Tu B’Shevat Part 2 – Feb. 8/12

Note: The first recipe for Parshat Yitro will be up Wednesday night Eastern Standard Time. The second one on Thursday.

The Sheva Minim (Seven Species from Devarim 8:8) include the mention of honey. Although the spies described Israel as the land of milk and honey, the honey in the Sheva Minim is generally taken to be date honey. Israel still has a thriving honey industry. Here’s one beekeeper:

Stevy and cousins Linda and Marilyn from Montreal tending the bees.

My brother Stevy (photographer and technical writer) and his wife Alison (graphic designer) are also Israeli bee-keepers. They keep their hives in the fields of a moshav nearby their home in Rechovot. They’ve also branched out into producing soaps and perfumes out of honey and fruits of the land of Israel.

Even though the ‘land of milk and honey’ is date honey, I’m posting a recipe celebrating bee honey. (Especially the kind from Israel.)

Shemot 3:8 I have descended to free them from the hand of Egypt, and to bring them up from that land to a good, spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey.

Honey Garlic Chicken (adapted from Food.com)

• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup honey
• Boneless, skinless, chicken thighs (for breasts, cook for 10-15 minutes less than the instructions)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients together, except for sesame seeds.
• Place chicken in pan and pour sauce on top.
• Bake 3/4 hour at 350 F, covered.
• Pour off the sauce and place in a sauce pan. Add 2-3 tablespoons corn starch. Cook on low heat to thicken.
• Bake the chicken uncovered for another 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes when the sauce is thickened, pour on top of the chicken and bake for an additional fifteen minutes.
• This part is optional, but if you turn off the oven and leave the chicken inside for 15 minutes or so, the chicken will turn a beautiful golden-brown colour.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds on the chicken immediately before serving.

B’Tayavon!

Parshat Mikeitz – December 25, 2011

In Parshat Mikeitz, a lengthy interaction is played out between Yosef and his bewildered and terrified brothers. The sons of Jacob have arrived in Egypt from Canaan in search of food, due to a famine that has devastated the region.

They are returned to Canaan by Yosef with instructions to bring back their younger brother Benjamin. Yehuda is anxious to return to Egypt and tries to assure Jacob that he will personally assume responsibility for Benjamin.

Yaakov is distraught but insists that they take gifts that are unique to Canaan. In 43:11 he tells them: “Take of the land`s glory in your baggage and bring it down to the man as as tribute – a bit of balsam, a bit of honey, wax, lotus, pistachios, and almonds.”

Inspired by Pasuk 11, Perek 43:

Jacob’s Gifts Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing

• Green leaf lettuce
• Radicchio
• Romaine lettuce
• a handful of cherry tomatoes
•  ½ cup of slivered almonds
•  ¼ cup shelled pistachio nuts

Dressing

• 3 T. honey
• 3 T. oil
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 T. stone ground or deli mustard
• ¼ t. salt
• ¼ t. pepper

Yoseph instructs his servant to fill his brother’s sacks with food.  But for his brother Binyamin he says in 44:2: “And my goblet, the silver goblet, put in the opening of the youngest one’s bag, together with the money for his purchase of food.”

A large goblet full of Bubble Double

Here’s a few fun goblet ideas:

Dollar Store goblets - awesome! (I mean the dollar store.)