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?

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Blueberry-Bison Stew

When we last left our hero, Pesach was fast approaching, and rather then try to shoehorn even MORE FOOD into the shul, we agreed to just take a respite from all this and make tuna salad and egg salad.

Well, play time is over and it is time to get back to cooking. I've wanted to try a recipe I came across some weeks ago for a Blueberry/Bison stew. It was pretty easy to put together and was a different flavor from the other stews/cholents that I've done. It has a strong flavor, and really needs barley or rice to soak up some of the liquid, and maybe some vegetables. We'll see if I make it again. Still, like all the other dishes I've made, some people love it, some not so much, and it all gets eaten.

  • 1½ - 2 pounds bison, beef, or lamb stew meat
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 4 cups chicken or beef stock
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil (or pastrami drippings)
  • 1½ tablespoons honey
  • 3 tablespoons dry sherry (optional)
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Cut the meat into one inch chunks and season lightly with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a large Dutch oven or stew pot. Drizzle in oil or bacon dripping to coat the bottom. Working in batches, brown the meat well on all sides. Add oil as necessary. Do not over crowd the pan. Remove browned meat to a clean dish and cover.
  3. Once all the meat is browned, return it all to the pan with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Add stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and skim off any froth that has collected on the surface until the broth is clear. Add the blueberries, honey, sherry, and cayenne pepper and bring back to a boil.
  4. Simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender and the broth has reduced. Stir occasionally. This helps to break up the blueberries and incorporate them into the liquid. By the end of the cooking time the blueberries should be completely incorporated.
  5. Serve with crusty bread and salad.
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