Life

It’s that time of year

Tu b’Shevat is a popular day to go into the fields and plant saplings. (photo from usa.jnf.org)

‘In Israel, just before the Hebrew month of Shevat, the landscape begins to change. It has been winter; the fruit trees bare, their leafless, light grey branches silhouetted against dark clouds. Then, as Shevat is ushered in, they begin to bud, and reddish leaflets burst forth. Fields that have been covered with pale crocuses, white narcissus and cyclamens give way to red anemones, tulips and broom bushes starred with flowers. And the almond trees burst into blossom – the first harbinger of spring. It is at this time we celebrate Tu b’Shevat, the 15th of Shevat, which is known as the New Year of the Trees.

Tu b’Shevat, which falls this year on Jan. 17, is mentioned in the Mishnah as one of the four “natural” new years. The first of Nisan is the “new year for Jewish kings and seasonal feasts”: that is, for calculating the reigns of Israelite kings and determining the cycle of calendar festivals. The first of Elul is the new year “for tithing cattle” and the first of Tishri is the new year for calculating septennial cycles and 50-year jubilees.

The new year for the trees was moved from the first of Shevat to the 15th in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Hillel (30 BCE – 10 CE), for it is then that the sap begins to rise with the full moon, in Israel’s fruit trees. The Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds also designate Tu b’Shevat as the date to calculate taxes on fruit: “You shall tithe all the yield of your seed, which comes forth from the field year by year.” (Deuteronomy 14:22)

During the days of winter, Israel’s fruit trees are dormant. It is wet and cold and, because of the low temperatures, the trees cannot absorb the nutrients from the soil. But, regarding the 15th of Shevat: “Till this day [the trees] live off the water of the past year; from this day on, they live off the water of this year.” (Jerusalem Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 1.2)

This date is the start of the fruit’s formation. Arabs also mark it, calling it “the second ember,” when fruit trees begin to absorb water. According to Arab folklore, there are three “embers,” which began as fire falling from the sky and changed to caterpillars. The first falls from the sky when the earth begins to warm up; the second when the warmth spreads. They follow this with a third “ember,” as summer begins.

Tu b’Shevat is one of Judaism’s popular celebrations that does not involve special synagogue services. It is a day when it is customary to eat the fruits of Israel: apples, almonds, carobs, figs, nuts and pomegranates. Many scholars stay up late on the eve of the holiday, reciting biblical passages dealing with fruits or the earth’s fertility. They read from Genesis how trees were created along with all the plants of the earth; from Leviticus, the Divine promise of abundance as a reward for keeping the commandments; and from Ezekiel 17, the parable of the spreading vine, symbolizing the people of Israel.

Kabbalists hold a special seder for Tu b’Shevat and they celebrate, not so much the new year of the trees, but the New Year of the Tree, meaning the Tree of Life, which is rich with mystical connotations. At the seder, they drink four cups of wine, beginning with white wine and ending with red, with the second cup a mixture more of white and the third more of red wine. It is rather like how the landscape changes from white (the pale narcissus and crocus) to red (anemones and tulips) as Tu b’Shevat approaches.

Tu b’Shevat is a popular day to go into the fields and plant saplings. Over the last several decades, Israeli schoolchildren have helped Keren Kayemeth, the Jewish National Fund, plant 130 million trees, many of them on Tu b’Shevat, and these evergreens have become the backbone of the reforestation program.

Tu b’Shevat affirms that the soil of Israel is holy. And the New Year of the Trees reminds us annually of the wonder of God’s creation.

Dvora Waysman is a Jerusalem-based author. She has written 14 books, including The Pomegranate Pendant, which was made into a movie, and her latest novella, Searching for Sarah. She can be contacted at [email protected].

A Methuselah update

Methuselah’s roots go back to the time of Masada, and even earlier. (photo from Arava Institute)

For many years, in anticipation of Tu b’Shevat, I have written about a date palm tree in the Arava that fascinates me – Methuselah.

Methuselah’s relatively new beginnings can be attributed to London-born Dr. Sarah Sallon, director of the Louis Borick Natural Medicine Research Centre at Hadassah Medical Centre, and California-born botanist Dr. Elaine Solowey of the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies at Kibbutz Ketura.

According to Sallon, “in 2005, we were interested in rejuvenating lost flora of Eretz Yisrael. One of the lost flora is the Judaean date. I was discussing with some scientists about their work, trying to extract DNA from ancient seeds.” Sallon asked, “If we had ancient seeds, why couldn’t we grow them?”

From 1963 to 1965, archeologists Yigal Yadin and Ehud Netzer excavated the fortress Masada, which was built by King Herod between 37 and 31 BCE and was home to almost a thousand zealots until the Romans breached the wall in 72 CE and found the bodies of the Jews who had lived there and killed themselves, rather than being taken as prisoners. At the site, Yadin and Netzer found date palm seeds, which were subsequently stored at Bar-Ilan University.

Sallon asked Netzer for a few seeds, and received five. She took them to Solowey, who took three of the 2,000-year-old seeds and planted them in January 2005. Other seeds were sent to the University of Zurich, in Switzerland, for radiocarbon dating. They were also tested to see if they had anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-fungal, anti-malarial, anti-oxidant or other medicinal properties.

The date palm is one of the best medicinal trees. Domesticated more than 6,000 years ago, it can be male or female, and produces dates. Medicine of the date palm has been used for lung disease, colds, heart disease, hair growth and other things.

After eight weeks, in 2005, one seed successfully germinated and was named Methuselah, after the biblical person who was said to have lived 969 years.

Initially, the first leaves had white spots because of a lack of chlorophyll. At 15 months, the seedling was transferred to a larger pot. After 26 months, the plant showed normal development.

In 2011, when its exact location was being kept a secret, I was permitted to see a photograph of Methuselah. At the time, it was two metres high and in a “protected quarantine site,” due to its scientific and financial value.

In April 2011, a white flower appeared on the inner part of the tree, indicating that Methuselah was male. In 2017, there was hope for Methuselah to be bred with a female tree to produce the same date variety that was common in ancient Judea.

In December 2019, Solowey sent me an update on Methuselah – he had grown to four metres tall. Also during that year, Solowey had gotten six ancient date seeds from archeological sites: “Adam” from Masada; “Jonah,” “Uriel,” “Boaz” and “Judith” (or “Yehudit’) from Qumram; and “Hannah” from Wadi Makukh, a winter water channel in the Judean desert surrounded by high cliffs and containing a number of caves that were surveyed from 1986 to 1989.

Early that December, Methuselah was pollinated by Hannah and Solowey cultivated 111 semi-dry dates, “really nice, big, blondish, semi-dry dates from her with a honey aftertaste.”

In March 2020, Hannah flowered, and Solowey told me: “we are thinking of making a genetic line from Hannah.”

At the end of November 2021, Solowey wrote to me again. She said, “Well, we got 600 beautiful dates from Hannah (whose seed was 175 years older than Methuselah’s seed) this September. We planted Yehudit, another female, on Sukkot. We are considering tissue culture. I have two males still in the greenhouse.”

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, lecturer, book reviewer and food writer in Jerusalem. She created and leads the weekly English-language Shuk Walks in Machane Yehuda, she has compiled and edited nine kosher cookbooks, and is the author of Witness to History: Ten Years as a Woman Journalist in Israel.

Festive candlelighting

Left to right, Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart, MP Taleeb Noormohamed and MLA George Heyman light the chanukiyah. (photo by Jocelyne Hallé)

The Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver (JCCGV), the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), and the Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee (CJPAC) welcomed elected officials representing all levels of government and political parties, as well as other distinguished guests, to light a candle on the first night of Chanukah, Nov. 28.

Member of Parliament Taleeb Noormohamed (Vancouver-Granville) spoke on behalf of the Government of Canada. Member of the Legislative Assembly George Heyman (Vancouver-Fairview) and MLA Melanie Mark (Vancouver-Mount Pleasant) were joined by MLA David Eby (Vancouver-Point Grey), and they presented remarks from the government of British Columbia, while MLA Michael Lee (Vancouver-Langara) spoke on behalf of the Official Opposition. Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart also said a few words.

photo - Left to right: MLA George Heyman, Jewish Federation CEO Ezra Shanken, MLA David Eby and MLA Melanie Mark — Left to right: MLA George Heyman, Jewish Federation CEO Ezra Shanken, MLA David Eby and MLA Melanie Mark. *(photo by Jocelyne Hallé)*

JCCGV board chair Alvin Wasserman led the ceremony, with Rabbi Stephen Berger and two students from King David High School guiding the candlelighting. Vancouver klezmer band Tzimmes performed classic Chanukah music, with people of all ages singing and clapping along.

The celebration took place under one of the tents of the JCCGV Chanukah Market. A highlight was singing the blessings with each of the guests, many of whom were lighting a chanukiyah for the first time.

photo - Vancouver Park Board commissioner Tricia Barker, left, CIJA Pacific Region chair Geoffrey Druker and Vancouver city councilor Sarah Kirby-Yung — Vancouver Park Board commissioner Tricia Barker, left, CIJA Pacific Region chair Geoffrey Druker and Vancouver city councilor Sarah Kirby-Yung. *(photo by Jocelyne Hallé)*

The evening was geared around sharing the Chanukah experience with neighbours, bringing light to darkness and sharing Jewish customs. It was also a way to join together with others at the JCCGV, as it continues to plan for its redevelopment. Many of the leaders lighting candles with the Jewish community on Nov. 28 – both at the JCCGV and at the Lubavitch BC chanukiyah lighting in downtown Vancouver – share in the work and support of this community project.

Debbie Setton Tabenkin and the JCCGV programming and leadership teams created the Chanukah Market’s festive space and the JCCGV’s Chanukah programs were financially supported by a Canada Heritage grant. Many volunteers helped CIJA and CJPAC organize the candlelighting ceremony.

For more information, visit cija.ca, cjpac.ca and jccgv.com.

– Courtesy CIJA, CJPAC and JCCGV

Community lights shine

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie speaks to those assembled at RJDS’s Celebration of Light event. (photo by Adele Lewin Photography)

Richmond Jewish Day School is on No. 5 Road, which has been named the “Highway to Heaven” because it is home to more than 30 places of worship, education and cultural practice. The temples, churches and religious schools all celebrate light during the winter season and RJDS’s Celebration of Light event celebrated the diversity within the school and throughout Richmond.

photo - Jewish Federation chief executive officer Ezra Shanken lights the chanukiyah — Jewish Federation chief executive officer Ezra Shanken lights the chanukiyah. (photo by Adele Lewin Photography)

On the last night of Chanukah, Dec. 5, RJDS hosted a night of coexistence, unity and light. After parking at the India Cultural Centre, folks aged 5 to 70 lined up at the entrance as the school gym filled with excitement. The night moved through hopeful speeches given by Ezra Shanken, chief executive officer of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver; Rabbi Yechiel Baitelman of Chabad Richmond; Rabbi Susan Tendler from Beth Tikvah Congregation; Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie; and Richmond City Councilor Bill McNulty. The words “bridges,” “freedom,” “unity,” “light” and “together” echoed. Also in attendance were city councilors Andy Hobbs and Alexa Loo, showing their support.

photo - RJDS Choir sings — RJDS Choir sings. *(photo by Adele Lewin Photography)*

The RJDS Choir sang classic Chanukah songs, including a piece that called upon the audience to “celebrate our light,” and the school’s Israeli dancers showcased two Israeli dances.

photo - RJDS students perform an Israeli dance. — RJDS students perform an Israeli dance. *(photo by Adele Lewin Photography)*

The voices of RJDS’s neighbours were also heard. The school sent the question out to the community asking what “light” means to them during this holiday season. Each response had a different point of view, however, at the core, every answer reflected on hope, optimism, knowledge, community, compassion, joy, openness, anticipation and the goodness in humanity. Respondents included Navshina Savory from the Richmond School District, Umran Bhatti from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, Balwant Sanghera from Gurdwara Nanak Niwas (and chair of the Highway to Heaven Association), Edward James Wong from St. Monica Parish Roman Catholic Church, Baha’i community representatives, and Russ Klein and Rabbi Stephen Berger from King David High School. They all had thoughtful insights and their participation was appreciated, as was that of everyone who spoke at, attended and otherwise contributed to this event.

On their way out, guests could help themselves to coffee, water and Chanukah delights like latkes, sufganiyot and other fried goods. The night ended with hearts filled with the warmth that unity, a strong community and good food on a cold winter night can bring.

– Courtesy RJDS

Comfort food for dark times

If the thought of cooking one more boring meal is just too daunting, Google your heart out – there are gazillions of cookbooks out there.

The days are short and dark and all I seem to want to do right now is stuff my face with comfort food. Some days that manifests as peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and some days it looks like pot roast and mashed potatoes. I rarely crave a salad or a stick of celery in this chilly, wet weather. Mind you, I have been tempted (and given into) a huge piece of pumpkin pie. That’s a daily serving of vegetables, right? I’m all about the carbs at the moment. Plus, peanut butter makes my coat nice and shiny. Or so says hubby Harvey.

Like a bear, I’m looking to bulk up for my winter hibernation. Although, when you think about it, we’ve been living through almost a two-year hibernation. It’s called COVID-19. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t found some comfort in over-indulging during this pandemic. Whether the target of our ill-placed attention is food, booze or online shopping, we’ve all been guilty of overdoing it in some way or other. Oh, I forgot to include Netflix, Prime Video and Crave. I do crave my Crave. I don’t know how many hours of my life I’ve given over to this pap. Not that I’m bragging. Actually, I’m kind of embarrassed by it, but, in a way, it’s keeping me sane because it lets me focus on something other than COVID. But enough about the C-word.

My guilty pleasure is doughy, savoury foods, packed with calories. That’s where the Perogy Toss comes in. I got this recipe decades ago from the catering company at Richmond City Hall’s cafeteria, where I often ate lunch during my working days. The recipe is still a winner. Add a salad and you’ve got dinner. Add a glass or two of wine and you’ve got a date.

PEROGY TOSS

1-kg package frozen potato perogies
4 tbsp sundried tomato oil (or olive oil)
3/4 cup minced onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced black olives
12 tbsp (3/4 cup) minced and drained sundried tomatoes
4 tbsp minced capers
1 1/2-oz (14-gram) package fresh basil, chopped
light sour cream

Boil salted water in a large pot. Add frozen perogies and boil for four to five minutes (or whatever the directions say). Drain well. Rinse with hot water and drain again. Return perogies to the pot.

In a frying pan, heat the sundried tomato oil (or olive oil) until hot. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is soft and golden. Add olives, sundried tomatoes and capers. Stir.

When heated through, add to the cooked perogies in the pot. Heat on low for about one minute, tossing to fully coat the perogies. Add the basil and serve at once. Put sour cream on top, if desired – and who wouldn’t desire that?

Just in case this recipe doesn’t give you your year’s allotment of salt, here’s another one that will not only satisfy your craving for savoury, but holds its own as an appetizer served with pita or crackers. Some of you might be put off by the weird orange shade of this dip, but I’m sure you’ll get past that. If you’re a lazy cook like me, you’ll be happy to know that the only kitchen appliance you’ll need is a food processor.

RED PEPPER & FETA DIP

3 red bell peppers
6 oz feta cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp pine nuts

Cut in half and seed three red bell peppers. Place on a broiling pan, skin side up, and broil until skin is charred and blistered, turning over several times. This is what creates that smoky flavour.

Remove the skin from the peppers – some say sealing them in a brown paper bag while they’re cooling for five to 10 minutes creates steam and makes them easier to peel.

Once peeled, put the peppers in a food processor and add the feta cheese, olive oil and pine nuts. Blend till it’s nice and smooth.

Chill before serving. (I mean the dip, but you could also chill yourself with a glass or two of your favourite alcoholic beverage and a bag of chips.)

Serve with pita wedges or crackers. And don’t even think of substituting a different kind of nut. It’s just wrong. It’s got to be pine nuts.

I’ve made this dip for company loads of times and everyone likes it. It’s one of those go-to, quick-as-can-be appies that’s pretty much foolproof. Of course, your guests have to have a taste for feta cheese and pine nuts, but don’t most of us? (Maybe have an EpiPen ready just in case.) It’s definitely got a bit of an unusual flavour, but in a good way. It’s worth a try, if only to expand your repertoire … says the woman who ate the same California roll and agedashi tofu three or four times a week when she was single. However, I’ve since seen the error of my ways.

As you can tell, I’m all about the easy. And, if it tastes good too, score a win. I’ve never been one to fuss about food because it all gets eaten in a matter of minutes anyway, so why bother? I know, I know. What kind of an attitude is that for an accidental balabusta? But, like Popeye said, “I yam what I yam.”

As time wears on with this pandemic, I’m going to need to get more creative with my culinary adventures. I’ve fallen into the chicken, fish, meat, repeat, habit, and it’s getting old. I sure miss going out to restaurants on a regular basis. With the majority of us Canadians being doubly vaccinated, I think we’re moving in the right direction with this pandemic and, hopefully, it won’t be long before we embark on our “new normal.” G-d-willing, it will be an even better, more beautiful “normal.”

In the meantime, if the thought of cooking one more boring meal is just too daunting, get out your mother’s 1970s National Council of Jewish Women cookbook, Google your heart out or visit a bookstore near you, and tackle some new recipes. You might just discover your new favourites. Or maybe try a recipe swap with your close friends. You never know what tricks they might have up their sleeves. Caveat: choose friends whose culinary realm most resembles yours; otherwise, you may find yourself spending hours in the kitchen making some exotic breakfast, when all you really wanted was a new recipe for French toast.

Wishing you well in your hibernation. Don’t forget to turn the heat down, suspend newspaper delivery and stock up on toilet paper. I know, I know – newspaper? (Present company excepted, of course, and the JI is taking the month off, as well.)

Shelley Civkin aka the Accidental Balabusta is a happily retired librarian and communications officer. For 17 years, she wrote a weekly book review column for the Richmond Review. She’s currently a freelance writer and volunteer.

Chanukah Market at JCC

Chanukah treats will be plentiful at the JCC Chanukah Market. (photo from JCCGV)

Come celebrate the Festival of Lights on Nov. 28 at the first-ever Chanukah Market. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. that day, the parking lot at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver will be transformed into a marketplace for all to enjoy.

Under large heated tents, visitors will be able to shop at arts and crafts vendors, peruse affordable art, seek out that perfect gift, enjoy live, all-ages entertainment and participate in family activities – or just soak up the ambiance and enjoy a nosh from one of the food vendors on site. The day’s festivities will culminate in the lighting of the first candle on the chanukiyah at sundown.

Performances will include the music of Tzimmes, singer/guitarist Anders Nerman, children’s entertainer Monika Schwartzman, the Vancouver Jewish Folk Choir, singer-songwriter Auto Jansz, the klezmer sounds of the Klezbians plus other bands and singers, dancers and surprises. Kids and their families will find lots of things to do, from playing on bouncy inflatables to joining in some hands-on art-making specially designed and delivered by the JCC early childhood department.

More than 20 vendors will be on tap to offer jewelry and other creative, useful and decorative items and chachkas. In addition, an 11-member arts and crafts group is presenting an exhibition and sale, offering items such as giclée prints, ceramics, woodwork, glass design, photographs and textiles.

Food trucks and vendors will offer Mediterranean and Mexican cuisines – and Chanukah treats, including latkes and sufganiyot.

The market is presented with the assistance of Canadian Heritage and admission is free with a donation to the Jewish Food Bank. For the full vendor list and more information, visit jccgv.com/chanukah-at-the-j.

– Courtesy Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver

JQT’s 2021 Hanukkah Hotties

(image from JQT)

JQT Vancouver has a sizzling lineup of Hanukkah Hotties this year. Tune in to daily livestreams on Facebook with each Hanukkah Hottie, as they light their chanukiyah or share another tradition, and chitchat with JQT about their life, craft, activism and intersecting Jewish queer trans identities for the duration of the candles’ burning.

Hosted by Carmel Tanaka, founder and executive director of JQT Vancouver, who identifies as a queer, neurodivergent, Jewpanese woman of colour, the scheduled guests are:

Candle 1 (Nov. 28, 7 p.m.): Karen Newmoon, an Indigenous Jew-ish land dyke and subsistence farmer in Johnsons Landing, B.C.

Candle 2 (Nov. 29, 7 p.m.): Jersey Noah, a Jewish (Sephardi/Ashkenazi) transgender, autistic stoner in Oakland, Calif.

Candle 3 (Nov. 30, 7 p.m.): Adam W. McKinney / LaShawnah Tovah, a gay, Black, Native Jewish artist, and co-director of DNAWORKS in Fort Worth, Tex.

Candle 4 (Dec. 1, 1 p.m.****): Aviva Chernick, a queer, Jewish artist, and voice and meditation teacher in Toronto, Ont.

Candle 5 (Dec. 2, 7 p.m.): The Empress Mizrahi, a nonbinary/queer Persian Jewish Instagram content creator and activist in Los Angeles, Calif.

Candle 6 (Dec. 3, 7 p.m.): The Klezbians, a band of unruly, chutzpah-licious musicians from the Isle of Klezbos in Victoria.

Candle 7 (Dec. 4, 7 p.m.): Saul Freedman-Lawson and S. Bear Bergman. Freedman-Lawson is a student and illustrator in Toronto and Bergman is trans writer and educator from Toronto.

Shamash candle (Dec. 5, 9 a.m.): Tikva Wolf, a cartoonist in Asheville, N.C. (Cherokee territory).

Candle 8 (Dec. 5, 7 p.m.): Ari Fremder, a nonbinary, autistic, Latinx artist/animator and JQT Dream Team member in Vancouver.

During the livestream, closed captioning will be provided by Facebook’s AI bots, and JQT volunteers aim to post edited closed captioning videos on both Facebook and YouTube two to three days after each interview.

This series is supported by Creating Accessible Neighbourhoods (canbc.org), an organization that advocates for and educates about people with disabilities and/or chronic health conditions who have multiple intersecting identities.

For more on the participating artists and JQT, visit facebook.com/jqtvan.

**** NEW TIME!

– Courtesy JQT Vancouver

Savoury, sweet and simple

Cottage cheese muffins à la Accidental Balabusta, but double the size. (photo by Cynthia Ramsay)

Looking for a couple of easy recipes to add to your repertoire? But you’re not quite sure what to try? Because sometimes you want savoury. Sometimes you want sweet. But what if you want both? I’ve got just the answer – but it doesn’t come in the form of one recipe. It comes in two. One’s a side dish and one’s a snack or breakfast food. Both punch above their weight, that’s for sure.

With very few exceptions I have neither the focus nor the patience to embark on complicated recipes that call for exotic ingredients and specialty cookware. If I can’t pronounce it and it’s not available at my local Safeway or Superstore, it ain’t happening. (Except for those lamb shanks that I made for Rosh Hashanah, which did call for loads of ingredients and which were, to use my hubby’s words: “The best lamb I’ve ever eaten!” Sorry … I just had a modesty bypass.)

Maybe I’m not the most adventurous eater/cook in the world but I never go hungry. My father, alav hashalom, used to say that I’d eat out of a puddle if push came to shove. I prefer to describe it as having simple tastes.

Good thing my husband didn’t marry me for my cooking. Although it has improved significantly since we got married 12 years ago. When we first met, my idea of dinner was a California roll and Agedashi tofu takeout. We used to eat out at restaurants maybe three or four times a week during the honeymoon phase, i.e. the first four years of our marriage. I kept telling him I knew how to cook; I just chose not to activate that skill. And what do you know. He believed me.

But I digress. Back to the savoury recipe I was going to tell you about. It’s an eggplant side dish or chunky dip and is a perfect accompaniment to just about any meal, be it meat, chicken, vegetarian or fish. It’s a bit time-consuming, but what eggplant recipe isn’t, with all that peeling, slicing and dicing? I’m not a big fan of spicy food so you can up the garlic content as you see fit. I find it’s got just that right combination of salty, spicy, sweet and tart, without being heavy or overpowering. I call it Merle’s Eggplant, after my sister’s friend who gave us the recipe decades ago. Thank you, Merle.

MERLE’S EGGPLANT

1 diced onion
1 large or 2 medium-size eggplants, peeled and cubed
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
14 oz (398 ml) can tomato sauce
a squeeze or two of lemon juice
1-2 tbsp brown sugar

Peel and cube eggplant and set aside.
Fry diced onion in olive oil until lightly browned.
Add eggplant to onions and fry, alternating covered and uncovered, until eggplant is opaque.
Add minced garlic, tomato sauce, lemon juice and brown sugar. Cook on low heat for about one hour, covered.
Refrigerate then serve. Some people like to serve it hot, but I prefer it cold, because I find that the flavours meld even more when it’s been refrigerated. But that’s your call. Try it both ways.

* * *

As for the sweet recipe – cottage cheese muffins – well, it’s a favourite in our home. It’s one of those comfort foods that soothe just about any ailment, from fatigue to sore feet. Aside from being healthy (think protein), they’re filling and super-fast to make, plus it’s one of those recipes that you can make blindfolded with both hands tied behind your back. Eat them hot, eat them cold, eat them with jam, eat them plain.

The only people that won’t like these muffins are the lactose-intolerant. And that can be remedied. I recently found lactose-free cottage cheese at the local supermarket. It’s slightly more expensive, but worth it if you like dairy but not the side effects that can go with it. Knock yourself out with these fluffy, light, healthy muffins. I’ve seen all sorts of variations on this recipe, using cheddar cheese, whole wheat flour, sour cream, etc., but none of them quite matches the simplicity and yumminess of this one.

I would strongly suggest doubling the recipe, since this recipe only makes 12 small muffins. Or just eat several at one go, and explain to shocked onlookers that they’re mini-muffins. Which they’re not, but, never mind. Just look at it as muffin-envy.

COTTAGE CHEESE MUFFINS

1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
a pinch of salt
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Mix all ingredients by hand. Don’t be surprised if the batter is quite thick.
Grease muffin tins or use paper muffin liners. Distribute batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on top. They’re ready when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Eat plain or topped with yogurt, sour cream, berries, jam or whatever. They reheat well in the microwave. But, if there are more than two people living in your home, the muffins probably won’t make it till the next day. They may sound too good and too easy to be true, but I’m here to tell you, they’re the real deal. Sometimes, the most basic recipes are the star of the show. Or at least the crowd-pleasers.

* * *

It’s not the number of ingredients or the sophistication of technique that make a recipe sing. It’s the flavour, plain and simple. So, do yourself a favour and try out these two recipes. Tell them the Accidental Balabusta sent you.

Brisket – a Jewish tradition!

Brisket is the boneless meat on the lower chest of beef or veal. In traditional Jewish cooking, it is most often braised as a pot roast, especially as a holiday main course. For reasons of economics and kashrut, it was historically one of the more popular cuts of beef among Ashkenazi Jews.

Brisket is also the most popular cut for corned beef, which can be further spiced and smoked to make pastrami. In the 1900s, it appeared on Jewish deli menus, particularly in Texas, where the butchers, who emigrated from Germany and Czechoslovakia, had trouble selling the slow-cooking cut and created a way to dry smoke it and preserve it.

Brisket is one of the primal cuts of beef, though the precise definition of the cut differs internationally. The brisket muscles include the superficial and deep pectorals. As cattle do not have collarbones, these muscles support about 60% of the body weight of standing or moving cattle. This requires a significant amount of connective tissue, so the resulting meat must be cooked correctly to tenderize it.

The term brisket is derived from the Middle English brusket, which comes from the earlier Old Norse brjósk, meaning cartilage. The cut overlies the sternum, ribs and connecting cartilages.

Author and food writer Stephanie Pierson wrote an homage to this cut of beef: The Brisket Book: Love Story with Recipes was published in 2011.

CRANBERRY-ONION CHANUKAH BRISKET
(This is Justin Chapple’s recipe from Food & Wine. It makes 8-10 servings.)

photo - Justin Chapple’s Cranberry-Onion Chanukah Brisket — Justin Chapple’s Cranberry-Onion Chanukah Brisket. *(photo by Justin Walker)*

8 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2-inch lemon peel strip
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 1-ounce envelopes kosher pareve onion soup mix
1 7-pound trimmed beef brisket

The day before serving:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Layer two sheets foil in a large roasting pan, letting foil hang over eight inches past each end. Repeat with two additional sheets of foil to form an X. Top with a sheet of parchment paper.
In a saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, lemon peel strip and lemon juice. Cook, crushing cranberries with a wooden spoon until mixture thickens, 10-14 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in onion soup mix. Let cool for 15 minutes.
Spread a quarter of cranberry sauce on parchment. Place brisket fat side up. Spread remaining cranberry sauce over it, top with parchment and wrap foil around brisket. Place in oven for three to three-and-a-half hours. Uncover. Let cool one-and-a-half hours, then cover and refrigerate for at least eight hours.

The day of serving:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Uncover brisket. Discard any fat. Scrape off cranberry sauce and place in a bowl.
Slice brisket on carving board. Arrange in ovenproof dish. Spoon cranberry sauce over top, cover and bake 45 minutes to one hour.

BEER-BRAISED BRISKET WITH ROOT VEGETABLES
(This recipe comes from Ian Knauer, former Gourmet Magazine editor, chef, food writer and owner of the Farm Cooking School. It makes 4-6 servings.)

photo - Ian Knauer’s Beer-Braised Brisket with Root Vegetables — Ian Knauer’s Beer-Braised Brisket with Root Vegetables. *(photo by Ian Knauer)*

1 2.5-to-3-pound brisket
2 tbsp olive oil
1 chopped medium onion
5 ounces sliced shiitake mushroom tops
3 finely chopped garlic cloves
3 large sliced carrots
3 sliced parsnips
1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into wedges
12 ounces beer of your choice
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp dill

Heat oil in a pot. Sear the brisket three to four minutes, turn, and continue searing another three to four minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Stir onion, mushrooms and garlic into pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for six minutes. Place brisket and juices back in pot.
Stir in carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, beer, Worcestershire sauce and stock. Cover and simmer six hours, until meat is tender.
In the meantime, stir flour and two tablespoons cold water in a bowl then whisk into the pot. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Place on plate, sprinkle with dill and slice.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, editor of nine kosher cookbooks (working on a 10th) and a food writer living in Jerusalem. She leads English-language Shuk Walks in Machane Yehuda.

Minestrone warms the soul

(photo from flickr.com/photos/veganfeast)

Minestrone came about as early as the second century BCE, when Rome conquered Italy and new vegetables flooded the market. It was known as an Italian peasant’s dish or poor man’s soup. Originally, it contained onion, garlic, celery, tomatoes and carrots – pasta seems to have been a later addition.

MY MINESTRONE
(6-8 servings)

2 tbsp margarine
3/4 cup chopped onions
2 minced garlic cloves
1 chopped leek
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2 chopped turnips
1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
1 1/2 cups chopped cabbage
1 cup chopped potatoes
2 tbsp beef soup bouillon
1 cup chickpeas
1 cup chopped tomatoes
8 cups water
2 tbsp tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 chopped bay leaf
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/2 cup small pasta
Parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large soup pot, heat margarine. Sauté onions, garlic and leek.
Add vegetables, water and spices but not pasta. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer one hour.
Add pasta and cook 15 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls and add the cheese.

ROOT VEGETABLE MINESTRONE
(Adapted from a Food & Wine recipe, it makes 6 servings.)

1/4 cup olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove
1 sprig rosemary
2 sliced carrots
2 sliced parsnips
3 broccoli stems or chopped kohlrabi
3 cups cubed peeled, cut butternut squash
6 cups pareve chicken bouillon
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup angel hair pasta broken into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup grated cheese

In a soup pot, heat two tablespoons olive oil. Add onion, garlic and rosemary and cook until onion is soft.
Add carrots, parsnips, broccoli or kohlrabi and squash and cook for one minute. Add bouillon, salt and pepper and cook about 15 minutes.
In a frying pan, heat the remaining two tablespoons olive oil. Add pasta and cook, stirring frequently, about four minutes.
Add pasta to soup. Cook until tender, five to six minutes. Discard rosemary. Stir cheese into soup and serve.

Sybil Kaplan is a journalist, editor of nine kosher cookbooks (working on a 10th) and a food writer living in Jerusalem. She leads English-language Shuk Walks in Machane Yehuda.