Off for Passover!

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

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!

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).

Honey Cake

We’re approaching the end of the fall block of Jewish holy days (there are 7 of them in September alone!).

Just before Sukkot, my dear friend JRC gave me (among other things) a honey cake.

In the spirit of the season, I will share a standard traditional honey cake recipe.

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 pound honey (1 ⅓ cups)
1 ⅓ cups sugar
1 cup strong coffee
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp margarine
1 tsp. baking soda
4 cups flour
1 tsp. cinnamon

(Some people put toasted shaved almonds on top)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour a 9″ x 13″ pan.
Beat eggs and honey together. Add sugar and mix again.
Mix coffee with baking powder, and then add with margarine to the egg mixture.
Add baking soda, flour, cinnamon, and beat together well.
Bake in greased 9″ x 13″ pan at 325 F for 55 minutes to an hour.

Enjoy!

______________________________________________________________

I originally got this Jewish holiday recipe from a Chabad Lubavitch calendar.

A New Year Begins Thursday!

The countdown to a new year. Honey, sweetness, freshness. A new perspective on things.

Old mingles with new. Tradition blends seamlessly with the unexpected. It is a joyful time, full of possibilities.

(New, fresh, sweet!)

And yet, there is also an element of introspection. We resolve not to repeat the mistakes of past and look to a bright future. Being better next time.  We prepare for the coming day of judgment. All our deeds evaluated and marked down either for praise or condemnation.

Anticipation mounts among the faithful with a religious fervour as we come ever closer to Thursday.

Yes, my dear friends, it’s…

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK!!

May all the designers & models be inscribed for a good year!

Wishing everyone a sweet, joyous, meaningful season!

Oh, and by the way… Thursday’s also the first day of Rosh HaShana!

A gutten un a gezinter yor. A gebensht un a zeeser yor!

Loose Lips Sink Ships!

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.

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

The New… Prime Grill – Elegance par Excellence

Reblogged from The Kosher Scene. Great review, wonderfully written. Well done.

(Prime Grill – 25 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019 – 212.692.9292)

If you’re ever in Manhattan, you HAVE to check out the Prime Grill.

All photos copyright of The Kosher Scene.

 

The Kosher Scene

I knew I was in for serious trouble when walking back to our cozy, ellipsoidal, tufted leather booth with a bite size bread squarely in my mouth – from the washing station – I ached to skirt a bee-line for seconds of the freshly brick oven baked flatbread pieces. Good thing I didn’t, because Chef David Kolotkin prepared CS, myself and my son, a feast of heavenly scope and perfection… it will take days to walk off and countless years to forget.

The place is the new Prime Grill (25 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019 – 212.692.9292) surrounded with neighbors on par like: Henri Bendel, Gucci, Abercrombie & Fitch, and the Consulate General of Argentina. The venue is elegant, Great Gatsby meets luxury cruise liner enormous, yet sedate and optimally planned to seat all dining…

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Gone for Shavuot

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

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:

1. 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.
2. 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!

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!