Dream with Our Eyes Open

I can't say I'm crazy about fall — the ever-shortening days depress me — but I am pleased that I can once again cook things on the weekends that will work for several subsequent weekdays.

Last night, I made a chicken and mushrooms casserole, adapting a Rachael Ray recipe I found online: I used my own usual technique for stews/braises but mostly her ingredient list. One thing she specifically described that I will do again: reconstituting some dried mushrooms in the heated stock used as cooking liquid, as well as sautéeing fresh mushrooms. It made the gravy really rich-tasting.

Tonight I'm making a small piece of brisket for Tuesday night (Erev Yom Kippur, the evening that begins Yom Kippur). I don't like the various 1950s-era refined food product brisket recipes that are the typical childhood versions for my generation: the Liptons Onion Soup Mix brisket, the Coca Cola brisket, etc. So, inspired by a container of dried cherries I have here, I found a recipe from Epicurious that involved dried cherries plus shallots, which I picked up at the Farmers Market this morning. It also involved balsamic vinegar, for which I substituted the tail end of a bottle of Gustare's Black Cherry vinegar (balsamic vinegar infused with black cherries: I always lay in a stock of Gustare stuff when we're up at the Cape in the summer). It smells wonderful.

To all my friends who are celebrating, may you have a good and a sweet new year.

I give you Max Weinberg, drummer for Springsteen's E Street Band, and his son Jay. This performance was in 2009:

Talented, good-lookin' Jewish guys. ♥♥♥ :-D

We have had beautiful weather this weekend, but I haven't taken that much advantage of it. We did walk out for gelato (the Mr.: dark chocolate and hazelnut) and sorbet (me: grapefruit) yesterday afternoon at the neighborhood place (Dolci Gelati), and today we walked to Busboys & Poets for brunch (which has become a near-weekly habit).

I have just finished making 6 quarts of chicken stock. I think this is the best I've made. I used more or less this recipe, which I have bookmarked for later. The main difference between this and what I have made previously is far more carrots (6 instead of 2 or 3) and peppercorns (2 teaspoons); also, leaving the skin on the halved onion, which has an effect on the color. And darn I should have known that (it's one of the common natural fabric dye ingredients, for a golden yellow), and in fact, I remember my late mother doing the same.

The chicken stock is for matzoh ball soup for second seder at my sister's place this coming Saturday. I am the official Matzoh Ball Maker on our side of the family. The first seder will be at our friends Michael and Sharon's. They have asked me to bring a fruit platter, which should be easy, except that I will be working most of Friday. I will try to pick up fresh fruit the night before, I think.

And the Mr. is upstairs doing the taxes, because yes, it's spring. *sigh*

Now that I've referenced the song, I need to post this wonderful recording:

(Peter, Paul and Mary, 1986)

My twin niece and nephew, Ilana and Sam, became b'nai mitzvah this morning. We are at a break in the raft of family events that have been arranged to celebrate this event: a family dinner last night at the hotel where most of the out-of-town guests are staying, the service this morning (where Ilana in particular knocked our socks off with LOTS AND LOTS of singing in Hebrew) followed by a Kiddush luncheon, tonight's fancy dinner party, and then brunch at my sister's in-laws' house tomorrow morning. The Young Lady and I had our aliyah and managed to get through it, and The Mr. read the "Prayer for Our Country."

So far so good, except that for some reason the ankle-strap dress shoes I wore this morning had both heel caps (a/k/a top piece or top lift) fall apart by the middle of the morning. It was the most bizarre thing. They are about 8 years old, but I have only worn them some half dozen times, and I always pack them back up in their box, wrapped in tissue, once they have aired out. These are not cheap-ass shoes, either.

Also, by the time the weekend is over, I may have had enough chocolate cake for a while.

May our pleas rise to You in the evening
May You receive our cries during the day
And may you confirm our rejoicing by evening.

. . .

Is this the kind of fast I wanted, a day whose focus is self-affliction? Do I really want you to bow your head like a bullrush, to wear sackcloth and ashes? Is this what you mean by a fast, a day to obtain God's approval? Hello, this is the kind of fast I want: Loosen the bonds created by wickedness, untie the cords that keep people enslaved, snap all the yokes of the oppressed, and let them go free. Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless into your house; provide clothing for those who lack it, and do not turn away from those in need.

Then your light will break through like the dawn, and your healing energies will quickly spread .... Then when you call, God will answer; you will ask for help, and God will respond 'Hineni – here I am." - Isaiah

. . .

"And Adonai said, 'I have forgiven them [the people] as you have asked.'"

So, here we are, half a week past the Vernal Equinox, and the forecast is calling for snow/rain.

March is supposed to go out like lamb, right? This seems to be the Killer Rabbit version of said lamb ... .

And tomorrow night is the first night of Passover, and we're invited to a Seder at my sister's. Which means we'll be traveling through the weather mess during Rush Hour, because Nice Colleague is out all next week (her young daughter's school is on spring break), so I can't really leave early.

I need to get my act together and go off to the grocery store, to get chicken to make stock, because I have been requested to do matzoh ball soup. I already picked up some fresh dill for it at the Farmers Market.

India.Arie & Idan Raichel. >purrs<