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 instantly become payable to…
Tag: Passover
Pesach on the Boat
Misconceptions abound regarding all Jewish holidays, yet none so widespread as those concerning Pesach (Passover). Some think that Pesach is a two-day holiday, while anyone who has been to Israel is certain that it is only one day. Others believe that it actually consists of two holidays, two days each, with a few days in…
The New Boat and the Old Recipe
Our great adventure took a lot longer than intended; instead of a few days, we had spent almost two months driving to Key Largo and back, occasionally staying in hotels overnight, until we finally brought our new boat home. She is not brand new, but new for us, as our old boat had been gobbled…
Kugel: Where East Met West
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 nothing new to us!),…
Zucchini Caviar from Beyond the Sea
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 accidentally kill his son…
Preserving Jews and All Sorts of Fish: Escabeche
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 instantly become payable to…
Coconut Chocolate Macaroon Muffins by Necessity
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 rid of sundry leftovers…
Surprise – Healthy Potato Chips!
I am cheating, Beautiful People, but I have a good reason for it! These truly are healthy sweet potato chips, but they are oven-baked, and my oven went on strike. Hopefully, the situation will be remedied before Passover, with G-d’s help. Meanwhile, as we were making Tropical Salsa (see here) at the recent Lasting Joy…
Success Factory
Your brain is busily working for you, manufacturing biochemicals called endorphins. Research has shown that those incredible little hormones infuse your blood stream and circulate through your entire body even when you act AS IF you were joyful, not only when you actually are happy. Think about it, says Rabbi Pliskin: your experience is totally imaginary, yet…
Tropical Appetizer and the Fruit of Love
A legend of true and undying love that emerges from the mango tree is found in old Sanskrit tradition. Once upon the time, the daughter of the sun, Surya Bai, transformed herself into a golden lotus to evade persecution of an evil sorceress. The sorceress became angry when the King of the land fell in…
Preserving Jews and All Sorts of Fish: Escabeche
An innovative and highly profitable method of borrowing money was practiced by King Edward I of England: you borrow from the Jews, as there was no one else to borrow from (usury was forbidden by the church), then, since legally all Jews were the King’s property, all debts payable to them instantly become payable to…
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