Believe it or not, the Talmud says that that garlic is an aphrodisiac. Yes, that is a fact. Here’s a quote from the Babylonian Talmud (from Gil Marks‘s Encyclopedia of Jewish Food) “Five things were said of garlic. It satiates, it warms the body, it brightens one’s face, it increases semen and it kills intestinal … Continue reading
When I discovered that my formerly lovely red delicious apples were growing soft brown patches on their sides I knew it was time to perform cosmetic surgery. No I didn’t botox the fruit, I pared off the ugly patches, shredded the healthy flesh and gave my apples a new lease on life as apple muffins. My salvage operation … Continue reading
Yes, I was a bit confused to learn that there is a recipe called Amalek Kugel. Amalek? Isn’t his evil tribe our greatest historical enemy? Wasn’t the wicked Haman his grandson? Aren’t Hitler, the Hamas terrorists, the Hizbollah, Ahamdinjead said to be his descendents? Naming a kugel after him sounded about as strange as naming … Continue reading
Being a born and bred Ashkenazi, I’d never heard of svinge, but then my daughter told me that was the Hanuka treat her Morrocan born mother in law was raised on. That naturally picqued my curiosity and when I saw a recipe for Svinge in the Modia kids section. I had to try it. Svinge … Continue reading
On Rosh Hashana we “coronate” Hashem. This is a crown Hallah. I know, this takes imagination. Think William and Kate. Bird Hallah. This comes from a verse In Isaiah which says Hashem will swoop down like a flying bird to do battle for us. Good to remember this week as our fate hangs in the … Continue reading
It’s the 17th of Tammuz and I’m fasting. That means that I can’t have my beloved cocoa with ice cubes until nightfall, which makes me grumpy and sad. Booo!!! When I was younger, fasts confused me. Why call them “fast.”? If you’ve ever experienced one you’ll know that a fast day is anything but fast. … Continue reading
I think that I’ve stumbled upon the secret fuel to the Jewish brain. It’s Pistou, an ancient condiment, dip, relish (you pick) and, close cousin to Pesto. Pistou originates in from Provence, a lovely town on the French- Italian border which had a Jewish community that was neither Ashkenazi or Sephardic but followed it’s own minhagim. … Continue reading
