Wednesday, April 22, 2009
This is what I do when i avoid school work
Kavanah Garden
I was recently looking at the Adamah blog (Adamah is a a Jewish farming internship for young Jewish college-students and recent college-graduates at a farm on site of the Isabella Friedman Retreat Center. I'm doing to be an Adamahnik this summer.) So i thought i'd let you guys know about this really cool group started by some previous Adamahniks which touched upon themes in my last post. It's called Kavanah and it's an organic community teaching garden in Ontario, Canada. Visit this website to learn more. Also, check out Risa's posting on the Adamah program blog to learn more about the cool stuff she's doing. Also, you should just read the Adamah blog anyway (especially this summer when i'm going to be in the program!!!)
יוֹם אדםה שמייח. Happy Earth Day!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
B'tay avon!
Hag sameach everyone!
I hope everyone has been having a meaningful Passover. The blessing on the sun (Birkat HaChama) was the morning before Pesach, and i think it was such a meaningful way to start the holiday, attuning ourselves to the order of nature and getting ready for the order of the seder. I hope you all made the most of it since it won't be happening until another 28 years!!!
Passover has always been my favorite Jewish holiday because of the comfort of such order and traditions. I also enjoy the comfort of the food (although i'm getting a little sick on matzo right now, but I enjoy all the other good stuff). I think a great way to start off this blog is to just give a couple of my favorite Pesach recipes and recipes that were meaningful for me this past Passover. Sorry it's kind of late--use them the rest of the year or next Pesach!
Mom's Pesadicha Popovers
My mom makes these every year. Their an old family recipe. I really like them and they're sweet and simple to make!!! Also, if you want to jazz them up add more sugar and blueberries/raspberries to make them desserty.
2 cups matzo flour or matzo cake meal or a combination of both
6 eggs
a few pinches of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup warm water
In a large bowl, mix together the flour/cake meal, the salt, the sugar, and the warm water. Put in the fridge to cool. When cool, take it out and add in the eggs. Grease a muffin tin. Fill the muffin holes half-way. Put in the oven on 325 for about 20 minutes. You'll now they are ready when they have risen substantially and are light and fluffy, with the centers still moist. Enjoy with any kind of paste or topping you can think about! I like it with cream cheese or put harosets on it.
Yarden's Morrocan Harosets
I came into Hillel this past Monday after the first days and was greeted by Yarden and a big tub of her mom's harosets. I have an undying affection for sephardic harosets and just sephardic food in general. This harosets is so amazing and I think the best way to start off spring! Although harosets is supposed to be like mortar and remind us of the labor we did in Egypt, I find it to be my favorite part of the whole seder because it's such a refreshing kick of sweetness and life after all the bitterness of the bitter herbs and maror.
Ingredients:
Bananas
Coconut Shavings
Dry Apricots
Apples
Dry Figs
Dry Dates
Kosher for Passover Manishevits wine
Walnuts
Apples
Cinnamon
Ginger
Chop up all the fruits and add them to a large bowl. Chop up the walnuts into small bits and add them. Add the red wine (enough so the fruit isn't swimming, but it wet). Add lots of cinnamon and ginger to taste.
Enjoy the rest of Pesach!