Shlissel Challah – a Key to Wisdom

This Challah, fashioned in the shape of a treble clef, or “G” clef, was originally made a couple of years ago to honor a musician friend who spent with us the first Shabbos after Pesach. This year we are blessed – and immensely excited! – to have the two youngest grandchildren the entire weekend, Shabbos…

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Zucchini Caviar from Beyond the Sea

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
Tzar Ivan the Terrible was a cruel tyrant. Everybody knows that. And just like many things that “everybody knows” and thus nobody questions, the sobriquet “Terrible” should be taken with a grain of salt. Since we are in the middle of Pesach (Passover), I recommend Kosher for Passover Red Sea Salt. True, he did…

Hello, Ovid! Я вам не скажу про всю Одессу…

I am only doing a bi-lingual post twice: as they say in Odessa, “the first time which is already the last.” I am only doing it because of a phenomenal blogger and a wonderful blogofriend Brigitta Moro who magically blogs in Russian and Ukrainian and who has shared very thorough, research-based information about April 1 right…

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Preserving Jews and All Sorts of Fish: Escabeche

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
An innovative and highly profitable method of borrowing money was practiced by King Edward I of England: you borrow from the Jews, as there is no one else to borrow from (usury was forbidden by the church), then, since legally all Jews are the King’s property, all debts payable to them…

Coconut Chocolate Macaroon Muffins by Necessity

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
To all of you, Beautiful People, who had wished my oven speedy recovery, I hasten to report that it has finally gotten repaired. Meanwhile, right before it went on strike last week, I had been planning to try out a new Pesach (Passover) dessert recipe, while, at the same time, getting…

I Give You Roti And a Big Hug

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
Today is the International Dentist Day.  I am sure that many of you, Beautiful People, do not count your visits to a dentist among your most pleasant memories. I, on the other hand, vividly remember lines of patients by my father’s door who had preferred to wait (and suffer!) for hours…

Kugel: Where East Met West

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
At first, Jews had it good in the Roman-administered land which is now France. Having lost their own homeland, they have dispersed throughout immense Roman Empire, settling mostly along trade routes. Even though they were still not allowed to own land, nor practice law or hold any administrative positions (restrictions are…

Distress? No, De-stress!

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
During these trying times of global distress, it is great to be reminded that March 20 is an International Happiness Day. I am grateful to a great blogger Renard of https://renardsworld.wordpress.com and his fabulous contributor Dr Sridhar for a wonderful post reminding all of us, Beautiful People, to celebrate this day…

Popalik for a Poor Orphan

We do not cook on Shabbos. Food must be ready before sundown on Friday, and nothing could be cooked or even reheated until after sundown on Saturday. Yet the tradition demands hot food to be served both on Friday night and on Saturday afternoon. Friday night is relatively easy as you finish cooking or heating things…

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Eat Your Beer

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
Beer is liquid bread. They discovered it in Ancient Mesopotamia, when someone was grinding barley (some sources claim it was wheat), and the rain started. That “someone” ran into the house, got busy with other household chores, and forgot about the unfinished job. A few days later, she happened to walk…

Who Am I? The Hussar Maiden and a Pie in Disguise

Originally posted on Renard's World:
Even though Women’s History Month has started as a celebration of women in American history, it has by now been accepted internationally as an occassion to commemorate exceptional women of the world. My post is a tribute to all women in the military, past and present, those known and…

Hello, Stranger, Have Some Soup!

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
Passover starts soon, and the most important part of the celebration is called a Seder which means order. The order is prescribed in a little book called Haggada that we read at the table. The most important part of that is called Maggid which is the actual story of redemption and exodus from Egypt.  And the…