Pasta-Chickpea Salad, Pre and Post-Fast Meal

One of the popular suggestions for pre-fast meals is to eat complex carbohydrates, which take longer to digest. The experts consider that a good idea before fasting. So, on Friday I decided to make a Pasta-Chickpea Salad. Of course I had to make sure I had enough time to soak and cook the chickpeas, which I did. You can "cheat" by getting a can of them.

Cooking Chickpeas
First I leave the chickpeas in a covered pot full of boiling water for a couple of hours. Then I pour out the water, add new boiling water and simmer on the stove until chewable. Leave covered for another hour or so.

Pasta-Chickpea Salad Ingredients

• cooked pasta, drained
• cooked or from a can chickpeas, drained
• cut tomatoes, large diced
• diced onion
• olive oil, coarse salt and coarse pepper
• optional other salad vegetables and leaves and/or grated cheese

Mix all of the ingredients together. Yes, it's that simple. It's a simple "one-pot" summer meal. Which additional ingredients do you add? I'd love to hear.

PS for the post fast, fast-breaking breakfast meal, I heated up the salad, since my husband prefers warm pasta.

New Kitchen Progress, Gd Willing, After 9th of Av

For months, I've been working on getting us a new kitchen, and for years I've been talking about it. Honestly, I had no idea how complicated it could be. Somehow even building our house seemed easier. Then there was nobody around  to tell us that we were doing it wrong. We didn't comparative shop in terms of architect and cablan, builder. We just chose professionals who made us feel comfortable, neighbors, then planned and trusted them.

We didn't do that awful a job. None of us were terribly experienced, not the architect, nor the builders and certainly not us. Davka, the house has held up rather well. But to be honest, the biggest mistakes were in the kitchen planning. That's one of the reasons we need a new kitchen, and the other is that the plumbing needs replacement. Actually I'm keeping an entire wall of closets from the old kitchen and not changing them at all. The planning of those closets was mine alone. At first I thought that I'd get new doors for them, but then to save money, we're not. The formica on the new part of the kitchen goes well with it. Wherever we can save money, we will try.

A few months ago I thought I had it all wrapped up with the right plan, builder, color scheme etc. Then at the last moment, I canceled. One of my daughters helped me find someone else to do the work, and I'm much happier with this one, even though it'll cost a bit more.

The new kitchen contractor "tweaked" the plan in a great way. He's not pushing, which is good.

I took a couple of trips to Jerusalem to look at ceramics, colors etc, and things have changed enormously since my first plan.

Now since the 9th of Av is so soon, nothing gets signed until afterwards.

Only in Israel, 9th of Av

As much as people like to kvetch that the State of Israel doesn't function as a truly "Jewish State," there still isn't any country in the world more Jewish than Israel. Today is the 9th of Av, called Tisha b'Av in Hebrew. And if you think it's hard to find a good choice of restaurants open during Passover or Shabbat, then you're in for a bad surprise if you want to eat out today. Besides in non-Jewish neighborhoods, there won't be much to choose from. Many stores are closed or open shorter hours, too.

It's not as quiet as Yom Kippur, but the 9th of Av National Day of Mourning and fasting has cast a pall and keeps people at home.

And some of you may have noticed that all of a sudden Israeli men in all walks of life, including media, politicians etc. suddenly look sort of scruffy. They haven't been shaving. You're not supposed to cut your hair (including shaving) during the three weeks (some only observe this the week) before the 9th of Av.

Yesterday, after the weather forecast on the radio, they announced when the fast was to begin in various locations. Do you get that in Monsey, Boca or Stamford Hill?

Oops! Or is this "all Greek" to you? Did I lose you when mentioning 9th of Av?

The 9th day of the Jewish Month of Av is the saddest day on the Jewish Calendar. It's the anniversary of the destruction of both Holy Temples and the total occupation of Jerusalem by foreign invaders. Yes, both Temples were destroyed in the same deadly season hundreds of years apart. The Jewish People have commemorated this for thousands of years.

Here we are in the Land of Israel with a Jewish State. Things may not be perfect yet, but we're only human. It's not so simple to evolve from exile to Redemption, but I have no doubt that we're on our way, Gd willing. Yes, I just wrote "Gd willing," but it's up to us. Each time we take the right step, Gd will step in with "matching funds" and help us to help ourselves.

Tzom Kal

Easy Fast to Those Fasting

It's The Tisha B'Av Fast Now

 I set up a low stool, covered it to stay clean, and said all the prayers and writings one is supposed to say.

This is what I wrote on Shiloh Musings.

Reflecting on "Tisha B'Av," What Makes Me Sad...

Please tell me what you think, thanks.

Food Before and After a Fast

 Today is one of the most difficult fasts on the Jewish Calendar, Tisha B'Av, the 9th of Av. It's the same long 25 hour fast as Yom Kippur, but unlike Yom Kippur  it isn't preceded and ended by festive meals. And we don't keep busy in shul/synagogue which is frequently well air-conditioned. This year was even more complicated than most, because the fast began during the last hour of Shabbat. Actually Shabbat was the 9th of Av, but we don't fast on Shabbat except when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat. And this year the days before the fast were among the hottest, if not THE HOTTEST OF THE YEAR.

So when I was cooking for Shabbat I had to make sure that I prepared something special for Seudat Shlishit the last meal of Shabbat. I needed something that would be good pre-fast food. The experts say that carbohydrates are best, and I discovered during recent fasts that oatmeal was a great pre-fast food. The problem is that it isn't an easy Shabbat food. So I decided to try a version of Majadara, which combines rice and lentils. I bought brown lentils and brown basmati rice. To that I added, onion, mushroom and oil.

 

Once they were slowly cooking I added more than double the volume of boiling water. It was cooked covered, of course. I also served a version of my baked vegetables and salmon, plus some salad.

And we drank lots of water. Gd willing we'll do fine over the fast.

For breaking the fast, I plan on making my original vegetable, or easy vegetable soup, like I usually do.

What are your customary foods for before and after fasts?

Never Too Late, Forgiveness and Comfort

Yesterday was Tisha B'Av, the ninth of the Jewish Month of Av, a day full of tragedy in Jewish History.  Our sages tell us that the Second Temple was destroyed because of sins between people, holding grudges and taking out revenge.

My mother passed away just a month ago, and I'm finishing off an extended* shloshim, the thirty days from burial, a period of time in which the mourner is required to restrict oneself from pleasures, such as luxuriating in a bathtub, wearing new clothes, cutting hair, manicures/pedicures, listening to music, going to social events etc.  For most mourners, that is those who are mourning a spouse, sibling or child, the official mourning ends with the shloshim, but for a parent it lasts a full twelve months (according to the Jewish Calendar.)  The additional months are less restrictive; the hygienic acts of bathing/swimming, haircutting, manicures/pedicures are allowed.

Jewish Law requires a mourner to be comforted all during that mourning period, even after the seven day shiva has ended.  My shiva for my mother was international.  I began it immediately after the funeral in Long Island, NY, at my cousin's home, then I was in Westchester, NY at my sister-in-law's, then to JFK International Airport where people who realized I was in "shiva mode" with ripped shirt and slippers, said the traditional words of comfort and then I flew home to Shiloh where I completed the shiva.  Obviously I didn't have too long a time in any one place.

I can probably list almost everyone who did manage to visit or call during the shiva. That's bad.  It means that I have wondered why some people hadn't.  Their absence wasn't lost on me.  In some cases, I was (even am) very upset and surprised.  But then one by one, I have gotten calls, or people have stopped me in the street apologizing effusively for missing the shiva.  Last night one neighbor came over, not wanting to take a short-cut in comforting me.  It's a good thing we haven't yet rehung the pictures nor put away all the photo albums.

Of that list of people, almost everyone has since spoken to me.  There are still a couple whose absence really hurts.  I was planning on letting it fester, but then inspired by a wonderful blog post by my friend Ruti, I realized that it would be a terrible mistake.

None of us are perfect.  I'm sure I have unintentionally and inadvertently hurt or offended many.  If I decide to forgive those who have hurt me, there's a chance that I, too, will be forgiven.  It's never too late to forgive and comfort, but don't procrastinate any more.

* My shloshim for my mother is longer than thirty days, because the funeral was four days after her death, and we count it from the funeral, not the day of death.

my mother with a great-granddaughter

אין מילים Ain Milim, No Words

There are times when the best response is:

אין מילים Ain Milim, No Words

And that's how I feel right now.  When certain tragedies occur, no words will help, therefore that's the best response.  Generally by talking we just make things worse, very unintentionally of course.

Sympathy and support can be conveyed by a look straight in the eye, a pat on the shoulder, a hug or just holding or gripping hands.

Silence says the most.  Absence and the wrong words are the worst.  There are tragedies that put everything into a new more accurate perspective of good and bad, happy and sad.

This will have to suffice for now.

Tzom kal, an easy fast.  May we soon merit the Moshiach and return to the living of those who have passed away.  May Tisha B'Av be a feast day for all, G-d willing.

The "Nine Days" Cooking

This is the time on the Jewish Calendar when vegetarians lord it over, not having to make any changes nor adjustments to their menus and ingredients. During the days leading up to Tisha B'Av, the 9th of the Jewish Month of Av, meat and poultry are eliminated from the menu as a sign of mourning for the destruction of our Holy Temples.

Shabbat is the exception, meaning that either we have to cook meat and poultry in exact quantities or foods which can be easily frozen. An additional tip would be to make sure that all the side dishes are totally parve, so the left-overs can be served with dairy meals during the days leading up to Tisha B'Av.

Considering that more and more people are discovering that they're allergic to dairy/milk and/or lactose intolerant, lots of cheese dishes aren't the solution to "what to serve during the nine days." Celiac, a wheat allergy, is also becoming more well-known, so not everyone can fill up on breads, pastas and dough-based recipes.

That leaves us with lentils, rice etc, unless you're on a low carb diet like I am. Don't forget the fish and tofu. But tofu, and other soy proteins, aren't recommended for all. They mimic female hormones, so males, especially young boys shouldn't eat it too often, and little girls shouldn't either, since it may contribute to early puberty. I find that I can only handle very small portions, or I get stomach pain.

Fish, vegetables and salad are looking better and better. So are eggs. Recently, I've come across more and more articles contradicting what has been popular diet/health theories of the last fifty years. Eggs and full-fat dairy are now recommended. Eggs are the perfect complete protein. They're filling, nutritious and have iron, too. Yes, you must eat the complete egg to enjoy its health benefits.

Experts are now realizing that low and zero fat dairy aren't really good for you. They leave an aching hunger causing binging, and if you don't eat enough cholesterol, your body will over-produce it. We're satisfied eating much less, when there's fat as an integral part of the food.

Fatty fish are credited with reducing the chances of dementia. A small portion is very filling.

There's plenty to eat during the Nine Days. There's no need to fill up on breads and other carbohydrates. Base your meals on fish, eggs and full-fat dairy. Full-fat dairy is less irritating to those who are sensitive to milk products.

Remember, there's nothing natural about skimmed milk and zero percent yogurt. Many of the fat reduced products have more sugars, like from corn syrup.

Read ingredients carefully. Most yogurts aren't just fermented milk. The fewer ingredients the better!