Suddenly Cooking Again

For the past couple of years, I barely cooked and didn't bake at all. When I didn't have a functioning kitchen I became very lazy. A few times I baked at my daughter's in Ofra and at a neighbor's, but that was it. If it couldn't be easily cooked in a pot on an eccentric electric burner or two, it just didn't get cooked at all. That had been my kitchen for the past year. And for quite awhile before that, when my old mini-ovens still worked, even before we retired the old stove top, which smelled of gas, no more than two burners were strong and reliable enough for cooking.

Now, I have a kitchen, bli eyin haraa-not to tempt the evil eye, and I must get used to making real meals again. No doubt that our food bills will go up, and I pray that my weight won't join them.

The first things I made in my new ovens were a supply of cake and challah. I couldn't make a super-sized supply, since we don't have much freezer space, just the fridge's freezer. Last week I also made us moussaka, one for Shabbat lunch and one for the freezer. Remember that we're only two people at home, versus the 7-9 we'd have at ordinary Shabbat meals a few decades ago, and don't do all the entertaining we once did. Nowadays, I'm overwhelmed when there are five to prepare for!

Yesterday I cooked the meat and poultry for Shabbat and Rosh Hashanah. I didn't make all that much, but it was more and more varied than I had made for a long time. Take a peek:

Another Letter to The Editor

I've been sending letters to the editor for decades, and I have a pretty good success rate in getting them published. Here's my latest:

I wrote it in protest to the latest THREE LADIES - THREE LATTES, Ess ess mein kind* column which appeared in the Jerusalem Post's local magazines, In Jerusalem and Metro last week. All of the letter that appeared in last Friday's issue complained about the article. I don't think the column is all that popular. Many of us read it, but we're rarely happy with the three replies. But this last one was definitely the worst.

A tip I forgot to include in my letter is to make a chart in which you write what is to be served at each meal. It really helps, especially if you check the lists...  So many of us have stories of foods we forgot to heat and serve. The best way to really enjoy the spiritual aspect of the Jewish Holidays is to plan the menu and do the food preparation in advance. And minimize, of course. Remember, the more choices, the more overeating. And the more choices, the more you have to shop and prepare. Jewish Holidays shouldn't be all about food.

*You can only get the full article if you pay the Jerusalem Post.

Keeping The Salt Away

We live in an oversalted world. One of my late mother's cooking mantras was "no salt," because she came from a family that had/has a genetic tendency towards all sorts of heart problems. So I grew up without a saltshaker on the table and never developed a taste and liking for salty foods and fine able salt. I cook with coarse salt only. Our fine table salt package (a kilo 2.2 lbs) lasts for decades. Many times I just can't eat something because it's over-salted to my taste. And thank Gd, even at my advanced age, I show no signs of the medical problems over-salting can cause, bli eyin haraa.

Sometimes once a week, I need a good (and inexpensive) dinner when at work, so I go to the Rami Levy "burger kiosk" and order chicken breast and salad served on a plate, not in a pita. The pita is on the side to take home...  It costs me only ns15- which is maybe $4 or a drop less. They add some ready-mixed spices (like in all the grill places) plus salt. The first few times I ordered it even after saying "no salt" a number of times I had to make them start all over. Then the guy at the grill got clever and moved the salt to the other side so he wouldn't automatically add it.

It's funny that since then, he greets me by saying "no salt," and he hasn't forgotten, even when he doesn't move the saltshaker.

Simply Vegetables

I consider vegetables easy and fun to make. You can be so creative. Just keep a supply. Baking is my favorite method of cooking vegetables.

In this I have carrots, pumpkin, onions, potato, sweet potato and squash. All I added was some oil on top, just a few drops.

Try something similar and tell me how it came out.

Fussy About Food

I'm the type who's always washing my hands with soap when handling food for myself and others.  It was a shocker when I began noticing that most people don't.

Ironically, uselessly, in many restaurants the staff wear gloves in order not to touch the food, but they don't take the gloves off when handling money.  And studies have shown that money is full of bacteria and viruses.  I also can't stand the use of those wet-wipes (all brands) used for cleaning hands and food surfaces, because the chemicals aren't wiped/rinsed off.  It turns my stomach to think of eating those chemicals.  I prefer (when it's possible) soap, water and a clean water rinse for cleanliness.

In another couple of days, we'll be celebrating the Purim holiday.  It's a Jewish holiday to commemorate our victory in Persia over those who wanted to annihilate us.  It's customary to dress in costumes to hide our identities, like G-d hid and controlled events in His mysterious ways.  We're commanded to give charity to the poor in our Jewish community, read the Purim story in the Scroll of Esther, have a thanksgiving feast and send food packages for the feast to others.

As I write this, I picture some of the plates which arrive from well-meaning neighbors.  Even when I wasn't trying to avoid sweets and carbohydrates, I just couldn't touch the unwrapped food items, candies, cookies etc touched by who knows how many dirty hands.

I admit that I'm probably a terribly neurotic fanatic about food cleanliness.  During the years I was the cook at the local day care center for infants to three year olds, there were no cases of food-born illness.

Yes, I've heard that it's healthy to get the body used to local bacteria and viruses at an early age.  That's why many people new to a region (like those moving to Israel) find themselves constantly ill during their first year.  Their bodies just aren't immune.  There are easier ways to get vaccinated.

I don't know what Mishloach Manot, food gifts, we'll receive this year, but especially with my elderly father in the house, I'll have to be extra careful about what's put on the table for noshing and eating.

Clean Hands--I'll Stick With Soap and Water!

Not all that long ago, while getting food in a cafeteria-style restaurant, I was disgusted to see that the gloved worker handled the food and money with the same gloves on. No one else seemed disturbed, and I couldn't embarrass my companions. Maybe I should have.

I know that many food workers wear some sort of gloves, but I don't think of gloves as something as clean as well-washed hands. I wash dishes with "rubber gloves" and also wear them when using strong cleansers. But I'm repulsed at the idea of handling salads and stuff with gloves.

As you know, I don't usually agree with The New York Times when it comes to politics, but they have an article about the dangers of the various gloves between the dirt factor, carcinogens and allergies.

In the article it's recommended that workers be required to change gloves more frequently, but that's an added expense, which some food businesses won't like.

Personally, I think that there should be "hospital sinks" with foot pedals to turn water off and on and an easy to use soap dispenser.