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?

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Do you know the muffin man?

I have a confession to make. I am really annoyed at how stuff is crammed into food (or not as the case may be) which is then billed as healthy. I mean is anyone REALLY going to buy into the idea that Mike 'N Ikes have some redeeming value because it is a Fat Free Food? HELLO! There is something like 50g of sugar in one package!

I suppose I can't blame the manufacturers, after all, they are in business to make money, and if that's how they do it, well, um, whatever. Doesn't mean I have to buy in to it.

Regardless, I like to have a good amount of soluble fiber in my diet, which is the specific type of fiber that has been linked to reducing cholesterol in your bloodstream. (Non-soluble fiber is good for you too, specifically for your digestive tract, but I digress). The problem is that most cereals don't have much -- oat products (and oat bran specifically) have the most. To that end, I've started making Flax Oat Bran muffins to have around the house. I brought some in to the office and I was promptly vilified for bringing in something that obviously was so healthy and tasted so good.

A couple notes:
  • If you are going to make several batches up in advance, stick to carrots and raisins/craisins. They will stay better.
  • Although the recipe calls for milk (I use skim plus milk for what it's worth), I see no reason this won't work with soy milk for a non-dairy version
  • If you want to drop the sugar level even more, drop the brown sugar entirely. It will have a much stronger bran flavor, but that would be expected.
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Quinoa city...

Yes, I know, it has been something like nine months since I posted anything here. What should I say -- I've settled in to two different cholents for shul: Cinnamon Scented Buffalo Stew and Dafina. Sometimes I will make Jamaican Chicken Curry, but the two beef stews come out well, they're flavorful and enjoyed by all.

Of late, I have been making Quinoa as a side dish to be served with these cholents. Since I tend NOT to put rice, barley, or other grain in the mix to absorb the liquid and produce GLOP, there tends to be a good about of liquid when the cholent is ready to serve, which is fine, because it tends to be REALLY GOOD (especially the broth from the Cinnamon stew!), but I it lacks a certain je ne sais quo. Enter the Quinoa!

At first I made several cups of rice, but it really didn't seem to work well when added to the broth when it was served, but on a lark I tried quinoa and it's TERRIFIC! It accentuates the flavor nicely, it's a nice texture, it's just pefect for adding in to the broth!

Quinoa is not hard to make -- rince 1 cup of (uncooked) quinoa. Bring 1¼ cups of water to boil with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the quinoa and stir it so it's mixed well with the water. Reduce heat to a low simmer, and cook partially covered for 12 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff, let sit five minutes and it's done.

Try it, you'll like it in soups, curries, and related dishes!
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