Happy Towel Day!

And in other news:

Kavod! The Guardian picked up my photo for their Towel Day gallery on flickr flic.kr/y/mSodJp #kvell #h2g2—
JenniferT (@wysiwygjt) May 24, 2012

And now for something completely different:

Oy Hanukkah, Oh Chanukah…

Every winter brings the same dilemma… how do you spell Hanukkah?! The first spelling above is the spellcheck’s preference, but ask 2 Jews and you’ll get at least two opinions. Ask a Hebrew speaker and, in this case, you’ll get only one:

Despite the miracle which occurred during the rededication of the Temple following its desecration by the ancient Greeks, Hanukkah is really a very minor holiday on the Jewish calendar, which has gotten a leg up in the Diaspora because of its proximity to Christmas and other winter holidays. Here in Israel, however, the holiday centers around family get-togethers, lighting of the candles, singing songs, and, of course, food.

Add to the name confusion the special menorah that is lit during Hanukkah, the Hannukiyah, which has 9 candleholders, 8 for each night of Hanukkah and one separate one for the “Shamash”, the candle which is used to light all the others. Like many religious objects, the Hannukiyah is a folk art object and over time and varied cultures has taken many shapes. Nonetheless, the basic requirements above, 8 holders for candles or oil wicks, plus one for the Shamash, are what unite them all.

And because you can’t have a holiday without food, here are a few classic recipes. For obvious reasons, oil plays a big part in Hanukkah foods.

Janna Gur, Israel’s Diva of the Kitchen, Ashkenazi Potato Latkes
King Arthur Flour Easy Does It Latkes
Easy Jewish Recipes Yeast-free Sufganiyot
And here’s a recipe for the yeasty-type of sufganiyot that I shared with one of my mailing lists many years ago. Enjoy!

Hannukah Doughnuts (Sufganiyot)
Ingredients:
2 tbsp dry yeast
3 1/2 tbsp sugar
3/4 c lukewarm milk
2 1/2 c flour, sifted
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
25 gm margarine, softened (my guess a little less than 1 oz)
2 tbsp brandy jam of your choice (IMHO strawberry is best here)
oil for deep-frying
powdered sugar

Method: Dissolve the yeast and 2 tbsp sugar in the lukewarm milk. Place flour on a board and make a well in the centre, add the yeast mixture, egg-yolks, salt, cinnamon and the remaining sugar. Now add the brandy (which keeps the doughnuts oil-free). Knead well. Add the margarine and knead until the dough is elastic. Cover and let rise about 2 hours.

Sprinkle flour on the board. Roll the dough out thin; cut into rounds 5cm (2″) in diameter with a cookie-cutter or glass. Cover and let rise 15 minutes more. Pour 5cm (2″) of oil into a heavy pot and heat to a slightly hotter degree than medium heat. Drop the doughnuts in the oil 4 or 5 at a time, turning when brown. Drain on paper towels.

If you have a kitchen syringe, fill it with strawberry jam and inject about a teaspoonful of jam in each doughnut. If you don’t have a kitchen syringe, using a tiny spoon take some jam and fill the doughnuts through a small slit. Dust with powdered sugar and serve while still warm. This recipe makes about 30-35 doughnuts.

Israelis favor sufganiyot to latkes to celebrate Hanukkah and in case you think donuts are a small change business:

Wishing you a Chag Urim Sameah, Happy Festival of Lights!

Breaking! Beatles on Palestinian Bid for Statehood

Try to see it my way,
Do I have to keep on talking till I can’t go on?
While you see it your way,
Run the risk of knowing that our love may soon be gone.

Chorus:
We can work it out,
We can work it out.

Think of what you’re saying.
You can get it wrong and still you think that it’s all right.
Think of what I’m saying,
We can work it out and get it straight, or say good night.

Chorus:
We can work it out,
We can work it out.

Life is very short, and there’s no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend.
I have always thought that it’s a crime,
So I will ask you once again.

Try to see it my way,
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong.
While you see it your way
There’s a chance that we might fall apart before too long.

Chorus:
We can work it out,
We can work it out.

Life is very short, and there’s no time
For fussing and fighting, my friend.
I have always thought that it’s a crime,
So I will ask you once again.

Try to see it my way,
Only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong.
While you see it your way
There’s a chance that we might fall apart before too long.

Chorus:
We can work it out,
We can work it out.

Again, I’m not being flippant about this, but you have to admit there’s a lot in these lyrics that fits the Palestinian/Israeli dialog (or lack thereof) pretty well.

Frankly, both sides need more statesmen/women and less politicians. Unfortunately, politicians are all we have.

So Long & Thanks for All the Fish

So long and thanks for all the fish
So sad that it should come to this
We tried to warn you all but oh dear

You may not share our intellect
Which might explain your disrespect
For all the natural wonders that grow around you
So long, so long and thanks for all the fish

The world’s about to be destroyed
There’s no point getting all annoyed
Lie back and let the planet dissolve around you

Despite those nets of tuna fleets
We thought that most of you were sweet
Especially tiny tots and your pregnant women

So long, so long, so long, so long, so long
So long, so long, so long, so long, so long
So long, so long and thanks for all the fish

If I had just one last wish
I would like a tasty fish

If we could just change one thing
We would all have learned to sing

Come one and all
Man and mammal
Side by side
In life’s great gene pool

So long, so long, so long, so long, so long
So long, so long, so long, so long, so long
So long, so long and thanks for all the fish

via Lyrics, So Long & Thanks for All the Fish Lyrics >>

Other Towel Day posts you may also enjoy:
Happy Towel Day! (from Yarnaholic Confessions)
Towel Day 2008 (from this blog)
So Long and Thanks for All the Fish (a flickr set)

Better shared!

Galei Tzahal- Soon We’ll Become A Song

Every year in Israel we experience the manic switch from the depths of sorrow remembering and honoring those who fell in terrorist action and our armed forces who died while serving their country so that we could rejoice in Independence Day, which falls on the day following Remembrance Day.

Army Radio is again this year repeating its project, “Soon We’ll Become a Song“, which pairs poetry written by some of these young fallen soldiers with Israeli composers and musicians. The entire project will be broadcast (in Hebrew) on Army Radio, Monday afternoon (Israel time), the time we start to transition from sorrow to joy.

Better shared!