G-d speaks a lot in this parasha. He says all kinds of things and I am confused by most of them. First He says to Moshe "Oh, for cryin' out loud, stop yer sniveling. Learn something from your ancestors. When I promised a land and a dynasty to Avraham and he had nothing but a couple of sons, did he complain? Did he ask upfront for my name as a guarantee that I am big enough to beat up all the other gods? Did Yitzchak? While suffering that whole hullabaloo with the wells and the tzuris his sons gave him, did he once ask for reassurances? Not even Ya'akov made such demands and lost faith so quickly, even when running for his life. Stop being such a ninny." Well, Moshe wasn't like the patriarchs. He was raised in Pharaoh's palace. What does he know? And even Rashi says that G-d actually did tell the avot His name, so what's up with that?
And then we hear that the whole "making life w-a-y more miserable for the slaves" was all part of the plan. Fine. What is the plan? To make the Egyptians behave so badly towards the Jews that they would deserve punishment. And you couldn't explain that up front?
Then Moshe brings up a very reasonable argument: "But, even the Israelites wouldn't listen to me; how in the world can I hope to get Pharaoh to listen?" Meaning "Look what happened last time I brought Pharaoh a message from You." Never fear, G-d comes up with a perfect solution: Aharon will speak for you. Oh, that makes perfect sense. That will make a great impression in Pharaoh's court. No wonder the two were laughed out of the palace.
You want to impress? Fine. Turn your staff into a snake. Sounds good until all the Pharaoh's magicians do the same and the miracle needs to be escalated. Those magicians are actually pretty good. They use their magic during the first two plagues, they pooh-poohed the whole thing as a "trick that everyone knows; kids' stuff." It's only by the third plague that things start to look serious, the magicians cannot undo the damage and after that they sort of give up. That's when Pharaoh starts being impressed. But G-d, starting with the 6th plague, hardens Pharaoh's heart. Now, how is that helpful? Sure, G-d wants to "beat Pharaoh up but good" and He needs the guy to be totally horrid for that, but it sort of seems like unnecessary show-offing, doesn't it?
So what's going on? Well, G-d is not playing with Pharaoh for Pharaoh's sake. He is trying to educate the Israelites. Remember His first complaint? "Your forefathers, with whom I made the covenant, did not see any of my promises come true and yet they never once lost faith. You, on the other hand, did not keep the faith even though I gave you my name and credentials. You had no patience and no long term view." Since G-d's plan was to take them out and make them into a nation of free people who choose to worship Him, He needed them convinced that He was 'worthy' of their faith. G-d did not care what the Egyptians will think of His powers and His promises. G-d wanted the Israelites so awed that they will never doubt Him again. Oy, was He in for a disappointment. Not that G-d doesn't know the future, but I think He sort of underestimated the Jews' attention span.
In all the hoopla over the negotiations with Pharaoh and the plagues, one tends to skip over one glaring problem. What in the world does it mean "The Pharaoh's magicians did the same?" Wasn't the whole point of the magic tricks to impress upon everyone the greatness and uniqueness of G-d? How can this work if simple magicians can duplicate the deed? Never mind the bigger question "How in the world did they do that?"
Hubby is an amateur magician and people always ask "How do you do that?" And many times he reveals his secrets. And then everyone knows it is simply a trick that anyone can duplicate. But that's not what happened in Egypt. G-d really did turn the staff into a snake and the magicians really did do the same with their staffs. Turns out, says the Talmud (and quite a few of later commentators), that what we call 'magic' is a real force of nature, created by G-d for the purpose of running the natural world. Some people (of all nations) who have the ability and talent, are able to harness this force (through incantations and other kabalistic practices) and thus bend the forces of nature to their will; i.e. perform miracles. Unfortunately, not all who have these abilities also have the moral fiber to use them for good. That's free will for you. I always say that G-d must have been regretting the whole notion of free will since about 3 seconds after creating it. I would.
So the little lesson here, hiding in a very big and important parasha, is: G-d gives everyone certain abilities. What do we do with these abilities? That's the key question. It must be true; even Dumbledore said so. For example: G-d gave us something called 'monkey bread'. The only monkey bread I ever heard of was a sweet one. Yet, here is a recipe I came across while wasting my life in front of a computer screen, that describes a savory monkey bread. I will have my kids try it out (I'm too busy wasting my life in front of a computer screen, as mentioned) and you can try it, too, and tell me what you think. After all, it's all about how we use it.
Magic Monkey Bread
1 packet (2 1/2 tsp ) dry yeast
1 1/3 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
3 1/2 cup bread flour
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs dried parsley flakes
4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine yeast, warm water and sugar. Allow the mixture to stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt and olive oil. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at warm room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
2. Combine butter, garlic and parsley in a small bowl. Punch down dough. Tear off a small piece, flatten to a disk and place a small piece of fresh mozzarella in the center of the disk. Wrap dough around the cheese and pinch to seal. Roll in melted butter mixture and place in a bundt pan. Repeat process until you have covered the bottom of the bundt pan with a layer of filled dough balls. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan.
3. Continue process to form a second layer, sprinkle with another 1/4 cup Parmesan. Create a third layer and sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan cheese. Cover pan with plastic wrap and let rise at warm room temperature until doubles in size, about 45-60 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Uncover dough and bake in the middle of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and move to a wire rack to cool slightly. Cool in pan for 20 minutes and then turn onto a serving plate.
Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping.
We don't always understand G-d (Oh, who am I kidding? We rarely, if ever, do) but we really should not demand endless proof in order to keep our faith. The whole point of faith is to not require so much proof, no? It's really enough to believe He is on our side and that, whatever happens, He's in charge so it would somehow turn out to our benefit. And yes, I know, that is a very tall order. I am still struggling with this one myself. Every day.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Bring the goat into the house
This is that very famous story about a poor Jewish guy who came to the rabbi to moan about his difficult life. He and his wife and their 12 kids and his mother in law all live in a one room shack and the noise, mess and confusion are unbearable. What is a Yid to do? Said the rabbi, get your cow and bring her into the house with you. A week later the Jew is back. Oy, things are worse than ever. What to do? Says the rabbi, bring your chickens into the house. The next week, here is the poor man again, at his wits' end, and the only advice the rabbi has for him is to bring his goat into the house to live with him, his wife, the kids, the MIL, the cow and the chickens. The very next day the Jew is there before sunrise. Rabbi, he says, I cannot take it another minute. Fine, says the rabbi, take the goat out of the house. That very Shabbat, after prayers, the rabbi approaches the man in shul and asks, Nu, how are things at home? Rabbi, says the man, you are indeed a genius. I had no idea how spacious and comfortable my house was. Now that the goat is gone, we have all that room, it's wonderful.
Moral of the story: It's all in your perception. The Israelites were very miserable in Egypt. Their cries of suffering rose high enough to get to heaven. I'm sure they felt that their lives are the worst lives possible. Then Pharaoh demanded that they not only keep up the bricks quota, but also find their own straw for making bricks. Talk about going from the frying pan into the fire. Pharaoh's reasoning actually made sense. Apparently the Jews had too much free time on their hands. Free time to come up with silly notions of "We wanna go into the desert and worship our G-d" Excuse me? What G-d? In four hundred years you never once mentioned a G-d who needs a three day sojourn into the desert. Where did this so called "G-d" of yours come from? From idle talk during idle lounging around doing nothing. That's where. From Pharaoh's point of view, it seemed a logical conclusion.
For the Israelites, this was the last straw (pun intended.) They were not the ones to come up with this fokakteh idea, why should they be the ones to pay the price? From their point of view, this Moshe person, who suddenly showed up from the desert, was nothing but a pain in the backside.
Now, I do not blame them. They were not the ones who spoke to G-d and had His assurance that this is all part of a Grand Plan. To them, the misery of slavery was now ten times worse than before. How were they to know that it had to get worse in order to get better? It's all in the perception.
I was sick last week (still am as a matter of fact.) It's nice to stay in bed and have everyone fend for themselves. But I was sick just before Shabbat. Every week I clean and shop and bake and cook for Shabbat. And while I do it willingly, some times I cannot help but grumble under my breath that I wish there was not so much work involved and that someone else will think to share the load. Well, here was my wish come true. I was sick and it was Thursday night and nothing was done. Did I feel good about it? As if. It was way worse than usual. I dragged myself out of bed and cooked and baked as usual because, let's face it, had I left it up to hubby (as he suggested), we would have had some undercooked onions and mushrooms with some defrosted bagels at the kitchen table (which would not have been cleared of mail, used napkins and dirty glasses.) I did make my girls clean the house (at least what had to be clean to avoid the health department quarantining us) and I did manage to get hubby to shop for some basics without too much resistance. Yet having to cook and bake while not anywhere near healthy gave me a new perspective on things.
At least I had something simple and easy to make for dessert:
Favorite Apple Cake
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbs vanilla extract
3 Tbs water
1 1/2 cup self rising flour
Pinch of salt
4 medium apples, cored, peeled, quartered, thinly sliced. (originally, you're supposed to use Granny Smith apples, but any kind will do)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
In mixer, mix together eggs and sugar for one minute.
Add oil, vanilla and water. Mix for another minute.
Add flour and salt and mix very well. The mixture should be airy and light yellow in color. Don't be afraid to mix a little longer if needed.
Divide equally between two 8-inch square, greased pans.
Toss apples slices with cinnamon and brown sugar. Spread over batter (see notes).
Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes until done. Do not let it get too brown. The cakes should be light colored.
Note: When you mix the apples and sugar, there might be some liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Do not let it get on the batter. Use your fingers instead of a spoon, if necessary, to transfer the apples unto the batter. Also, very important: (learned through trial and error) put more apples at the edges of the pans and very little at the center. The center tends to take forever to bake and having too much juice on it (as the apples bake) makes it take even longer, while the edges burn.
I know I always try to connect the recipe to the parasha somehow, no matter how feebly, but I am still not too well and this is really what I made for Shabbat. I had too many apples lying around and going bad and I was in no condition to go out and try to get more supplies (or to think too hard about a more complicated dessert).
So how about this? You find a connection between the cake and the parasha and I will be grateful. Do not scoff. It is way harder for me to be nice than for you to find associations, believe me.
OMG!! I just realized that this is the third week in a row I am posting desserts. For someone who doesn't really like sweets, that must be some kind of a record. I promise to try for a proper dish next time. Maybe something with actual nutritional value....
Moral of the story: It's all in your perception. The Israelites were very miserable in Egypt. Their cries of suffering rose high enough to get to heaven. I'm sure they felt that their lives are the worst lives possible. Then Pharaoh demanded that they not only keep up the bricks quota, but also find their own straw for making bricks. Talk about going from the frying pan into the fire. Pharaoh's reasoning actually made sense. Apparently the Jews had too much free time on their hands. Free time to come up with silly notions of "We wanna go into the desert and worship our G-d" Excuse me? What G-d? In four hundred years you never once mentioned a G-d who needs a three day sojourn into the desert. Where did this so called "G-d" of yours come from? From idle talk during idle lounging around doing nothing. That's where. From Pharaoh's point of view, it seemed a logical conclusion.
For the Israelites, this was the last straw (pun intended.) They were not the ones to come up with this fokakteh idea, why should they be the ones to pay the price? From their point of view, this Moshe person, who suddenly showed up from the desert, was nothing but a pain in the backside.
Now, I do not blame them. They were not the ones who spoke to G-d and had His assurance that this is all part of a Grand Plan. To them, the misery of slavery was now ten times worse than before. How were they to know that it had to get worse in order to get better? It's all in the perception.
I was sick last week (still am as a matter of fact.) It's nice to stay in bed and have everyone fend for themselves. But I was sick just before Shabbat. Every week I clean and shop and bake and cook for Shabbat. And while I do it willingly, some times I cannot help but grumble under my breath that I wish there was not so much work involved and that someone else will think to share the load. Well, here was my wish come true. I was sick and it was Thursday night and nothing was done. Did I feel good about it? As if. It was way worse than usual. I dragged myself out of bed and cooked and baked as usual because, let's face it, had I left it up to hubby (as he suggested), we would have had some undercooked onions and mushrooms with some defrosted bagels at the kitchen table (which would not have been cleared of mail, used napkins and dirty glasses.) I did make my girls clean the house (at least what had to be clean to avoid the health department quarantining us) and I did manage to get hubby to shop for some basics without too much resistance. Yet having to cook and bake while not anywhere near healthy gave me a new perspective on things.
At least I had something simple and easy to make for dessert:
Favorite Apple Cake
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbs vanilla extract
3 Tbs water
1 1/2 cup self rising flour
Pinch of salt
4 medium apples, cored, peeled, quartered, thinly sliced. (originally, you're supposed to use Granny Smith apples, but any kind will do)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
In mixer, mix together eggs and sugar for one minute.
Add oil, vanilla and water. Mix for another minute.
Add flour and salt and mix very well. The mixture should be airy and light yellow in color. Don't be afraid to mix a little longer if needed.
Divide equally between two 8-inch square, greased pans.
Toss apples slices with cinnamon and brown sugar. Spread over batter (see notes).
Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes until done. Do not let it get too brown. The cakes should be light colored.
Note: When you mix the apples and sugar, there might be some liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Do not let it get on the batter. Use your fingers instead of a spoon, if necessary, to transfer the apples unto the batter. Also, very important: (learned through trial and error) put more apples at the edges of the pans and very little at the center. The center tends to take forever to bake and having too much juice on it (as the apples bake) makes it take even longer, while the edges burn.
I know I always try to connect the recipe to the parasha somehow, no matter how feebly, but I am still not too well and this is really what I made for Shabbat. I had too many apples lying around and going bad and I was in no condition to go out and try to get more supplies (or to think too hard about a more complicated dessert).
So how about this? You find a connection between the cake and the parasha and I will be grateful. Do not scoff. It is way harder for me to be nice than for you to find associations, believe me.
OMG!! I just realized that this is the third week in a row I am posting desserts. For someone who doesn't really like sweets, that must be some kind of a record. I promise to try for a proper dish next time. Maybe something with actual nutritional value....
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Really bad parenting
Everybody knows that every generation has to make its own mistakes. No matter how hard and long you preach to the young, they will at best nod politely and do whatever they want. Then they fall on their faces in exactly the way you predicted and you have to bite your tongue to avoid saying the worst 4 words you can possibly say to the young "I told you so."
So this is the way of the world and after generations upon generations of human existence, it might be time to simply accept it and move on. However, when people do not learn from their own mistakes, one feels like slapping them upside the head and screeching "Moron!!!" And when the person making the mistake is old enough to know better, you want to tear your hair out from frustration. Which is sort of how I felt while reading the last parasha of Beresheet.
Ya'akov was smart enough to get a birthright that wasn't his by law. He was smart enough to get out of Lavan's house with everything he wanted to take and he was smart enough to sweet talk Esav into a friendly reunion. He was, however, totally dumb when it came to playing favorites. So, OK, we know that. His kids knew that. His wives knew that. Everyone knew it. Except Ya'akov himself, it seems.
Like, what? He really learned nothing from the "Yosef is favorite, Yosef disappears for years and believed dead" debacle? Did he think that, now that it turned out Yosef wasn't dead after all, he can just go back to playing favorites? What sort of an idiot continues to show his feelings like that after what happened? First he calls Yosef over and declares that Yosef's kids will be like his own kids from now on. This can work if handled properly. Hubby's Grandpa had no sons and when his daughter gave birth to his first male grandchild, he publicly and (semi)-officially adopted him as his own. The other grandchildren were born into that reality and accepted it as fact. Mind you, Hubby was a pain in the backside as a kid and a holy terror to his cousins, not to mention spoiled beyond belief. But Grandpa was an exceptionally wise man and he pampered all his grandchildren equally. Hubby's position only came into play in his personal relationship with his grandfather and in some inheritance issues. And Hubby is apparently the absolute favorite among his cousins. You have to see it to believe it. I know, and you know, that he is a sweetheart of a guy, but you should have seen the reception he got when we came to Israel. You'd have thought he was a movie star, the way they flocked to his side. No one ever thought of selling him to the Yishmaelites until I came along.
Ya'akov, on the other hand, is not satisfied with messing up a new generation of his ancestors, extending the hurt feelings and resentment into the grand-children's generation. Playing one set of grandkids against all their older cousins. Oh, no. When this guy messes up, he messes up big. He tells Yosef, in front of his sons, that the younger will be much more important than the older. Do siblings need to hear that? Oy.
Then, just to seal the resentment for generations to come, observe his death-bed scene: Each of the sons gets a short "blessing". Not one of those is free of some acidic remark. Even Binyamin, who was supposedly a favorite also. But for Yosef. Ahhhh. Ben Porat Yosef. Five verses. All filled with praise, sympathy and real blessings. I want to remind you, this was not a private session. Each of the brothers heard what Pop was saying about all of the others. Poor Yosef must have been looking for a hole to crawl into before his brothers will throw him into one themselves.
Luckily, Yosef is now a big deal and not so easy to get rid of. So his brothers make nice and beg him to not take revenge on them. Were they really scared that Ya'akov dying means he is no longer protecting them from Yosef? Seriously? The same Ya'akov who clearly showed his contempt for, dissatisfaction with and disillusion of them? And what does Yosef think about the whole thing? He is no longer the brat he used to be. He is a father himself and knows that you shouldn't show favoritism (he's the one who tried to get Ya'akov to acknowledge Menashe's first-born status.) What does he do when they come to him hat-in-hand, with such a pathetic story ("Daddy, who loved you and couldn't stand any of us, said you should be nice to us." As if.)? He cries. He does not want to continue the feud. He knows it was wrong to favor one child over the others. He wants his brothers to be his brothers, not his competitors for Dad's love. He will be as good to them as he can, letting the past go, leaving it behind in the cave of Machpelah, with the father who has wronged them all. This is probably Yosef's greatest moment as a human being.
Did I learn from it? Of course not. I've already said that we only learn from our own mistakes, if we learn at all. I try real hard not to show favoritism. It's not so difficult as both my girls are wonderful. But apparently I am not very successful. Just yesterday I was told by one of them that she feels that I have a way better relationship with her sister than I have with her. I try to make allowances for her young age and the fact that her nature is approximately 180 degrees from my own. I wish there was a way to show you how much I love you, sweetie, how amazing and wonderful you are. How talented. And smart. And kind and lovely. How proud I am of your achievements, which are completely different from your sister's achievements. I wish I could be a better mother. I wish you made these cookies so I can give you the credit. But, alas, it was your chocoholic sister who came up with this decadent concoction. I still love you very, very much and I promise to try harder.
These cookies are very dangerous. Luckily, even the most chocoholics among us cannot possibly eat more than one or two at a time since these are way too rich for human consumption. You have been warned!!
Eat at your own risk cookies
Makes 2 dozen
On the other hand: Does anyone have children (any gender, any number, any combination, any ages) who are not convinced that their parents favor their sibling/s over them, and who can, at the drop of a hat, provide endless proof to support this belief?
So this is the way of the world and after generations upon generations of human existence, it might be time to simply accept it and move on. However, when people do not learn from their own mistakes, one feels like slapping them upside the head and screeching "Moron!!!" And when the person making the mistake is old enough to know better, you want to tear your hair out from frustration. Which is sort of how I felt while reading the last parasha of Beresheet.
Ya'akov was smart enough to get a birthright that wasn't his by law. He was smart enough to get out of Lavan's house with everything he wanted to take and he was smart enough to sweet talk Esav into a friendly reunion. He was, however, totally dumb when it came to playing favorites. So, OK, we know that. His kids knew that. His wives knew that. Everyone knew it. Except Ya'akov himself, it seems.
Like, what? He really learned nothing from the "Yosef is favorite, Yosef disappears for years and believed dead" debacle? Did he think that, now that it turned out Yosef wasn't dead after all, he can just go back to playing favorites? What sort of an idiot continues to show his feelings like that after what happened? First he calls Yosef over and declares that Yosef's kids will be like his own kids from now on. This can work if handled properly. Hubby's Grandpa had no sons and when his daughter gave birth to his first male grandchild, he publicly and (semi)-officially adopted him as his own. The other grandchildren were born into that reality and accepted it as fact. Mind you, Hubby was a pain in the backside as a kid and a holy terror to his cousins, not to mention spoiled beyond belief. But Grandpa was an exceptionally wise man and he pampered all his grandchildren equally. Hubby's position only came into play in his personal relationship with his grandfather and in some inheritance issues. And Hubby is apparently the absolute favorite among his cousins. You have to see it to believe it. I know, and you know, that he is a sweetheart of a guy, but you should have seen the reception he got when we came to Israel. You'd have thought he was a movie star, the way they flocked to his side. No one ever thought of selling him to the Yishmaelites until I came along.
Ya'akov, on the other hand, is not satisfied with messing up a new generation of his ancestors, extending the hurt feelings and resentment into the grand-children's generation. Playing one set of grandkids against all their older cousins. Oh, no. When this guy messes up, he messes up big. He tells Yosef, in front of his sons, that the younger will be much more important than the older. Do siblings need to hear that? Oy.
Then, just to seal the resentment for generations to come, observe his death-bed scene: Each of the sons gets a short "blessing". Not one of those is free of some acidic remark. Even Binyamin, who was supposedly a favorite also. But for Yosef. Ahhhh. Ben Porat Yosef. Five verses. All filled with praise, sympathy and real blessings. I want to remind you, this was not a private session. Each of the brothers heard what Pop was saying about all of the others. Poor Yosef must have been looking for a hole to crawl into before his brothers will throw him into one themselves.
Luckily, Yosef is now a big deal and not so easy to get rid of. So his brothers make nice and beg him to not take revenge on them. Were they really scared that Ya'akov dying means he is no longer protecting them from Yosef? Seriously? The same Ya'akov who clearly showed his contempt for, dissatisfaction with and disillusion of them? And what does Yosef think about the whole thing? He is no longer the brat he used to be. He is a father himself and knows that you shouldn't show favoritism (he's the one who tried to get Ya'akov to acknowledge Menashe's first-born status.) What does he do when they come to him hat-in-hand, with such a pathetic story ("Daddy, who loved you and couldn't stand any of us, said you should be nice to us." As if.)? He cries. He does not want to continue the feud. He knows it was wrong to favor one child over the others. He wants his brothers to be his brothers, not his competitors for Dad's love. He will be as good to them as he can, letting the past go, leaving it behind in the cave of Machpelah, with the father who has wronged them all. This is probably Yosef's greatest moment as a human being.
Did I learn from it? Of course not. I've already said that we only learn from our own mistakes, if we learn at all. I try real hard not to show favoritism. It's not so difficult as both my girls are wonderful. But apparently I am not very successful. Just yesterday I was told by one of them that she feels that I have a way better relationship with her sister than I have with her. I try to make allowances for her young age and the fact that her nature is approximately 180 degrees from my own. I wish there was a way to show you how much I love you, sweetie, how amazing and wonderful you are. How talented. And smart. And kind and lovely. How proud I am of your achievements, which are completely different from your sister's achievements. I wish I could be a better mother. I wish you made these cookies so I can give you the credit. But, alas, it was your chocoholic sister who came up with this decadent concoction. I still love you very, very much and I promise to try harder.
These cookies are very dangerous. Luckily, even the most chocoholics among us cannot possibly eat more than one or two at a time since these are way too rich for human consumption. You have been warned!!
Eat at your own risk cookies
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 small jar of Nutella, chilled in refrigerator (about 8 Tbs)
- Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan; continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined. Gently fold in all of the chocolate chips.
- Chill your dough for 2 hours in the refrigerator.This step is important. Do not skip it.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Once dough is chilled measure about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the dough ball very thinly into the palm of your hand. Place 1 teaspoon of chilled nutella in the middle and fold dough around it; gently roll into a ball — it doesn’t have to be perfectly rolled! Make sure that the nutella is not seeping out of the dough. Add more dough if necessary. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and flatten with your hand VERY gently. (Really only the tops need to be flattened a bit!)
- Bake the cookies 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven. Cool the cookies on the sheets at least 2 minutes. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets after a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
Makes 2 dozen
On the other hand: Does anyone have children (any gender, any number, any combination, any ages) who are not convinced that their parents favor their sibling/s over them, and who can, at the drop of a hat, provide endless proof to support this belief?
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Oh, puh-lease
Really? "Few and bad were my years"? Really? First of all, I don't know what more can a person ask for. A life of adventure, romance, wealth and progeny. True, no TV or iPhone. But other than that, Ya'akov was as blessed as can be expected and then some.
Let's look at the things that made his life "bad":
1. He had to run away from home to save himself from Esav. A. And whose fault was that? B. How would he have met the love of his life otherwise?
2. Rachel died in childbirth. This, might I remind you, was a common occurrence in those days. It's tragic, yes, but people have faced greater tragedies and did not grow so bitter.
3. His sons were a bunch of wild hooligans. Whose fault is that? Had he been a better father, he would have had a better control over them.
4. Yosef was believed to have died. OK, that is horrible. Agreed. But at the time of Ya'akov saying his life was short and bad, he had just been reunited with his son. Shouldn't he be giddy with joy?
How about the "short" part of the complaint? Isn't life measured in quality more than quantity? And anyway, when he gave that answer, he was not dead yet. In fact, he lived for 17 years more after that. True, his father and grandfather lived longer. But who in their right mind would want their lives? Not having a child until super old age and then being asked to kill him? Being offered as a sacrifice by your own dad? Ya'akov had an joyful, easy life in comparison. What's to complain about?
The truth is, I can relate. Not only was he Jewish (i.e. master complainer,) but he had spent his life moaning and groaning, never noticing the blessings in his life and instead concentrating on the obstacles. I am exactly like that. I've been fighting my nature for years now, trying to acknowledge my many blessings and ignore the aggravations. Some days I even manage to be happy for a moment or two. But mostly I complain. And, really, there is always something to complain about since life is never perfect. And, as everyone knows, I was promised a perfect life. Wish I could take it back and get a refund.
Anyway, Sunday we visited my friend Debbie's house. We had a cooking competition. Guess who won? Guess who complained before, during and after the competition? Debbie's daughter, Tzipora, called me "a sore winner." That's Ya'akov, right there. He got the birth right, the blessing, the beautiful wife, the 12 sons, the riches and he still isn't happy.
Happiness comes from within, obviously. Yitzchak was calm and happy with his life. Yosef left behind slavery and jail and acknowledged his excellent position. Moshe was humble and uncomplaining (well, most of the time.) Ya'akov had every reason to consider himself blessed. But there must have been something inside him (like there is inside me,) that prevented him from being happy. That made him always find the bad stuff, the annoying things, the misery in every situation. Sometimes I feel for the poor guy. Then I get annoyed with his whining. Because, after all, I, too, am the type to find fault in everything.
Here's the dish that won the competition. It was a collaboration of my cooking prowess, my oldest daughter's knack for combining things that do not seem as if they can be combined but turn out even better than expected, and my youngest daughter's flare for building and organizing unique arrangements.
I can't give you exact amounts. We were in a cooking frenzy and made things up as we went along:
Finding-the-good-in-everything fruit and yogurt parfaits
Mix together in a baking pan: 1 bag of frozen chopped rhubarb, 1 bag of frozen strawberries (chop them a bit), 1 can of drained peaches (chopped), sugar, and flour (I don't know how much. You've made things like that before, haven't you? The sugar is to taste, the flour is to thicken things up a bit.)
In a small bowl mix together flour, brown sugar, a handful of finely chopped walnuts and cinnamon. Rub in cold butter until it looks like wet sand. Again, no idea about amounts. You need enough to loosely cover the fruit in the pan and it should taste good. Play around with it.
Spread the flour/butter mixture evenly over the fruit in the baking pan and bake at 375F until the topping is a bit browned (I'm guessing here, the oven temperature kept changing as people added things and took other dishes away and I just judged the readiness of the dish by the color of the topping. 30 minutes?)
Mix plain (non fat is fine) Greek yogurt with sugar until it's sweet enough to please you.
Layer yogurt in serving glasses (you want dishes that are see-through), add a hefty spoonful of the fruit bake, top with more yogurt and sprinkle with some cinnamon sugar (or maybe just cinnamon, I was not around for that part.)
And then, try not to complain about the fact that I am giving out a recipe with almost no measurements, and concentrate on how good this is. Wish I could do the same, but I am too much Ya'akov's descendant to get by without complaining.
Still, it's the effort that counts. I hope.
Let's look at the things that made his life "bad":
1. He had to run away from home to save himself from Esav. A. And whose fault was that? B. How would he have met the love of his life otherwise?
2. Rachel died in childbirth. This, might I remind you, was a common occurrence in those days. It's tragic, yes, but people have faced greater tragedies and did not grow so bitter.
3. His sons were a bunch of wild hooligans. Whose fault is that? Had he been a better father, he would have had a better control over them.
4. Yosef was believed to have died. OK, that is horrible. Agreed. But at the time of Ya'akov saying his life was short and bad, he had just been reunited with his son. Shouldn't he be giddy with joy?
How about the "short" part of the complaint? Isn't life measured in quality more than quantity? And anyway, when he gave that answer, he was not dead yet. In fact, he lived for 17 years more after that. True, his father and grandfather lived longer. But who in their right mind would want their lives? Not having a child until super old age and then being asked to kill him? Being offered as a sacrifice by your own dad? Ya'akov had an joyful, easy life in comparison. What's to complain about?
The truth is, I can relate. Not only was he Jewish (i.e. master complainer,) but he had spent his life moaning and groaning, never noticing the blessings in his life and instead concentrating on the obstacles. I am exactly like that. I've been fighting my nature for years now, trying to acknowledge my many blessings and ignore the aggravations. Some days I even manage to be happy for a moment or two. But mostly I complain. And, really, there is always something to complain about since life is never perfect. And, as everyone knows, I was promised a perfect life. Wish I could take it back and get a refund.
Anyway, Sunday we visited my friend Debbie's house. We had a cooking competition. Guess who won? Guess who complained before, during and after the competition? Debbie's daughter, Tzipora, called me "a sore winner." That's Ya'akov, right there. He got the birth right, the blessing, the beautiful wife, the 12 sons, the riches and he still isn't happy.
Happiness comes from within, obviously. Yitzchak was calm and happy with his life. Yosef left behind slavery and jail and acknowledged his excellent position. Moshe was humble and uncomplaining (well, most of the time.) Ya'akov had every reason to consider himself blessed. But there must have been something inside him (like there is inside me,) that prevented him from being happy. That made him always find the bad stuff, the annoying things, the misery in every situation. Sometimes I feel for the poor guy. Then I get annoyed with his whining. Because, after all, I, too, am the type to find fault in everything.
Here's the dish that won the competition. It was a collaboration of my cooking prowess, my oldest daughter's knack for combining things that do not seem as if they can be combined but turn out even better than expected, and my youngest daughter's flare for building and organizing unique arrangements.
I can't give you exact amounts. We were in a cooking frenzy and made things up as we went along:
Finding-the-good-in-everything fruit and yogurt parfaits
Mix together in a baking pan: 1 bag of frozen chopped rhubarb, 1 bag of frozen strawberries (chop them a bit), 1 can of drained peaches (chopped), sugar, and flour (I don't know how much. You've made things like that before, haven't you? The sugar is to taste, the flour is to thicken things up a bit.)
In a small bowl mix together flour, brown sugar, a handful of finely chopped walnuts and cinnamon. Rub in cold butter until it looks like wet sand. Again, no idea about amounts. You need enough to loosely cover the fruit in the pan and it should taste good. Play around with it.
Spread the flour/butter mixture evenly over the fruit in the baking pan and bake at 375F until the topping is a bit browned (I'm guessing here, the oven temperature kept changing as people added things and took other dishes away and I just judged the readiness of the dish by the color of the topping. 30 minutes?)
Mix plain (non fat is fine) Greek yogurt with sugar until it's sweet enough to please you.
Layer yogurt in serving glasses (you want dishes that are see-through), add a hefty spoonful of the fruit bake, top with more yogurt and sprinkle with some cinnamon sugar (or maybe just cinnamon, I was not around for that part.)
And then, try not to complain about the fact that I am giving out a recipe with almost no measurements, and concentrate on how good this is. Wish I could do the same, but I am too much Ya'akov's descendant to get by without complaining.
Still, it's the effort that counts. I hope.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Simply brilliant
Yosef's solution to the horrible future ahead of Egypt is so simple and so brilliant that of course Pharaoh puts him in charge of the whole country. I suppose that, what with being a king (and believing he was a god) and all, the man knew quality when it smacked him in the face.
You gotta wonder, though, what sort of idiots Pharaoh was dealing with in his every day life that he would be so impressed with such an obvious solution to the point of appointing a criminal slave to be his second in command.
Ancient Egypt wasn't a measly little hamlet. It was an empire. The most advanced country of that time. One would assume that the ruler of such a place would have in his employ the brightest minds available. And of course he had dream solvers around. How come they had no idea what was the meaning of the king's dream? The Torah said specifically that he gathered all the magicians and all the sages and none of them could solve the dream.
Now we know Yosef had a gift with dreams. But he couldn't have been the only man in the world who can do that. How come no one else figured it out? Why, Yosef himself gives the answer to that question. In Beresheet chapter 41 verse 16, he tells the king that G-d will be the one to solve the dream. And he impresses the king so much that Pharaoh says "Is there any other man who has G-d's spirit in him like this one?" (verse 38.) That is, Pharaoh not only is impressed by Yosef's wisdom, he has also accepted Yosef's statement that his wisdom comes from G-d.
Yosef's advice was excellent. Naturally. Since he took it straight from G-d. Also, it was a perfect solution to the double problem of what to do with the surplus and how to eat during the famine.
For Thanksgivukkah we have a double problem, too. Latkes are served with applesauce. Turkey is served with cranberry sauce. There is enough cooking and enough dirty dishes around that the last thing we want is to cook two extra dishes. The solution is simple, brilliant and obvious:
Apple-Cranberry sauce
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweet red wine
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cubed (1/2 inch cubes)
Cook the first 5 ingredients over low heat for 20 minutes.
Add apple cubes, cover and cook another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water only if needed.
10-12 servings
Every problem has a solution. We just need to accept that we may not know everything and learn how to consult with an expert.
Happy Thanksgivukkah, y'all.
You gotta wonder, though, what sort of idiots Pharaoh was dealing with in his every day life that he would be so impressed with such an obvious solution to the point of appointing a criminal slave to be his second in command.
Ancient Egypt wasn't a measly little hamlet. It was an empire. The most advanced country of that time. One would assume that the ruler of such a place would have in his employ the brightest minds available. And of course he had dream solvers around. How come they had no idea what was the meaning of the king's dream? The Torah said specifically that he gathered all the magicians and all the sages and none of them could solve the dream.
Now we know Yosef had a gift with dreams. But he couldn't have been the only man in the world who can do that. How come no one else figured it out? Why, Yosef himself gives the answer to that question. In Beresheet chapter 41 verse 16, he tells the king that G-d will be the one to solve the dream. And he impresses the king so much that Pharaoh says "Is there any other man who has G-d's spirit in him like this one?" (verse 38.) That is, Pharaoh not only is impressed by Yosef's wisdom, he has also accepted Yosef's statement that his wisdom comes from G-d.
Yosef's advice was excellent. Naturally. Since he took it straight from G-d. Also, it was a perfect solution to the double problem of what to do with the surplus and how to eat during the famine.
For Thanksgivukkah we have a double problem, too. Latkes are served with applesauce. Turkey is served with cranberry sauce. There is enough cooking and enough dirty dishes around that the last thing we want is to cook two extra dishes. The solution is simple, brilliant and obvious:
Apple-Cranberry sauce
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweet red wine
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cubed (1/2 inch cubes)
Cook the first 5 ingredients over low heat for 20 minutes.
Add apple cubes, cover and cook another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water only if needed.
10-12 servings
Every problem has a solution. We just need to accept that we may not know everything and learn how to consult with an expert.
Happy Thanksgivukkah, y'all.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Play the hand you were dealt
You know how some people (like me, for example) always complain about their lot in life? "Oh, if only I was as smart as my brother, I would have been more successful"; "Of course so and so is thin. She has good genes"; "I, too, would be happy all the time if I won the lottery." All excuses.
I don't have boys, but I am given to understand that brothers spend most of their formative years beating each other up. Didn't Yosef's brothers read that memo? Yeah, yeah, he was Daddy's pet (read 'pest') but you gotta admit it was a bit extreme to sell him into slavery. Really? That's a little final, isn't it? And as angry as they were at Ya'akov for favoring the little brat, did they really wish to cause all that grief and misery?
So what would you have us do, ask the brothers, he was annoying us to the point of madness. Was there anything else we could do to stop his taunting?
Well, I don't know. Just as I don't know why the Torah inserts that cliff hanger right after Ya'akov is told about Yosef dying and before we find out what happened to Yosef. The Torah takes a little detour to tell us a side story that is so totally unrelated that you've gotta wonder if the editor lost his mind for a moment. It's a very short detour and it certainly increases the suspense, but still, what is it doing here?
It's a story about a young woman who was exceptionally unlucky in her marriages. Husbands kept dying on her and finally her father in law sends her back home with some vague promises, trying to save his remaining son from the killer lady. But Tamar is no fool. Like the woman who will marry her great great great great great grandson, she used a creative interpretation of the law of the land in order to solve her problem. She knew she must marry a member of her dead husbands' family in order to have a child and she knew there is very little chance Yehuda will let her marry Shela after her first 2 husbands died. She tricked Yehuda into giving her a child and even he had to admit that she was correct. He owed her the right to have children.
What is this little side story doing here? This is a story about someone who found herself in a bind. Someone forced her into a situation that might or might not end well with no telling when the outcome will happen. She couldn't wait that long so she found a creative, yet legal, solution.
What could Yosef's brothers learn from this? That there are many possible solutions to a bratty little brother besides faking his death and selling him into slavery. They could beat him up, they could give him a swirly, they could tie his shoelaces together, they could steal his candy. There are so many ways to pay him back for being aggravating, the mind boggles.
Not to mention the fact that Yosef's brothers were quite a bit older than him. Most of them were already married with families of their own. Let the kid brag. What harm can he do? And if Daddy likes him better, oh well. You have your place in Daddy's life, and Yosef has his. Play the hand you were dealt.
So here is a way to play the hand we were dealt: A Chanukah and a Thanksgiving occurring on the same day. Chanukah means latkes. Thanksgiving means pumpkin (well, OK, turkey. But pumpkin is a main theme there too and I have vegetarians to appease. Work with me here.) Let's find a creative solution. Like Pumpkin Latkes. You may think it's weird but you gotta admit it beats selling a family member into slavery. Although.....
Pumpkin Latkes
Vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 small sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded and shredded (about 3 cups)
2 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Cook onion in 1 Tbs oil until soft and browned (12-15 minutes.)
Mix onion with The other ingredients.
Heat about a 1/4 cup oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and fry heaping tablespoons of the pumpkin mixture, 3 or 4 at a time.
Flatten each latke with the back of the spatula and cook until browned on both sides and soft in the middle, about 3 minutes per side.
Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
Serve warm with apple-cranberry sauce.
serves 10
BTW, you can substitute potato starch for the flour for a touch of potato flavor (also for a gluten free version.)
I am always in awe of how brilliant the women of the bible were. Especially compared to some of the men. Isn't it interesting that "The more things change...."?
I don't have boys, but I am given to understand that brothers spend most of their formative years beating each other up. Didn't Yosef's brothers read that memo? Yeah, yeah, he was Daddy's pet (read 'pest') but you gotta admit it was a bit extreme to sell him into slavery. Really? That's a little final, isn't it? And as angry as they were at Ya'akov for favoring the little brat, did they really wish to cause all that grief and misery?
So what would you have us do, ask the brothers, he was annoying us to the point of madness. Was there anything else we could do to stop his taunting?
Well, I don't know. Just as I don't know why the Torah inserts that cliff hanger right after Ya'akov is told about Yosef dying and before we find out what happened to Yosef. The Torah takes a little detour to tell us a side story that is so totally unrelated that you've gotta wonder if the editor lost his mind for a moment. It's a very short detour and it certainly increases the suspense, but still, what is it doing here?
It's a story about a young woman who was exceptionally unlucky in her marriages. Husbands kept dying on her and finally her father in law sends her back home with some vague promises, trying to save his remaining son from the killer lady. But Tamar is no fool. Like the woman who will marry her great great great great great grandson, she used a creative interpretation of the law of the land in order to solve her problem. She knew she must marry a member of her dead husbands' family in order to have a child and she knew there is very little chance Yehuda will let her marry Shela after her first 2 husbands died. She tricked Yehuda into giving her a child and even he had to admit that she was correct. He owed her the right to have children.
What is this little side story doing here? This is a story about someone who found herself in a bind. Someone forced her into a situation that might or might not end well with no telling when the outcome will happen. She couldn't wait that long so she found a creative, yet legal, solution.
What could Yosef's brothers learn from this? That there are many possible solutions to a bratty little brother besides faking his death and selling him into slavery. They could beat him up, they could give him a swirly, they could tie his shoelaces together, they could steal his candy. There are so many ways to pay him back for being aggravating, the mind boggles.
Not to mention the fact that Yosef's brothers were quite a bit older than him. Most of them were already married with families of their own. Let the kid brag. What harm can he do? And if Daddy likes him better, oh well. You have your place in Daddy's life, and Yosef has his. Play the hand you were dealt.
So here is a way to play the hand we were dealt: A Chanukah and a Thanksgiving occurring on the same day. Chanukah means latkes. Thanksgiving means pumpkin (well, OK, turkey. But pumpkin is a main theme there too and I have vegetarians to appease. Work with me here.) Let's find a creative solution. Like Pumpkin Latkes. You may think it's weird but you gotta admit it beats selling a family member into slavery. Although.....
Pumpkin Latkes
Vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 small sugar pumpkin, peeled, seeded and shredded (about 3 cups)
2 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Cook onion in 1 Tbs oil until soft and browned (12-15 minutes.)
Mix onion with The other ingredients.
Heat about a 1/4 cup oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and fry heaping tablespoons of the pumpkin mixture, 3 or 4 at a time.
Flatten each latke with the back of the spatula and cook until browned on both sides and soft in the middle, about 3 minutes per side.
Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
Serve warm with apple-cranberry sauce.
serves 10
BTW, you can substitute potato starch for the flour for a touch of potato flavor (also for a gluten free version.)
I am always in awe of how brilliant the women of the bible were. Especially compared to some of the men. Isn't it interesting that "The more things change...."?
Thursday, November 14, 2013
A touch of red
Naturally, we are most interested in Ya'akov, seeing as we are all descended from him. The Talmud, and most Jewish tradition, presents Esav as a mean, dumb, useless appendage to the story. But, if we have no use for Esav, why does the Torah bother to devote a whole chapter (36), 43 whole verses, to what happened to him, who his children and grandchildren were and so on?
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard observant Jews bad mouth non Jews. Not all, mind you. Most simply ignore their existence and achievements, even as they benefit from them. But some, usually those who are newly observant, seem to think that saying bad things about the goyim is the 11th commandment. I had to sit through many Shabbatot, listening to hate speak about strangers whose only crime was a different skin color, being born in a different country or attending a church instead of a synagogue. Thank G-d I also know some people (most notably, an orthodox rabbi) who do not hesitate to give credit where credit is due and to acknowledge that people are to be judged as individuals and not by one's prejudices about the group they happen to belong to.
Maybe Beresheet 36 was included for the hate mongers. To remind them that Esav was also Yitzchak's son, and as such, deserves respect (however begrudging.) True, the commentators tore chapter 36 apart, using every word in it to prove that Esav and his descendants were evil and corrupt; but the fact remains that the Torah saw fit to include his history within its holy pages.
Or, possibly, these were included to remind Esav's descendents that they are related to the very people they are constantly trying to destroy. To show them that we carry them no grudge and are more than willing to live in peace as one big happy family ("The Humans".)
I'd like to think that this is a reminder to both of Yitzchak's sons that they are both from the important lineage of Avraham and as such, they should learn to live in harmony, each in his own place. Just before chapter 36, the Torah says that Yotzchak died and "his sons, Esav and Ya'akov, buried him". Together. As brothers. With Esav mentioned first as befits the firstborn even if he never got his firstborn's share. Esav moved away because there wasn't enough room in Kna'an for both their households. True, he had various other reasons (say the commentators), but chapter 36 verse 7 states clearly that this was his reason.
Can we live in peace? Probably not, based on history. Can we try and point out to Edom that he is a brother? Not as long as we hate his guts and don't even bother to hide it.
Meanwhile, Edom is here to stay. And if he disappears, we will be left alone with the descendants of Yishma'el. Think about that for a while.
Here is a little salad that has a touch of red (Edom) in it. It is a good mixture of old world, new world, far east, middle east and the tropics, as far as the ingredients list is concerned. If this mixture can create something so wonderful, don't you think humanity can do it, too?
Autumn Arugula Salad with Caramelized Squash, Spiced Pecans and Pomegranate Ginger Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons oil
1 acorn squash, unpeeled, sliced in 1/2-inch thick rounds and seeds removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepped
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 cup whole pecans, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
6 cups baby arugula
1 avocado, sliced thinly or cubed
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
1 seedless cucumber, halved and sliced thinly (peeling is optional)
pomegranate ginger vinaigrette
1/3 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 acorn squash, unpeeled, sliced in 1/2-inch thick rounds and seeds removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepped
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 cup whole pecans, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
6 cups baby arugula
1 avocado, sliced thinly or cubed
Seeds from 1 pomegranate
1 seedless cucumber, halved and sliced thinly (peeling is optional)
pomegranate ginger vinaigrette
1/3 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 garlic clove, freshly grated
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the squash slices and cook them in oil, in a large skillet, over medium high heat for about 5 minutes per side or until golden all over, adding the brown sugar about halfway through to help the squash caramelize.
In a small saucepan toast the pecans over low heat until they are slightly golden and fragrant, stirring and shaking the pan as they toast, for about 5 minutes. Toss them with the pumpkin pie spice.
In a large salad bowl mix the arugula with salt and pepper. Add the avocado, pomegranate seeds, cucumber, pecans and squash pieces.
Whisk together pomegranate juice, vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Stream in the olive oil while constantly whisking until the dressing comes together. Toss with the salad.
serves 6
Sowing hatred only leads to more hatred all around. Aren't we supposed to set an example?
In a small saucepan toast the pecans over low heat until they are slightly golden and fragrant, stirring and shaking the pan as they toast, for about 5 minutes. Toss them with the pumpkin pie spice.
In a large salad bowl mix the arugula with salt and pepper. Add the avocado, pomegranate seeds, cucumber, pecans and squash pieces.
Whisk together pomegranate juice, vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Stream in the olive oil while constantly whisking until the dressing comes together. Toss with the salad.
serves 6
Sowing hatred only leads to more hatred all around. Aren't we supposed to set an example?
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Two for the price of one
Isn't that the sweetest deal? Whenever I see this in any store's circular or advertisement, I can't help but check it out. Even when it is obviously not something I will ever consider buying (Jewelery, pork chops, fur coats, ready made meals, etc.) Why are we so fascinated by it? And don't pretend you're innocent here. Everyone loves a freebie.
Except that was soooo not the deal Ya'akov was offered. Or wanted. Which sort of sucks. Unfortunately, he dealt with Lavan, who was a crook. How do I know? Because later in the parasha, when Ya'akov wants to go back home and discusses it with his wives (two-for-one, remember?) they both say the same thing: "Hello? Why should we care about Dad? He treated us like property and has been getting fat and rich on the fruits of our labor." And let that be a lesson to all Dads anywhere re:You may get away with treating your sons like cheap labor, but woe be to the father who mistreats his daughters. Just ask hubby. The poor guy has to walk on eggshells around his womenfolk. The girls make fun of him, get angry with him, roll their eyes every time he tries to talk and in general treat him as a relic from another era. True, they treat me the same way, but I am sort of immune to it because, unlike fathers, most mothers not only accept the fact that children grow up and become disillusioned with their parents' supposed wisdom and omnipotence, they actually welcome it. I know I feel endless relief every time my girls prepare dinner while I take a nap. It's the reward for all the years of hard work I have put into raising them. Men, on the other hand, have huge trouble with the concept of their little princess growing up. And no wonder. Suddenly they lose the only female in the household who thinks they're smart, strong and capable. It's tough.
But! That does not justify what Lavan did to his girls. Which was, as they said, treating them like property. If he really cared about Leah's feelings, he should have found her another husband. Or, at the very least, discussed it with all parties involved. Because think how everyone felt the next morning:
Ya'akov, understandably, was angry.
Leah was probably beyond humiliated. Your brand new husband stomps through the camp, screaming that he was burdened with a woman he did not want.Ouch.
Rachel must have been heartbroken. She wanted to marry Ya'akov and had to suffer through seven more years. Not fun.
The only happy campers that day were Lavan, who felt he got rid of Leah (the, apparently, unmarriageable one) and is about to get seven extra years of free labor from the gullible yahoo from Kna'an, and, of course, the servants and neighbors, who were supplied with years' worth of gossip material.
The moral of the story is: when a deal looks too good to be true, you better check and double check the small print. Also, don't do business with corrupted uncles.
Still, two for the price of one is a good deal. Especially when it is only offered once every 40,000 years or so. I am speaking, of course about Thanksgivukkah. The rare holiday when Chanukah and Thanksgiving happen on the same day.
This, of course, is a huge day for cooks. Just think of all the possibilities. Deep fried turkey, latkes with apple-cranberry sauce, challah based stuffing, pumpkin sufganiyot. The mind boggles.
Now, as you know if you've been following this blog for a while, there is no way that I will ever do what is expected of me like a good little woman. Nuh-Ah. So I will not discuss Thanksgivukkah other than to recommend that you surf the net about it and incorporate whatever ideas you find into your holiday/s. Because it's fun and creative and, well, why not?
I will, however, give you a whole bunch of proper fall/Thanksgiving/ Chanukah recipes over the next few weeks and you can do whatever you want with them.
For example:
Pumpkin soup
1 Tbs oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic (about 1 large clove)
1 tsp fresh, chopped ginger root
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 Lb pumpkin, peeled and cubed
3 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
1 tsp dried chilli flakes (the kind you sometimes put on pizza)
3/4 cup coconut milk (or coconut cream if you want it extra rich)
Chopped cilantro and croutons, for serving.
Heat oil over medium heat and add onion, garlic, ginger and cumin. Cook until onion is soft but not brown (5-10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Add pumpkin and mix well. Continue cooking 5 minutes until the edges of the pumpkin cubes start to soften a bit.
Add broth, increase heat to high and cook until the pumpkin is very soft and the liquids are reduced to the point where the pumpkin is barely covered by them (20-30 minutes.)
Add chilli flakes and coconut milk and re-heat.
Puree soup in blender or with an immersion blender.
Serve with fresh chopped cilantro and croutons.
serves 4.
Don't sell your daughters short. And don't expect them to meekly accept the fate you choose for them. Times have changed. You no longer have to marry the older one off before the younger. You can no longer marry both off to the same man. You can no longer cheat your kids and their future spouses and get away with it. And you can no longer expect to live off the fruits of their labor. Actually, that part was probably true even back then, as Lavan eventually found out.
Except that was soooo not the deal Ya'akov was offered. Or wanted. Which sort of sucks. Unfortunately, he dealt with Lavan, who was a crook. How do I know? Because later in the parasha, when Ya'akov wants to go back home and discusses it with his wives (two-for-one, remember?) they both say the same thing: "Hello? Why should we care about Dad? He treated us like property and has been getting fat and rich on the fruits of our labor." And let that be a lesson to all Dads anywhere re:You may get away with treating your sons like cheap labor, but woe be to the father who mistreats his daughters. Just ask hubby. The poor guy has to walk on eggshells around his womenfolk. The girls make fun of him, get angry with him, roll their eyes every time he tries to talk and in general treat him as a relic from another era. True, they treat me the same way, but I am sort of immune to it because, unlike fathers, most mothers not only accept the fact that children grow up and become disillusioned with their parents' supposed wisdom and omnipotence, they actually welcome it. I know I feel endless relief every time my girls prepare dinner while I take a nap. It's the reward for all the years of hard work I have put into raising them. Men, on the other hand, have huge trouble with the concept of their little princess growing up. And no wonder. Suddenly they lose the only female in the household who thinks they're smart, strong and capable. It's tough.
But! That does not justify what Lavan did to his girls. Which was, as they said, treating them like property. If he really cared about Leah's feelings, he should have found her another husband. Or, at the very least, discussed it with all parties involved. Because think how everyone felt the next morning:
Ya'akov, understandably, was angry.
Leah was probably beyond humiliated. Your brand new husband stomps through the camp, screaming that he was burdened with a woman he did not want.Ouch.
Rachel must have been heartbroken. She wanted to marry Ya'akov and had to suffer through seven more years. Not fun.
The only happy campers that day were Lavan, who felt he got rid of Leah (the, apparently, unmarriageable one) and is about to get seven extra years of free labor from the gullible yahoo from Kna'an, and, of course, the servants and neighbors, who were supplied with years' worth of gossip material.
The moral of the story is: when a deal looks too good to be true, you better check and double check the small print. Also, don't do business with corrupted uncles.
Still, two for the price of one is a good deal. Especially when it is only offered once every 40,000 years or so. I am speaking, of course about Thanksgivukkah. The rare holiday when Chanukah and Thanksgiving happen on the same day.
This, of course, is a huge day for cooks. Just think of all the possibilities. Deep fried turkey, latkes with apple-cranberry sauce, challah based stuffing, pumpkin sufganiyot. The mind boggles.
Now, as you know if you've been following this blog for a while, there is no way that I will ever do what is expected of me like a good little woman. Nuh-Ah. So I will not discuss Thanksgivukkah other than to recommend that you surf the net about it and incorporate whatever ideas you find into your holiday/s. Because it's fun and creative and, well, why not?
I will, however, give you a whole bunch of proper fall/Thanksgiving/ Chanukah recipes over the next few weeks and you can do whatever you want with them.
For example:
Pumpkin soup
1 Tbs oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp chopped garlic (about 1 large clove)
1 tsp fresh, chopped ginger root
1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 Lb pumpkin, peeled and cubed
3 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
1 tsp dried chilli flakes (the kind you sometimes put on pizza)
3/4 cup coconut milk (or coconut cream if you want it extra rich)
Chopped cilantro and croutons, for serving.
Heat oil over medium heat and add onion, garlic, ginger and cumin. Cook until onion is soft but not brown (5-10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Add pumpkin and mix well. Continue cooking 5 minutes until the edges of the pumpkin cubes start to soften a bit.
Add broth, increase heat to high and cook until the pumpkin is very soft and the liquids are reduced to the point where the pumpkin is barely covered by them (20-30 minutes.)
Add chilli flakes and coconut milk and re-heat.
Puree soup in blender or with an immersion blender.
Serve with fresh chopped cilantro and croutons.
serves 4.
Don't sell your daughters short. And don't expect them to meekly accept the fate you choose for them. Times have changed. You no longer have to marry the older one off before the younger. You can no longer marry both off to the same man. You can no longer cheat your kids and their future spouses and get away with it. And you can no longer expect to live off the fruits of their labor. Actually, that part was probably true even back then, as Lavan eventually found out.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Shalom Bayit
Yitzchak always strikes me as someone who got a raw deal. Not only was the akeida a traumatic event (there's an understatement) but the poor guy lost his mom, had twin boys (which can destroy anyone) and was tricked by his wife (on whose behalf he prayed to G-d). And to top it all, he lived between two giants. You can't live down Avraham, who practically invented monotheism; and you can't out do Ya'akov who has fathered no less than 12 (that's twelve!) sons. What's a fella to do?
Some people get all depressed when comparing themselves to others. Some even give up trying to live a meaningful life and just go through the motions. After all, if your father came up with the most revolutionary idea in history and your son established a dynasty while your one claim to glory was not being sacrificed, wouldn't you feel a little unfulfilled? The poor guy never even left his homeland, while his father and his son traveled all over the known world. Talk about low self esteem.
Yet Yitzchak isn't bitter. He isn't resentful. He has every right to act out and be a menace to society yet he is a model citizen. He works hard and raises his herds, wandering from well to well and living a quiet little life, totally content with his place in the universe.
Hold on. Why did he wander from well to well? What was wrong with the first well he dug? And what happened to all the wells his father left him? Ah, well, it seems Yitzchak was a rich man. He inherited plenty from daddy and went on to get even richer simply by hard work and G-d's help. The neighbors were jealous. So, like all horrible neighbors throughout history, they sabotaged his wells by filling them with sand and rocks. Which is probably the dumbest thing one can do in the land of Israel, but that's Philistines for you.
So every time Yitchak had a well, it was filled up and rendered useless. Did he fight with the culprits? Did he try to reason with them, argue with them, sue them? Nope. He picked up and moved away and dug another well in the new place. Four times! Not once does he say "Excuse me, this here is my well, go find your own." Why would he take that bullying? Is it because he was afraid? Maybe he did not know how to fight. But the Torah said only a few verses before that he was a very, very rich man. A rich man can buy protection even if he himself can't fight. Why did he keep moving without protest?
Avraham was a warrior. We know that. Heck, he even argued with G-d. Ya'akov actually fought G-d. What happened to that gene of fighters when it was Yitzchak's turn? Went into hibernation? Why didn't he fight for his rights?
Some people are like that. We would rather accept hardship and less than we deserve in order to avoid a fight. Some call it defeatism. We call it keeping the peace. Even at the price of a sacrifice. What the heck, thought Yitzchak, I am rich enough to be able to dig all the wells that I want. Why fight over this. It will just cause a lot of shouting and pushing and someone might get hurt and really, it's fine, I'll just move. Again.
The world usually has no patience with such people. Pushovers, wusses, weaklings, all kinds of dismissive names are thrown their way. But these people are the ones who keep the world from exploding into a million pieces. Yitzchak wasn't alone. His great-great-great-great-granson, Aharon, was also a peace lover who kept quiet instead of screaming with pain. Where would we be if Yitzchak was into fighting? Did we really want the war in the Middle East to start that long ago?
Poor Yitzchak just wanted to live in peace with everybody and eat some game. Maybe a bison. Or a deer. Or a goat cooked in a special way to taste like deer. No, wait, that's not it. Oh, well.
Like every Jewish woman, I have my own recipe for brisket. Hubby loves it. I even gave it to my MIL and she even used it. But on Rosh Hashana we were at my friend Gail's house and she served brisket (of course) and my little one (the carnivore) said she preferred it to mine. I didn't care. I have no strong attachment to brisket. So I got the recipe and why don't you buy a piece of bison brisket and cook it for this Shabbat to see what Yitzchak was craving.
Gail's brisket
I have decided to bring this recipe exactly as Gail herself sent it to me because I enjoyed her unique style and wouldn't want anyone to miss out on it:
1. Get a nice cut of meat. I've used brisket, 2nd cut, French Roast. Whatever doesn't cost a mortgage payment.
2. At least one package of Onion soup mix, a can of cranberry sauce, some wine, 4 or more onions ,about half a cup of ketchup , salt, (not much, as the rest of the ingredients have enough already) and pepper to taste. The actual percentages are up to you, but I like the background taste to be onion-y. The sweet part is my Polish-Russian heritage (sweet kugel, sweet gefilte fish).
3. Braise the meat in the pan (or pot) in a little bit of olive oil, just enough for the meat not to stick.
Cover the meat with the rest of the ingredients, and set to simmer on the stove for at least an hour and a half. Then let cool for a while, slice the meat and return to the pot. You can leave it overnight and then just put the meat in an aluminum foil covered pan and let it cook at a 350 oven (or even less) while you prepare the rest of the meal. Serve it with the other items for dinner. If there are any leftovers, they will not suffer from re-heating.
Next time you encounter a fight you can afford to lose, ask yourself if it wouldn't be better to simply give in. After all, what can be more important than living without stress and strife?
Oops,
Rich pumpkin loaf
Some people get all depressed when comparing themselves to others. Some even give up trying to live a meaningful life and just go through the motions. After all, if your father came up with the most revolutionary idea in history and your son established a dynasty while your one claim to glory was not being sacrificed, wouldn't you feel a little unfulfilled? The poor guy never even left his homeland, while his father and his son traveled all over the known world. Talk about low self esteem.
Yet Yitzchak isn't bitter. He isn't resentful. He has every right to act out and be a menace to society yet he is a model citizen. He works hard and raises his herds, wandering from well to well and living a quiet little life, totally content with his place in the universe.
Hold on. Why did he wander from well to well? What was wrong with the first well he dug? And what happened to all the wells his father left him? Ah, well, it seems Yitzchak was a rich man. He inherited plenty from daddy and went on to get even richer simply by hard work and G-d's help. The neighbors were jealous. So, like all horrible neighbors throughout history, they sabotaged his wells by filling them with sand and rocks. Which is probably the dumbest thing one can do in the land of Israel, but that's Philistines for you.
So every time Yitchak had a well, it was filled up and rendered useless. Did he fight with the culprits? Did he try to reason with them, argue with them, sue them? Nope. He picked up and moved away and dug another well in the new place. Four times! Not once does he say "Excuse me, this here is my well, go find your own." Why would he take that bullying? Is it because he was afraid? Maybe he did not know how to fight. But the Torah said only a few verses before that he was a very, very rich man. A rich man can buy protection even if he himself can't fight. Why did he keep moving without protest?
Avraham was a warrior. We know that. Heck, he even argued with G-d. Ya'akov actually fought G-d. What happened to that gene of fighters when it was Yitzchak's turn? Went into hibernation? Why didn't he fight for his rights?
Some people are like that. We would rather accept hardship and less than we deserve in order to avoid a fight. Some call it defeatism. We call it keeping the peace. Even at the price of a sacrifice. What the heck, thought Yitzchak, I am rich enough to be able to dig all the wells that I want. Why fight over this. It will just cause a lot of shouting and pushing and someone might get hurt and really, it's fine, I'll just move. Again.
The world usually has no patience with such people. Pushovers, wusses, weaklings, all kinds of dismissive names are thrown their way. But these people are the ones who keep the world from exploding into a million pieces. Yitzchak wasn't alone. His great-great-great-great-granson, Aharon, was also a peace lover who kept quiet instead of screaming with pain. Where would we be if Yitzchak was into fighting? Did we really want the war in the Middle East to start that long ago?
Poor Yitzchak just wanted to live in peace with everybody and eat some game. Maybe a bison. Or a deer. Or a goat cooked in a special way to taste like deer. No, wait, that's not it. Oh, well.
Like every Jewish woman, I have my own recipe for brisket. Hubby loves it. I even gave it to my MIL and she even used it. But on Rosh Hashana we were at my friend Gail's house and she served brisket (of course) and my little one (the carnivore) said she preferred it to mine. I didn't care. I have no strong attachment to brisket. So I got the recipe and why don't you buy a piece of bison brisket and cook it for this Shabbat to see what Yitzchak was craving.
Gail's brisket
I have decided to bring this recipe exactly as Gail herself sent it to me because I enjoyed her unique style and wouldn't want anyone to miss out on it:
1. Get a nice cut of meat. I've used brisket, 2nd cut, French Roast. Whatever doesn't cost a mortgage payment.
2. At least one package of Onion soup mix, a can of cranberry sauce, some wine, 4 or more onions ,about half a cup of ketchup , salt, (not much, as the rest of the ingredients have enough already) and pepper to taste. The actual percentages are up to you, but I like the background taste to be onion-y. The sweet part is my Polish-Russian heritage (sweet kugel, sweet gefilte fish).
3. Braise the meat in the pan (or pot) in a little bit of olive oil, just enough for the meat not to stick.
Cover the meat with the rest of the ingredients, and set to simmer on the stove for at least an hour and a half. Then let cool for a while, slice the meat and return to the pot. You can leave it overnight and then just put the meat in an aluminum foil covered pan and let it cook at a 350 oven (or even less) while you prepare the rest of the meal. Serve it with the other items for dinner. If there are any leftovers, they will not suffer from re-heating.
Next time you encounter a fight you can afford to lose, ask yourself if it wouldn't be better to simply give in. After all, what can be more important than living without stress and strife?
Oops,
Rich pumpkin loaf
4 oz. softened cream cheese
¼ cup butter
1 ¼ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1¾ cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
- Put softened cheese, butter, and sugar in mixing bowl. Cream together well. Beat in eggs one at a time until blended. Mix in pumpkin.
- In another bowl combine flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and walnuts. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour all at once over batter. Stir just enough to moisten. Turn into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
- Bake at 350F for 60-70 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Remove to rack to finish cooling.
Makes 1 loaf.
Sorry, everyone. I forgot this was lurking at the bottom of the post. So you will just have to suffer the indignity of an extra recipe that is in no way related to the post. Think o fit as a happy mistake.
Sorry, everyone. I forgot this was lurking at the bottom of the post. So you will just have to suffer the indignity of an extra recipe that is in no way related to the post. Think o fit as a happy mistake.
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