Sadie’s Snowy Tu B’Shevat
Tu BiShvat: Happy Birthday, You Beautiful Trees!
My commute to work every morning is not typical. I drive through the Roaring Fork Valley with majestic, now snow-covered, mountains on my left and my right. The sky is often a clear, bright blue, and the sun glimmers off the powdery snow that shifts in the wind. I am the cantor at the Aspen Jewish Congregation, and I certainly feel blessed to live and work in such a beautiful place. This quote from Isaiah is particularly fitting for this part of the country, as the people here are very in touch with the nature around them - often finding their spiritual center while skiing a run or hiking in the hills.
In Honor of Tu BiShvat, Some Facts About Trees
Tu BiShvat, the birthday of the trees (or the new year of the trees) is a minor Jewish holiday.
Galilee Diary: Winter
It is life we want, no more and no less than that, our own life feeding on our own vital sources, in the fields and under the skies of our homeland, a life based on our own physical and mental labors; we want vital energy and spiritual richness from this living source.
What are the Seven Species?
Marinated Olives
Baked Chicken with Barley
This classic Bulgarian Shabbat dish is delicious, comforting, and very easy to make.
Eggplant Salad with Pine Nuts (Kioupia)
About four miles inland on the island of Rhodes, I found a converted farmhouse nestled in the mountains, where I was served this eggplant dish.
Wine Jelly & Frosted Grapes
What better way is there to relax on a hot summer’s night than with a cheese board, wine jelly (a wonderfully sweet counterfoil to strong and earthy blue-veined or chevre cheeses), and a good bottle of wine (preferably from the wine country in northern Israel)?
Grilled Fish with Spice Rub
To create a little excitement on your grill, add a spice rub that captures the tantalizing taste of the Near East.