Bread Kugel with Dried Fruit and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Combines many of the flavors and foods found in Spain and Portugal with the classic technique for making a bread kugel.
Almond Poppy Seed Pound Cake
Use leftover hamantaschen filling in this delicious poppy seed cake!
Haman's Ears
This recipe is a variation of fried Italian dough, which was commonly prepared in Italian kitchens, but had no association with Purim. It is a perfect example of one ethnic holiday custom infiltrating general society.
Savory Persian Herb and Cheese Hamantaschen
Hamantaschen, the traditional triangular Ashkenazic Purim pastries, are typically a sweet treat. This recipe takes a savory approach, using spring herbs, a Persian favorite, to honor Esther and Mordechai’s heritage, as well as the season.
Deluxe Buckwheat Almond Cake with Raspberry Filling
This dessert pairs a delicate nut flavor with raspberry preserve filling.
Galilee Diary: Remember Amalek
Ve'Nahafoch Hu: Remember what Amalek did to us - and what we did to Amalek
On the Shabbat before Purim, many congregations will read Parshat Zachor (Deuteronomy 25:17 - 20). In the three short verses of this parshah, we are commanded not once but twice to recall a dangerous attack on our people: we are told to remember (Zachor) what the Amalekites did to the Israelites after they left Egypt and not to forget (Lo Tishkach).
Hamantaschen Tips and Tricks
Last year I did a "Hamantaschen Test Kitchen" with six different varieties:
Cream Cheese Dough
Gingerbread?
Halloween: It's All About the Candy!
It was not until I joined my synagogue’s religious education committee that I learned that many American Jews do not celebrate Halloween. From the time I could trick-or-treat, I knew the basics of Halloween: There were witches and goblins, I went trick-or-treating and got candy, and later in life, we collected money for UNICEF. As far as I was concerned, religion had nothing to do with Halloween.
At Tu BiShvat, Digging for Spiritual Growth
While my neighbors were putting their Christmas trees to the curb, in what seems like a ritual of replacement, I was preparing to plant for Tu BiShvat.