thrown out!!!) challah, spiced it with Italian seasoning and more Parmesan cheese, drizzled olive oil and toasted it.

So, you say, where's the Jewish angle? Well, if kvetching about coffee and praising the power of soup (albeit not chicken soup, I know), isn't Jewish enough for you, how's this: Where do you think kugels came from? Leftovers, that's where.

Using up leftovers in a creative way may not be a Jewish thing per se, but it has a very Jewish flavor to it, doesn't it? Being appreciative of what we have. Not taking G-d's blessings for granted. Being grateful for the bounty we are blessed with. Birkat Hamazon is based on the verse "V'Akhalta, Ve'Savata, Ve'Hotarta, U'Verakhta...". The Torah acknowledges the riches of not just having plenty to eat but actually having leftovers (Ve'Hotarta means - 'and you shall leave-over'). You don't think that throwing these away will then be an acceptable practice, right? 

Be grateful every day, every hour, every minute. Even if times are hard, we are still living in a place and a time where we have so much to eat that we need to find something to do with leftovers. Every time you find a creative use for your leftovers instead of tossing them in the trash, you are acknowledging your gratitude to G-d for His bounty, for His care, for His love.


Share the bounty.