Blog Archives
IE Sucks!
Brilliant marketing piece by a company that gets it. (Pinch me! Did I just say that?)
(hat tip to Brad Frost on twitter)
If it hadn’t been for the Pope…
5 Historical Attempts to Ban Coffee
Mecca: Banned!
Constantinople: Banned!
Sweden: Banned! (Death by coffee?! Speaking as an expat Minnesotan, this has me scratching my head.)
Prussia: Discouraged. (Think about that for a minute.)
Italy: But for Pope Clement VIII, Italy might have banned coffee. (Yes, his record on matters concerning the Jews wasn’t enlightened, thereby proving he was a man of his time.)
(via Mental Floss)
Ironic illustration…
Book Review: The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid
The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I don’t think there’s a child born in the ’50′s, especially those of us who were born and raised in the Midwest, who could fail to identify with this book, from the blissful ignorance and gosh darn cheerfulness of our impending atomic doom, right up to.., oh well, don’t want to give away too many spoilers here.
A fantastic slow walk through our childhood, where indeed anything was possible and likely probable to happen.
(Posting will be light until I can come up for air, hopefully sometime next week.)
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!
Sheeee’s baaack!
Wishing all my friends who celebrate, a very happy and safe Halloween. (Once upon a time, of course, you didn’t need to add “safe” to your greeting and it makes me infinitely sad that we do now.)
In spirit, I’ll be going with you door-to-door, pillowcase in hand trying to quell my insatiable craving for mini-Butterfingers.
PI users: if you’d like the UFO for Emily (figure only), just drop me a comment with a working email address. The font used here is Gorey, both on the headstone and a bit distorted for the greeting itself.
More Ghoulish Goodness on this site:
Vincent
The Zombielections Are Coming!
One for the Ghouls
