S'Derot

S'Derot is a community in Israel, located in close proximity to the Gaza Strip. In particular, it is attacked on a daily basis by rockets from Gaza. It really doesn't matter if the rockets are launched by Hamas, people affiliated with Hamas, or just very angry people who'd rather attack Israelis then channel their energy into a productive activity. The attacks are real, the damages are real.

Chabad in S'Derot has set up an online fund to aid the Jewish residents of S'Derot. I would urge you to assist them.

Iron Cholent

Recipes from the Cholent Meister of Chabad of Tyson's Corner, VA (outside of Washington DC). A companion blog to Capitol Chai Life

Cholent is a uniquely Jewish creation...

...while assorted cultures have stews and slow-cooked foods, in Judaism, it is a necessity, since observant Jews are strictly prohibited from cooking on Shabbat, in addition to being severely limited in the use of fire and electricity. While there is some debate about the origin of the word "Cholent" (and for that matter, the term is not universally used -- Ashkenazic Jews [of Eastern European origin] make cholent, while Sephardic Jews [of Western European and North African origin] make Dafina), the origin is reasonably well understood.

Shabbat stews first started to appear around the 4th century CE, but in the 9th century CE, a movement within Judaism arose in the area known as Mesopotamia -- present day Iran and Iraq. These Jews, known as Karaites, believe in a very strict reading of the Torah. In reaction to this group, the Rabbis of the day ordained that their followers have a hot meal as part of their Shabbat observance.

Obviously, this was a challenge, since Jews could not tend a fire, nor cook food. The meal would have to be prepared and mostly cooked by the time Shabbat came in on Friday night, and then have to sit on a pile of coals for sixteen to twenty hours, until it was eaten for lunch on Saturday.

Given these conditions, cholents are generally heavy on beans, root vegetables, grains, and red meat. This simplest cholents are in fact just that -- beans, beef, and onion. Still, cholents have acquired some variation in the past 1700 years or so, and for that matter, some slow-cooked dishes are perfectly fine for cholent. Chili anyone?

Saturday, February 2, 2008

Morocco rules -- Dafina and Kouclas (Mishpatim / 26 Shevat 5768)

So this past week I made Dafina (a Moroccan cholent) with Kouclas (Morccan meat dumplings). And I was SURROUNDED by all these BEAUTIFUL, SINGLE, women! Now if they hadn't been only old enough to be my daughters.

Seriously though, the gals were making Challah for Shabbat while I was making the Cholent.

This would be the first Shabbat I was making Cholent on my own (as it were). Although last week I did make it, that effort was more of a test drive to check the logistics of putting everything together, the Rebbitzin was floating around, and it was one of her recipes. Now don't get me wrong -- it was a fine cholent and all, and lots of folks liked it, but part of the idea here is to take the burden off the woman (in addition to give back to my community, provide a means to express myself creatively through food, etc., etc.

Adding to the irony here is that this is Shabbat Mishpatim, where the different rules that make up Halacha (Jewish Law) are first really enumerated on their own, including some of the dietary laws that make up Kashrut.

Note: While different halachot are specified earlier in Torah, they've been done within the context of some larger historical event -- the Flood, the Akeidah (the sacrifice of Isaac), the Exodus from Egypt, and so on. Here, the statutes that make up Jewish Law first come on their own, with Eretz Yisrael asserting "We will obey, and we will understand".

Regardless, while last week's cholent was only about 4 quarts worth, and there must have been about a pint left over; the Dafina and Kouclas was over six quarts and NO leftovers! I daresay, it was a hit.

For what it's worth, I made two Kouclas, instead of one, and shaped them as logs, not as large meatballs. What you can do when you serve them is also place rolls, ketchup, mustard, and relish, and the kids can have them as Shabbat friendly hamburgers! [One of the kids asked me to make a cholent next week with hot dogs -- he should be careful, he may get what he asked for in a couple weeks. Kosher Jambalaya anyone?]
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