Parshat Bamidbar – May 26, 2012

This Parsha could be called Parshat Census. It gives a complete numerical accounting of all of the tribes with the exception of the Levites. Maybe that’s why the English word for Bamidbar (literally, ‘in the desert’) is… numbers!

The original plan was for the Bechor (first born male) to serve in the Mishkan/Beit Hamikdash as the designated priests. According to the Maharal of Prague, there is a special holiness in being the first, since God Himself is the first being.

However the sin of the Golden Calf changed everything. When Moshe descended from Har Sinai and smashed the Luchos (tablets) he gave an ultimatum; they had to choose between God and the idol. Only the tribe of Levi stepped forward to side with Hashem. (Shemot 32:26) As a result, the male first borns lost their priestly status and God decreed that only the Levites would be the ‘Kohanim’ – priests.

In Parshat Bamidbar we see the source of the mitzvah of Pidyon HaBen (redemption of the son).

Bamidbar/Numbers 3:47-48 you shall take five shekels per head, according to the holy shekel, by which the shekel is twenty gerahs. You shall give the money to Aaron and his sons, in redemption for the firstborns who are in excess of them.

It is a rare ritual where the first born male  is redeemed with five coins of silver from his previous obligation to serve G0d. Another purpose of this mitzvah is to remind us of the Yetziat Mitzrayim (Exodus from Egypt) and the final of the ten plagues when God killed the first born of the Egyptians but spared the first born sons of the Israelites. Another reason is to remind us that our love and appreciation for the first born is so great yet everything that is given to us comes from God.

Bamidbar 3:47 You shall take five shekels per head, according to the holy shekel, by which the shekel is twenty gerahs.

 Root Vegetable ‘Shekels’  (adapted from my mom’s recipe)

• 1 lb. small potatoes
• 2 lb. sweet potatoes
• 1 large carrot (I found super fat ones in Chinatown)
• 2 parsnips
• 1/2 lb rutanbaga
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon Italian spices
• fresh chives, chopped, (optional, but they look great)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Cut all the vegetables into ‘coins’ that are approximately 1/2 inch thick. Toss all ingredients together and bake at 425 degrees for 45-55 minutes.

Parshat Behar-Bechukotai – May 19, 2012

With apologies for this late posting. Allan Robbins suggested that since so much of this Parsha deals with Shmittah (the Sabbatical year) and Yovel (Jubilee year every fifty years)…

That I should use this week as a Sabbatical!

However, I did have a recipe that I wanted to try that rather…distantly… (ahem) connects to the Shnat HaYovel – the Jubilee year.

Shmittah is the seventh year of the agricultural cycle where the land lies fallow; the produce of the land is not consumed. The 7th Shmittah in the 49th year is followed by Shnat HaYovel which is the 50th (Jubilee) year. In the Yovel year, property reverted to its original owner. Nothing is owned in perpetuity because everything belongs to God.

I love that we grew up with a slang expression that comes directly from the Torah.

“He was scheduled for gall bladder surgery but had to wait a ‘Yoivel’ to get an appointment!”

“We went to the zoo and waited a Yoivel to see a single orangutan!”

“I went to the fish store and waited a Yoivel to buy a piece of carp!”

Here’s a Jubilee recipe. Yes this is Queen Elizabeth’s jubilee year. (Okay, so it’s a diamond jubilee, but what’s a few decades between friends?)

I know I did scones a few weeks ago. But I couldn’t resist posting a really delicious recipe (not as healthy, but really, really good) in honour of the Jubilee Theme.

Yummy Scottish Scones (adapted from allrecipes)

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• dash of salt
• 5 tablespoons margarine
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup Tofutti pareve sour cream
• icing sugar and water

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add baking powder to flour.
• Add remainder of ingredients (except icing sugar and water) and mix into a sticky batter.
• With wet hands roll into two inch balls. Press lightly.
• Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake for 15 minutes.
• When the scones are cooled drizzle on a glaze mixed from icing sugar and water.

Parshat Emor – May 12, 2012

With apologies for this late posting. My writing is taking up more and more of my time so this blog is sometimes neglected. I’ll try to post next week’s recipe earlier in the week.

In Parshat Emor, three mitzvot (commandments) relate to the counting of the Omer – the seven-week period spanning Pesach (16th of the Hebrew month of Nissan) to Shavuos (6th of Sivan):

1. the commandment to bring the ‘Omer’ (barley) offering on Pesach
2. the commandment to bring two (wheat) loaves offering on Shavuos (‘Mincha Chadash’ – new meal offering)
3. the commandment to count the Omer

We’ve learned already that barley represented animal feed and wheat is human food. When the Israelites left Egypt they had descended 49 levels of ‘Tumah (impurity)’. The 49 days between Pesach and Shavuos represent a daily elevation of the Jewish people from the depths of Tumah to the height of spirituality, manifested by the giving of the Torah at Sinai.

The Omer is a mourning period, for according to the Talmud (Yevamos 62B) 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva’s students died in this period because of their lack of respect and consideration for each other. There are many explanations, but we know that their behaviour contradicts the spiritual elevation that is supposed to be taking during this period, in preparation for receiving the Torah.

Here’s a recipe that commemorates the loaves offered by Bnei Yisrael during the festival of Shavuot – Babka. It’s a lot of steps but sooo worth the effort!

Vayika 23:17: you shall bring bread, two loaves…they shall be of fine flour,and they shall be baked leavened, the first offering to the Lord.

Babka:

Basic dough:

For the basic dough you can take off part of your Challah dough (2 flour cups worth) if you have a big Challah recipe. If not, this recipe can be easily mixed up in a breadmaker:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon yeast

Place the ingredients in the bread maker in the above order and set to ‘dough’:

Filling:

This is the hard part. There are a number of ways to go with this but at the very least, this is what you’ll need:

• 12 oz chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 cup margarine

Melt margarine and add remainder of ingredients.

Egg Wash:

• 1 egg

Crumb Topping: (optional)

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup margarine

Melt margarine and add sugar and flour and mix until crumbly.

Directions: (see pictures below)

• Roll out dough into an approximately 18″ square shape.
• Brush all four edges with beaten egg.
• Spread the chocolate filling on the dough, reserving a few tablespoons for later.
• Roll up the dough jelly-roll style. Squeeze the edges closed.
• Twist the dough 5 -6 turns.
• Brush the top with the egg and then sprinkle on (more like pack on carefully) the remainder of the chocolate filling.
• Fold one side over the other (length-wise)
• Place in a greased bread pan that’s been lined with parchment paper.
• Brush egg on top and sprinkle the crumb topping on top.
• Bake in pre-heated oven (350 degrees) with a piece of foil loosely placed on top for 1/2 hour.
• Rotate the pan and bake another 20 minutes, with the foil still on.
• When it’s cool, remove from pan.
• Try to control yourself!

Spread the chocolate filling on the dough. If you want to be decadent, add 1/2 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder also!

Now you’re going to twist it five or six times:

Fold one side over the other and place in pan.

Cover with beaten egg and press the remaining chocolate filling on top.

Bake and enjoy!

Parshat Achrei Mot – Kedoshim May 6, 2012

Blood is mentioned numerous times in this Parsha. The Kohen Gadol (High Priest) is given detailed instruction of the Yom Kippur service which includes specific offerings related to the Kodesh Kedoshim (Holy of Holies). This service includes a number of references to the sprinkling of the sacrificial animal’s blood. In Vayikra 16:14 he ‘takes some of the bull’s blood and sprinkles it with his index finger on top of the ark cover seven times.”

Later in the Parsha (17:10) the entire people of Israel as well as ‘strangers that sojourn among them’ are prohibited from eating any blood with the severe consequence of being cut off from among His people if they do so.

Rabbenu Bahye states that blood symbolizes animals:.

“We must make a distinction between animals which devour their prey with the blood and man, who needs to be “soft and merciful”; we must take heed that the soul of man will not be “contaminated” by the animal’s blood which will lead man to inhuman activity.

The Ramban offers a different explanation. He says that God created “all the lower beings for the needs of man, since he alone recognizes his creator.” Originally though, man was only allowed to eat plant life until the Flood when God  permitted man to slaughter animals. Eating blood was a remnant of “that ancient prohibition from before the flood.” Although life is for man, the life (blood) within them provides an atonement for man “and be sacrificed before God  and not be eaten since no living creature can eat life itself because all the lives belong to God as do the lives of men.”

I chose cranberries as a visual symbol of blood. As it happens, I’m crazy for cranberries and here are two recipes. The first one is my scone recipe which I make practically every Shabbat. It’s an alternative to very sweet/processed desserts. I buy fresh cranberries in the fall and freeze them in the bags for the year.

Vayikra 16:14…he shall sprinkle seven times from the blood, with his index finger.

Whole Wheat Cranberry Scones 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• dash of salt
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 small snack sized sugar-free apple sauce (any flavour)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons orange juice (or not, this recipe is very forgiving)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 -2 cups cranberries
• optional – 1-2 teaspoon sugar-free vanilla syrup

Instructions:

Mix baking powder with flour and add the remainder of ingredients. For this recipe I rolled them into balls and baked them at 350 degrees for approximately 1/2 hour. You don’t want them to dry out inside. They’re best when they’re moist and slightly under-done.

What I usually do with this recipe is line a foil pie pan with parchment paper and push in the batter. After 15 minutes or so I open up the oven and cut the pie-shape into ten pie-shaped pieces then continue baking for another 15-20 minutes or so.

The great thing about this recipe is that the ingredients don’t have to be exact. You can use chocolate or carob chips, cut up strawberries or blueberries. If you use berries the scone will start getting a bit moldy in two days. You can ‘dump’ in as much apple sauce as you want – same with the oil. They’re like…magic scones.

The second recipe is a Starbucks Copycat recipe from Food.com

Cranberry Bliss Bars (Starbucks Copycat)

Bars:

• 2 sticks margarine
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup craisins
• 3/4 cup broken up white chocolate (or white chocolate chips)

Frosting:

• 3 ounces Tofutti pareve cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons margarine
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1/3 cup chopped craisins
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chopped up white chocolate
• 1/2 teaspoon canola oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 10 x 15 pan with parchment paper.
2. For the bars, beat margarine and sugars for 3-5 minutes, until light. Add eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder and beat briefly. Add craisins and white chocolate and stir until completely mixed.
3. Spread into pan and bake 350 for 20 minutes until light brown at edges.

Frosting:

Blend cream cheese and margarine until fluffy. Add vanilla, icing sugar and beat until fluffy. (You might have to add a drop of water.) Spread over cooled bars.

Garnish: Use a zester and remove rind from orange. Sprinkle zest over frosted bars. Chop 1/3 cup Craisins and sprinkle.

Drizzle:

Mix white chocolate and oil in a glass measuring cup. Microwave until melted. (in 10 second increments). Use a fork to drizzle the white chocolate diagonally across the bars.

B’Tayavon and have a great Shabbos!

 

 

Parshat Tazria – Metzora April 29, 2012

This week’s Parsha deals with the procedures involved with the ‘metzora.’ Metzora is often translated as leprosy, but it actually is a more physical manifestation of spiritual dysfunction that can also affect clothing and homes. It is connected to sins of speech – speaking evil of others. The Parsha explains in detail the ceremony conducted by the Kohen (priest) following the physical healing of the ‘leper,’ which marks the beginning of the process of purification. The ceremony required two birds, one which was slaughtered and the other that was set free.

According to Rabbi Yehoshua Greenbaum, the Hebrew word for sparrow is ‘dror’ which means freedom. Birds are difficult to catch but they are noisy creatures. Their purpose in the ceremony is to “impress upon the Metzora the great importance of catching our speech and chatter before they fly off. We must learn to take control over what we say, in order to use words intentionally, productively, lovingly, to good effect.”

Rabbi Greenbaum says:

The use of the two birds is bound up with the double-edged nature of speech, which can be used for good or evil. The Metzora had to watch as one of the chattering birds was slaughtered in front of his eyes, teaching him that he must simply kill his evil talk for all time…When we release ourselves from the bonds of pride and arrogance that enslave us, we are freer than ever to explore the great power of pure speech.

What are kosher birds?

There are 24 avian species of birds in the Torah that are not kosher. All others are considered kosher. Since the time of Moshe, a ‘Mesorah’  (tradition) was handed down from generation to generation, which identified the kosher birds. Some of those details were lost over the last few thousand years and as a result, no one today can identify all of those 24 species. This is also a particular issue in the New World, since new species of birds were encountered by settlers who thought they were the same as European species so they gave it the same name. The OU gives a fascinating explanation and history of how some of that Mesorah was recovered from Europe and their ongoing research into this issue. It’s well worth the read.

For my recipe, I was determined to use quail eggs. I discovered that quails are kosher. (Yes!) Then I discovered that there are a number of types of quail and some aren’t kosher. (No!) I needed to find something called Coturnix. I called up a bunch of farms (good so far) but some were too far away (no way) I emailed the quail farmer from the Chinese supermarket.

(Don’t you love that you can just email the farmer?)

(And isn’t it even better that you can email your local quail farmer?)

He emailed me with the good news – his eggs were Coturnix Japonica. Yay!

 

Leaf Salad with Quail Eggs

• spinach
• iceberg lettuce
• frozen/fresh green peas
• chives
• quail eggs

How to Cook Quail Eggs

Place the eggs in a pot and cover with an extra inch of water. Bring to a boil then turn off heat. Cover with a lid and let sit for five minutes. Rinse off eggs with cold water to stop the cooking.

You’ll have perfect quail eggs.

Creamy Italian Dressing (from Food.com)

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons soy milk
• 1 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoons oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/8 teaspoon rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Place in a jar with tight lid and shake.

B’tayavon and have a great Shabbos!

Parshat Shemini – April 21, 2012

UPDATE: I’m back! I hope anyone reading this had a wonderful and meaningful Pesach.

In VaYikra (Leviticus) 10:1-2 Aaron’s two sons, Nadav and Avihu take their incense vessels to make an unsolicited offering of Ketoret – incense.

[They] each took his pan, put fire in them, and placed incense upon it, and they brought before the Lord foreign fire, which He had not commanded them. And fire went forth from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.

According to Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsh, this incident highlights the balance between freedom and structure in the Torah.

No place is allowed in the whole service of the offerings of the Sanctuary of the Torah for subjectively doing just what you think right. Even the free-will offerings have to be kept meticulously within the limits of the forms and kinds prescribed for them. For the proximity of and getting near to God, which is the purpose of every offering, is only to be found by the way of obedience, by compliance with God’s Will and subordination to it. The Jew, with his offering, wishes to place himself in the service of God; by his offering he wishes to make himself subservient to the wishes of his God. So that all offerings are formulae of the demands of God, which the bringer, by his offering, undertakes to make the normal routine for his future life. So that self- devised offerings would be a killing of just those very truths which our offerings are meant to impress upon the bringers, would be placing a pedestal on which to glorify one’s own ideas, where a throne was meant to be built for obedience, and obedience only.

According to Rav Hirsch, these deaths that occur in the first days of the consecration of the Mishkan serves as a warning for future Kohanim (priests). The Mishkan is not a place of subjective actions and independent deeds. It is a place to fulfill the word of God. Certainly when we looked at Korban Todah, God has given us the physical parameters and tools to express our emotions.

This recalls a wonderful statement by the late (1907-1963) Irish poet Louis MacNeice:

Freedom is getting into things, not out of them.

If you’ve ever played a musical instrument, or studied art, than you know that the endless drills, exercises and practices, are the building blocks for those soaring moments of expression.

When Moshe says to Aaron, This is what the Lord spoke, [when He said], ‘I will be sanctified through those near to Me, and before all the people I will be glorified in the next pasuk, Aaron is silent. Aaron is rewarded by receiving Nevuah (prophecy) directly instead of through Moshe.

Silence is an important factor in comforting the mourning. We don’t speak to the mourner until they address us first. We follow their conversation. I was at a Shiva a few months ago. Our friend Annie who is French Moroccan was mourning the passing of her father. I learned something that I had never known. Many Sephardim do not eat meat during the Shiva – they only eat fish.

Here is a fish recipe – inspired by ‘Spanish Moroccan Fish’ from Allrecipes.

Moroccan Fish

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 – 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped,
• 6 mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced olives
• bunch of cilantro or parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon hot chili sauce (or to taste)
• salt or soy sauce to taste
• 1 lb sole filets

Directions

1. In a saucepan, saute onions and garlic until golden. Add remaining vegetables and cook until soft. .
2. Add parsley, paprika, cumin, cayenne, and soy sauce to vegetables and stir. Place fish on top of the vegetables and add water to cover vegetables. Reduce heat, cover, and cook for half an hour.
3. Serve with couscous or rice.

B’tayavon and have a great Shabbos!

There is only one word to describe blogging about this week’s Parsha…

PESACH!?!?!?!

I have my recipe for this week’s Parsha. It’s not really related to the special readings for Passover, but it’s definitely Kosher L’Pesach. If I’m efficient I’ll turn my kitchen over tonight and tomorrow I’ll start cooking for Yontiff. But I’ll take a little break to research and write up a Dvar Torah, I’ll cook the recipe, I’ll take photographs, I’ll blog…

Okay, give me a second to slow down my heart rate.

I’m taking a cleansing breath now.

I’m counting to four and breathing out slowly.

Okay. Now I can talk again. Now I’m going to tell you a little story. It probably happened this past Rosh Hashana. I was at the supermarket looking at these gorgeous peppers and thought to myself – why don’t I make stuffed peppers? The problem is that I’d never made stuffed peppers before. A nice looking lady was walking by and I stopped her.

“Excuse me,” I said. “Do you know how to make stuffed peppers?”

“Why yes,” she said with a smile. She had a slight French accent and I’m assuming she was Sephardi, although there was nothing exotic about these ingredients. She told me how simple it was and gave me instructions. I promptly purchased the ingredients, went home, and cooked up three pans of yummy stuffed peppers.

When Rosh Hashana rolled around, I served them to a table-full of our dear friends. The peppers were delicious and since none of us tend to cook that dish, it was a bit of a treat. What’s the recipe they said?

“I don’t know,” I said. Sadly, I’ll never find that recipe again. You see there was never a real recipe. But more than that, I had virtually no memory of how I had made them. In the hustle and bustle of preparing for Rosh Hashana, it was just one of many dishes I cooked up. I’m never going to find that lovely lady again, I don’t even remember what she looks like.

So why do I tell you this story? Because at the supermarket a few days ago, a woman behind me at the checkout had a food item that I had never cooked before.

“What are you doing with that,” I asked. She happily gave me complete instructions on what to use and how to prepare it. Of course I didn’t write it down, but you knew that by now, right? By the time I cook it tomorrow it’ll probably morph into something completely different, because after all I’ve got Pesach-Brain right now, but I’ll experiment and play with it and hopefully it’ll be tasty.

Please do not fear seeing me at the supermarket – I don’t accost everybody.

Parshat Tzav – March 31, 2012

In this week’s Parsha, Moshe is commanded to address the Kohanim (priests)with instructions on the processing of  different type of Korbanot. (sacrifices) In the third Aliyah, (Vayikra/Leviticus 7:11) the Korban Shelamim (Peace Offering) is discussed. This sacrifice is particularly unique because it’s a voluntary offering and is eaten mostly by the person bringing it. With this Korban, the person has two days and one night to consume most of the meat, following the Kohen’s processing of the animal.

This Parsha gives special attention to a specific kind of Korban Shelamim – the Korban Todah. (Gratitude) According to Rashi, a person would bring a korban Todah is he is giving thanks to God for a miracle, such as a) returning safely from a sea voyage b) or desert journey, c) getting released from prison or d) recovering from illness.

The Korban Shelamim is a relatively ‘happy’ Korban; giving gratitude and showing love to God. The Korban is eaten by the Kohein as well as the person bringing it. The Korban Todah in particular is given less time to eat than a regular Korban Shelamim – under 24 hours. It also requires bringing ten types of four different breads.

How to eat so much food in so little time?

According to a friend who did the math, Shabbos/Yom Tov works out to, on average, one in every 5 1/5 days. (!) And considering that Shabbos/holidays are pretty food-centric events, you could safely say that we Jews are pretty serious eaters.

Somebody was born?  Kiddush! Bris! Someone died? Take a meal. Even an anniversary of someone dying is Kiddush time. Historically whether we almost got killed, or we actually did get killed, food is is going to be involved in our commemoration.

The ritual act of eating is part of how we show gratitude to God. The volume of food involved with the Korban Todah, however, was beyond most of our capacities. (Although admittedly, after spending all this time on this food blog, I don’t know how I’d fare if tested…) How to finish forty loaves of bread and a cow in less than a day and a night? The Netziv points out that considering the short amount of time allowed to consume the food of this Korban Todah, the only way to do it is by involving others. We showed gratitude to God by inviting and involving others in a communal celebration of His greatness.

Here’s a meat recipe to commemorate the Korban – specifically Shelamim.

Vayikra 7:15 And the flesh of his thanksgiving peace offering shall be eaten on the day it is offered up; he shall not leave any of it over until morning.

(Kounterfeit)  Kofteh Kabobs

I say counterfeit, because true kofteh is a Persian dish that is usually made from lamb, which I refuse to eat. This version is made from medium ground beef.

• 1 1/2 lbs. (or so) chopped meat
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats (I would have used matza meal but since we’re in the month of Nissan, I’m staying away from Matzo products)
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. mixed Eastern spices (curry, turmeric, cumin…I used spice I got in Israel for this.
• 1 tsp. cumin (in addition to the above)
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. hot chili sauce
• eggplant, mushroom, zucchini, or pepper for the skewers
• 12 skewers (approximately)

Directions:

Mix ingredients. Go ahead – just use your hands! It’s so much easier.

Squish the meat into little logs that are approximately 1 1/2 inches long and thread on the skewers with the vegies. Bar-b-q until browned.

B’tayavon and have a great Shabbos!