Weekend Hospitality

We went to the beach this morning at 7am.  I'm beat.  The sun is very hot.  The water was marvelous.  But, no matter how fun, its draining. We finally got back around 1pm and then I had to start cooking.  Fortunately, we are friends over this shabbat from our old (its been a rather long time) stomping grounds of Pittsburgh, PA.  To make it simple, we decided that each family would participate in making the meals.  I made the soup for this evening, the pot pie and the chicken for tomorrow.  Plus a few side.s Shabbat Parshat Matot Dinner - 17 carrot zucchini soup chili quinoa plain rice roast chicken cabbage and seed salad garlic green beans Lunch - 17 pot pie kabob salad brocolli kugel potato kugel ratatui Lemon Baladi chicken bottoms

Its late and I still need a shower before we start Shabbat.   We went on a family outing this morning and so I didn't get a chance to start cooking until 2pm.  Of course, today of all days I choose to cook dishes with long prep times. When will I learn. We are invited out to lunch tomorrow, so its just tonight's meal that I need to prepare.  One of our friends is coming to visit this weekend, and my oldest is now on vacation.  Our total count is a measly nine.   No complaining, but dinner will likely be short. I like making Onion soup.  I find it an exercise in patience. First I cut up 5-6 large onions and put them in a non-stick pot with a little oil.  Then I put it on medium heat and stir every few minutes.  After about an hour, this big pile of onions in now a small pile of lightly golden onions.  This is where I loose patience.   If I would just wait a bit, the color should deepen.  I bit in this case is probably another 30 minutes.  I just can't do it.  As soon as I st

Another week, and this Shabbat is going to be busy.  We have four guests from NCSY who are in Israel for a summer program.  They will be eating dinner with us, but eating lunch with the rest of their group.  My sister and her family are coming over from Alon Shvut.  Her husband works with groups from the states during the summers and is almost never home for summer Shabbatot.  To top it off, we have a few friends who are temporarily alone. Their wife or husband is away for Shabbat.  They will add some flavor to tomorrow's lunch. Menus are pretty simple this week.  All stuff I've made before.  I'm in a bit of a rut, partially because the vegetables this year are less plentiful than last year.  Its a shmita year and even though we hold heter mechira, there is just less good produce.  Partially, its because I need some ideas.  I havn't read a new cookbook in while.  I'll try and review some old ones this weekend.  I've talked to professional chef's who go throu

Its summer time.  I may not have mentioned it yet, but I am not a summer person.  I much prefer overcast skies and cool temperatures.  Days of endless heat and merciless sun light are just too much.  Give me a nice dark room with air conditioning. Yet, I live in Israel and for about six months of the year, the weather is unremittingly sunny and hot.  Thank God there are air conditioned rooms.  I have a special pair of sun-glasses that are designed for mountain climbing.  They cut out 94% of all light, blocking even the ambient light from the sides of my face. This weekend, we are going out for dinner and having guests for lunch.  I usually make soup for dinner, but tonight I have a day off.  One of my readers asked for the recipe of Oriental Potato Soup.  It appears at the end of this post. Stay cool and out of the sun! Shabbat Parshat Chukat Dinner - out Lunch - 16 Corned Beef Cajun Chicken Cutlets Pigs in a Blanket (Moshe B'Teva) Hot Dogs Cajun Rice (Onions, Peppers, Celery, Ca