George Carlin 8-23-18

On the Eve of Rosh Hashana, when we hope and pray for a sweet year, full of blessings, I want to share with you, Beautiful People, an incredible insight penned by the late and great George Carlin, quoted by a fantastic blogger, the Fierce, Fabulous, and Funny Velma. Shana Tova u’Metuka – a Zis Yohr!…

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Plum Prune Strudel

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
The only kind of strudel I’ve seen in the U.S. is the Viennese apple strudel. In fact, when Americans say “strudel,” they mean “apple strudel.” However, the word strudel means whirlpool in German, and describes any rolled flaky pastry with any filling, meet, cheese, fruit, or vegetables. There is actually a sauerkraut…

Essig Fleish and the Meaning of Life

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
Of all Rosh Hashana foods, this is the most significant, at least in my family tradition. It is only made once a year, and it requires plenty of time and patience. The name, derived from German, actually means “vinegared meat”, but there is no vinegar involved. It is rather sweet, especially…

Let’s Play Ball!

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
Chicken soup without kneidlach (matzoh balls) is like Batman without Robin, Superman without a cape, Harry Potter without Ron and Hermaine – I think I’ll stop right here and go on with the recipe. I’ve heard from so many people that they have never managed to make fluffy matzoh balls, and…

Gefilte Fish Heads the Year

Coming up on our holiday table, following the appetizers, is the most famous of all traditional Jewish dishes, Gefilte Fish. How do you recognize a Jewish fish? It swims with a carrot in its mouth. I think this joke is older than the gefilte fish itself.  In truth, even though eating fish on Erev Shabbos  (Friday night)…

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Tzimmes mit Fasoles – Red Beans with Honey

One of my family legends (every family has at least one, doesn’t it?) places the origins of my grandmother’s side in Cadiz, Spain, up until the year 1478, when part of the family managed to escape in the nick of time, before the Expulsion Edict and the fires of Inquisition. Whether this claim has any…

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Round Challah for a Sweet Year

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
We are getting ready for Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, and we are baking traditional round challahs that symbolize the cyclical nature of life, the end which is also the beginning. There are two statements in this sentence that fall into the “everybody knows” category. However, as everybody knows, most…

Mehren Tzimmes – Honey Carrots

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
Like almost everything that has to do with Jewish traditions, there are two interpretations of the Carrot Tzimmes, baked or stewed sliced carrots with honey, dried fruit or raisins, and whatever spices your prefer. The Yiddish word for carrot is mehren, which is very close to the Yiddish word for more…

Onik Leikach – Honey Cake

Originally posted on koolkosherkitchen:
Honey cakes are traditionally eaten on Rosh Hashana. Onik is Yiddish for honey, and Leikach  is most probably derived from German leck – lick, as in “licking the honey.” That’s easy. We use honey all over the place on Rosh Hashana in order to have a sweet year; we even wish…

Not Your Bubbe’s Honey Cake

This post starts my Rosh Hashana series, repeated every year, since the menu, as well as the recipes, has existed in my family for many generations. I use this opportunity to share with you, Beautiful People, an invitation to participate in dear Esme’s Senior Salon and linkup. Please visit Esme’s fabulous blog and find a…

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The Best of Times

Originally posted on Lasting Joy Club:
Far from quoting Charles Dickens, Beautiful People, I am declaring, together with the Tony Award winning cast of La Cage Aux Folles, that “the best of times is now!” https://youtu.be/D94uJTrBvvM To experience the best of times and practice to bring them into your “now,” join us tomorrow night at…