Off for Passover!

Apr14

Off for Passover!

Like a salmon swims upstream, I go to Toronto for Passover.

This year, Passover begins the evening of Monday April 14.

I will return by Wednesday April 23.

Have a matzarrific Passover week!

See you soon!

The Prime Grill Cookbook

Dec15

Last August, I reblogged an article from The Kosher Scene, The New… Prime Grill – Elegance par Excellence. Prime Grill’s Chef, David Kolotkin has now put out a new cookbook of the Prime Grill’s best recipes.

All I can say is… WOW!

The Kosher Scene

David Kolotkin, one of our favorite Chefs, has authored a new cookbook together with Prime Hospitality Co.’s CEO Joey Allaham. Some of Prime Grill‘s tastiest recipes are in this book, many of which SYR and I have tasted over the years, now everyone can make and enjoy them anytime they want!

The book starts out with a history of Prime Grill, photos of the original location and some of the kitchen crew. Then it has a section on Chef David, menus and a listing of potables. The recipe section is organized as follows:

Hors d’Oeuvres
Appetrizers
Soups
Salads
Fish
Meat
Side Dishes
Dessert
Cooking Foundations
Dressings and Sauces
Rubs

It was hard to find just one favorite recipe to feature here, but after reviewing the book a few times I opted for this one:

Porcini Mushroom Soup

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1/2 cup…

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Tichel, Tichel, Tichel!

Oct2

Tichel, Tichel, Tichel!

Tichel: (Yiddish טיכל tikhl), also called a mitpachat (Hebrew מִטפַּחַת miṭpaḥat), is a headscarf worn by many married Orthodox Jewish women in compliance with the code of modesty known as tzniut. Tichels can range from a very simple plain color cotton square with a simple tie in the back to very elaborate fabrics with very complex ties using multiple fabrics. As with any other form of clothing, the tichel is influenced by fashion.

The above Wikipedia definition is absolutely perfect… without actually being any good.

Tichels (or, more accurately, tichlach) cannot be described.

They must be seen.

They must be worn.

They must be experienced.

Luckily, I have my friend Tamar. [1]

Ever have one of those people you meet on Facebook whom you think is just incredibly amazing even though you’ve never met her in real life?

That’s Tamar.

Tamar lives in Jerusalem with her husband and baby boy. Tamar is a tichel maven.

She has kindly given me permission to use her photos to demonstrate how truly captivating a tichel can be.

Tamar ROCKS the tichel look!

Thanks, Tamar.

You are, as always, the best!

You are the coolest Italian Jew ever.

Except for me, of course. 😉

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[1] Tamar Eden Goldschmidt (née Courtney Ann Gagliano).

Loose Lips Sink Ships!

Aug30

OK, kiddie-winkers, it looks like incoming missile time again. Between now and Rosh HaShana [1], it looks like there may be air strikes on Syria.

If Syria is attacked, you know Syria (and others) will be shooting rockets and missiles at Israel at an increased rate. They just are. Iron Dome is good but it’s not 100% perfect. So…

Here’s a reminder about a basic fundamental Facebook / Twitter ground rule.

DO NOT POST on Facebook or tweet on Twitter where missiles land in Israel. If they miss and you say “Missiles landed just off the beach in Tel Aviv!” it lets the enemy know to adjust the trajectory accordingly.

Keep it vague. Keep it safe. As they used to say in the olden days, “Loose Lips Sink Ships!”

It’s even more true today than it was in times past.

We know it’s coming. Let’s get the word out early this time!

Please share.

________________________________________________________

[1] This year, Rosh HaShana begins Wednesday evening September 4th.

Gone for Shavuot

May14

I will be gone from this afternoon, Tuesday May 14, until Monday May 20th, for (among other things) the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.

In a Christian Bible, this is usually referred to as the Feast of Weeks. It occurs seven weeks after Passover.

Shavuot celebrates and commemorates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.

Take care, my little geeks and nerdlings. I’ll be back before you know it!

The Hidden Synagogue

Apr19

Found at Reddit, these are photos of a mind-bending piece of artwork. The contributor described it thusly:

“I got this from grandfather before he died. First used by hidden Jews during the inquisition, it is shaped like a teapot, but contains many secret Judaica pieces. The Hidden Synagogue.”

The original photos are at Imgur. I cannot adequately express in words how beautiful this is.

Playing in the World Game

Notes:

As reader bklyngalinla has pointed out in the comments below, this piece is a contemporary work of art, rather than being from the inquisition or holocaust periods. However, it is based on older pieces, and is in itself still a phenomenal piece of artwork. Here is a link to another blog that gives more information. I, also, am guilty of not doing any research on my own to verify the facts as stated by the original poster. This, however, has not seemed to dampen reader response to this post, which has been overwhelming – I thank everyone who has come by, simply because I chose to share something I found beautiful and faith-affirming.
The title “hidden synagogue” is not mine, but those of the original poster at Reddit. A number of readers have rightly pointed out that this device would have been used in a home and not a

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Gone for Passover!

Mar25

Hi, my little geeks and nerdlings…

Passover begins tonight (Monday March 25, 2013) at sunset.

I will be in Toronto for a little over a week.

Have a happy, kosher and joyful Passover.

I’ll should be back Wednesday April 3.

See you then!

Hooded Crows (and why I love them!)

Mar4

During my recent mind-blowing trip to Israel, one of the things that I did not expect to blow my mind was the local birds.

Well, one bird in particular.

And not the bluish sparrow-like thing that flew into my daughter’s kitchen one morning and damn near gave the poor kid a heart attack.

No, I am referring to my new feathered best friend…

(Hooded Crow [Corvus cornix])

The Hooded Crow. Corvus cornix. My new best friend. It has the power and mysticism of a black crow but something extra. A kind of spirituality that I noticed immediately. Its colouring… or technically monochromatic quality… gives it a more complex range of anthropomorphic possibilities!

The Hooded Crow gets around. Italy. Scandinavia. Scotland. Ireland. Eastern Europe. Russia. The middle East. The Nile Delta…

I am sure I must have seen this crow when I was in Italy but for some reason, it didn’t register with me as powerfully as it did last month when I was in Israel.

This guy is not unlike our American Crow. It’s a bit bigger, I think. And, to me, it was much quieter. Our crows caw at the drop of a hat. I don’t remember Hooded Crows being that noisy. I could be wrong but I don’t remember them making a lot of racket.

But the coolest part is that is seems to me to be the fact that the Hooded Crow is not so much wearing a hood as it is wearing a kind of grey vest. Black head, wings, legs, tail, etc… but a grey body.

VERY cool. And they’re everywhere!

They tend to flit around more than our local crows so it is difficult (at least for me) to get a decent shot of one.

I suppose it didn’t help that I kept yelling, “Ermahgerd! HERDERD CRERS!”

We have GOT to get these birds in Canada. Seriously!!

Purim is NOT the Jewish Halloween!

Feb4

I’m afraid I have to vent about something.

This year, the Jewish festival of Purim (commemorating and celebrating the events of the biblical book of Esther) falls on Sunday February 24th. If all goes well, I will be in Israel then and for the first time (hopefully) will avoid the subject matter of this blog post.

(A Scroll of Esther)

Many non-Jews, in an attempt to wrap their well-meaning minds around Jewish concepts, ideas, holidays, customs, food, themes, etc., often try to compare or connect them to things with which they are familiar.

“OK, now… Hanukah. That’s like the Jewish Christmas, right?”

“Mezuzahs? Those are good luck amulet things on your doors, right?”

(Yeah, I kinda figured that one out on my own)

“Passover… is that the one where you sit around eating crackers for a week?”

G-d bless their little cotton socks. This is normal. This is to be expected.

This is also a bit tedious yet kinda tiresome, usually. In a way. Well… it depends, really.

I’ll try to explain.

In the interests of multiculturalism and understanding (not to mention peace and love) between ethnic groups, I try to be sort of an ambassador for Judaism and the Jewish people, if you will, whenever I can. Most people who ask questions like this above genuinely mean well, generally. They just need a bit of Jewish education. I am happy to help put them in the picture… if for no other reason that to stop even one more person saying that Hanukah is the Jewish Xmas.

If the person is asking a sincere question and wants to know something about Jews and Judaism, believe me, it’s my pleasure. If they are genuinely interested… I am there with both feet.

But… every once in a while, we get the wise guys with their smarmy, smarty pants questions.

(“I’m just sayin’… [that I think you’re a moron]!”)

“Why do you spell it ‘G-d?’ Is it because you’re afraid you’re going to hell if you get Him mad? If it’s ’cause you’re not supposed to say His name… umm… you know that G-d isn’t His real name, right?” <insert self-satisfied smirk here>

“Kosher laws were like ancient biblical food health and safety regulations from before you guys had refrigerators, right? So… why do you still do it?” <unsaid: It’s because you’re an idiot who blindly and unquestioningly follows outdated customs, isn’t it?>

“Do you seriously think an ‘almighty deity’ cares if you turn on a light switch or scribble a note on Saturday?” <add raised eyebrow and/or condescending sneer>

These aren’t really questions. These are statements (e.g. “you’re stupid!”) masquerading as questions.

Because they’re not really questions I don’t really answer them. I just give the person the patient sigh and the pressed smile. It’s not all that difficult ignoring the non-questioner. They’re annoying but… that’s all. Just annoying.

I don’t engage with these types of people for the same reason I don’t play chess with pigeons. They knock over the pieces, crap on the board and then strut around like they’ve won the game.

(Psst… Saying it loudly doesn’t make you right)

And I won’t even get into the whole hostile evangelical questioner thing! [1] [2]

So… bottom line. Purim is not the Jewish Halloween. Hanukah is not the Jewish Xmas. Passover is not the Jewish Easter. Moses is not the Jewish Jesus. If you want to know the real authentic answer to your questions, as your friendly neighbourhood Orthodox Jew. [3]

In a few days, I will be flying to Israel for two weeks. I’ll let you know if any secular Israelis or born again tourists ask me anything!

_________________________________________________________

[1] The loud, arrogant and downright rude biblethumper who points his finger an inch from your face or chest and says, “You Jews rejected your Messiah!” (No… we rejected YOUR Messiah. BIG difference!)

[2] I had one enthusiastic born-again preacher literally walk over a picnic table and run out to me on a sidewalk in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in order to pick a fight with (aka ‘witness to’) me. I must have stuck out like… well… a Jew walking along the sidewalk in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

[3] NB: ‘Messianics’ or ‘Hebrew Christians’ (e.g. Jews for Jesus) do not practice Judaism. That’s because what they believe in is Christianity. The answer you’ll get from them is basically no different than the one you will get from any other born again evangelical fundamentalist Christian.