http://www.jstandard.com/content/item/ en editor@jstandard.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-25T03:09:16+00:00 /content/item/23353 http://www.jstandard.com/index.php/site/israel_a_documentary/#When:03:09:16Z Notice: Undefined offset: -1 in /var/www/vhosts/jstandard.com/httpdocs/system/core/core.functions.php(663) : eval()'d code on line 43 http://www.youtube.com/embed/tLgdb6r0MQ4?rel=0 Boroson's Anecdotage 2012-05-25T03:09:16+00:00 /content/item/23278 http://www.jstandard.com/index.php/site/more_about_agudath_israels_policy_on_reporting_child_abuse/#When:21:47:17Z Notice: Undefined offset: -1 in /var/www/vhosts/jstandard.com/httpdocs/system/core/core.functions.php(663) : eval()'d code on line 43 tk The Yudelson Files 2012-05-23T21:47:17+00:00 /content/item/23258 http://www.jstandard.com/index.php/site/shavuot_cheesecakeyumm/#When:18:20:15Z Notice: Undefined offset: -1 in /var/www/vhosts/jstandard.com/httpdocs/system/core/core.functions.php(663) : eval()'d code on line 43 Shavuot, which begins at sundown on Saturday, May 26, commemorates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai and is also the Festival of the First Fruits. Dairy foods such as cheesecakes, kugels, and blintzes are traditionally served for Shavuot. Cheesecake is always a hit and you can make various versions from just one basic recipe. Smaller individual mini cheesecakes baked in cupcake pans take even less time to bake than a large cheesecake. You can also vary the fillings — e.g., chocolate, vanilla. Substitute different liqueurs (e.g., orange, coffee, hazelnut, or almond) instead of vanilla extract. You can swirl melted semi-sweet chocolate into the batter for a marbled effect. Fresh berries make terrific toppings. For praline cheesecakes, use brown sugar instead of white and garnish with pecan halves. Hot cheesecake makes an excellent brunch or lunch dish for Shavuot. Once you’ve tried this, it will probably become a family favorite that you’ll make all year round. Dairy delicious! Norene’s Easy Cheesecake Adapted from: “The New Food Processor Bible” (Whitecap) I’ve been making this recipe for years, with rave reviews! You can substitute chocolate or vanilla wafers in the crust. Crust: 18 single graham wafers (about 1 1/2 cups crumbs)6 tablespoons soft margarine or butter, cut in small chunks2 tablespoons sugar (granulated or brown)1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Filling: 4 cups (2 pounds) cream cheese, cut in chunks (light or regular) 1 1/2 cups sugar4 eggs (or 2 eggs plus 4 egg whites)1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or 2 tablespoons lemon juice) Topping of your choice 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. For crust: Break wafers into chunks. Process on steel blade until coarse crumbs are formed. Add remaining crust ingredients and process until blended, 5 or 6 seconds. Press into sprayed 10-inch springform pan. Wipe bowl and blade with paper towels. 3. For filling: Process cheese with sugar until blended, about 15 seconds. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Process until smooth and creamy, 20 to 30 seconds longer. Pour over crust. 4. Place a pie plate half-filled with water on lowest rack of oven. Place cheesecake on middle rack. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. When done, edges will be set but center will jiggle slightly. Turn off heat and let cheesecake cool in oven with door partly open for about one hour. It will firm up during this time. 5. Refrigerate. Add desired topping and chill for 3 to 4 hours before serving. (Can be made a day or two ahead.) Makes 12 servings 279 calories per serving (without topping), 30.4 g carbohydrate, 0.3 g fiber, 7 g protein, 14.4 g fat (6.6 g saturated), 80 mg cholesterol, 364 mg sodium, 2.9 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 187 mg calcium, 30 mg phosphorus Lighter Variation: Use granular Splenda instead of sugar. Use half cream cheese and half dry cottage cheese, 2 eggs and 4 egg whites. One serving contains 171 calories, 12.5 g carbohydrate and 9.8 g fat. Cheesecake Toppings Fresh strawberry topping: Cut off stem ends from 4 cups of strawberries; cut strawberries in half lengthwise. Arrange cut-side down in an attractive design over cooled cheesecake. Microwave 1/2 cup apricot preserves on High for 45 seconds, until melted. Gently brush glaze over fruit. Mandarin orange topping: Drain three 10-ounce cans mandarin oranges. Pat dry. Arrange in an attractive design over cooled cheesecake. Microwave 1/2 cup apricot preserves on high for 45 seconds, until melted. Gently brush glaze over fruit. Canned pie filling: Spoon a 19-ounce can of cherry, blueberry, or pineapple pie filling evenly over cheesecake. Praline cheesecakes: Use firmly packed brown sugar instead of granulated sugar. Use 1 teaspoon vanilla instead of lemon juice. When cool, garnish with toasted pecan halves. Mini Cheesecakes Prepare filling for Easy Cheesecake as directed. Omit crust. Line muffin pans with 24 paper cupcake liners. Place a vanilla wafer in each liner. Top with cheesecake mixture. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until set. When cooled, top each cheesecake with a large strawberry or a spoonful of thick jam. One mini contains 154 calories, 18.9 g carbohydrate and 6.8 g fat. Hot Cheesecake Source: “The New Food Processor Bible” (Whitecap) This longtime favorite comes from my longtime friend, Roz Brown of Montreal. It makes a fabulous main dish for a buffet or brunch for Shavuot or anytime. Serve it with sour cream and fresh fruit salad or berries. Topping 1 cup corn flakes (or 1/4 cup crumbs)1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 tablespoon brown sugar Base 1/4 cup butter or margarine2 tablespoons granulated sugar1 egg 1 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Filling 2 cups dry cottage cheese (fat-free or regular, see Note below)2 eggs1/2 cup granulated sugardash salt2 tablespoons cornstarch1/2 cup milk Use the steel blade to process all ingredients. For topping: Process corn flakes with cinnamon and brown sugar until fine. Transfer to a small bowl. For base: Process butter or margarine with sugar and egg for about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Process just until dough begins to form a ball around the blades, about 10 seconds. Pat into sprayed 8-inch square glass baking dish or 9-inch pie plate. For filling: Process cheese for 15 seconds. Add eggs, sugar and salt. Process 15 seconds longer. Dissolve cornstarch in milk and pour in through feed tube while machine is running. Process 10 seconds longer, until well mixed. Pour over base and sprinkle with reserved topping. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 1 hour. Serve hot. Yield: 8 servings. Keeps 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheats and/or freezes well. Recipe may be doubled and baked in sprayed 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish. Baking time will be about the same. 258 calories per serving, 38.0 g carbohydrate, 0.8 g fiber, 9 g protein, 8.2 g fat (4.4. g saturated fat), 98 mg cholesterol, 275 mg sodium, 123 mg potassium, 2 mg iron, 85 mg calcium, 143 mg phosphorus Note: Dry/pressed cottage cheese: If you aren’t able to find dry or pressed cottage cheese in your supermarket, substitute small curd cottage cheese (low-fat or fat-free). Place in a colander and press out excess liquid. You’ll probably have to add extra cottage cheese to make up for the drained liquid and processing time will be slightly longer. Norene Gilletz is the author of kosher cookbooks in Canada. She divides her time between work as a food writer, culinary consultant, spokes person, cooking instructor, lecturer, and editor. Norene lives in Toronto, and her motto is “Food that’s good for you should taste good!” Visit her website at http://www.gourmania.com or email her at goodfood@gourmania.com. Cooking with Beth 2012-05-18T18:20:15+00:00 /content/item/23205 http://www.jstandard.com/index.php/site/at_a_russian_military_academy/#When:13:16:04Z Notice: Undefined offset: -1 in /var/www/vhosts/jstandard.com/httpdocs/system/core/core.functions.php(663) : eval()'d code on line 43 The commanding officer at the Russian military academy (i.e., the equivalent of a four-star general in the U.S.) gave a lecture on Potential Problems and Military Strategy. At the end of the lecture, he asked if there were any questions.  One officer stood up and asked, “Will there be a third world war? And will Russia take part in it?” The general answered both questions in the affirmative. Another officer asked, “Who will be the enemy?” The general replied, “All indications point to China.” Everyone in the audience was shocked. A third officer remarked, “General, we are a nation of only 150 million people, compared to the 1.5 billion Chinese.  Can we win at all, or even survive?” The general answered, “Just think of this for a moment.  In modern warfare, it is not the quantity of soldiers that matters, but the quality of an army’s capabilities.  For example, fairly recently in the Middle East, we have had a few wars in which 5 million Jews fought against 150 million Arabs.  Israel was always victorious.” After a small pause, yet another officer from the back of the auditorium asked, “Do we have enough Jews?” Boroson's Anecdotage 2012-05-13T13:16:04+00:00 /content/item/23121 http://www.jstandard.com/index.php/site/family_recipes_to_spoil_mom/#When:17:26:21Z Notice: Undefined offset: -1 in /var/www/vhosts/jstandard.com/httpdocs/system/core/core.functions.php(663) : eval()'d code on line 43 Mother’s Day is Sunday.. although according to my beautiful mother, Ruth, of blessed memory, every day was and is Mother’s Day…she would proudly say she was a mom 365 days of the year. Somehow, however, I remember trying to make the day a little special for her. Sometimes her birthday, May 14, would fall on the same day and then that would be a grand celebration. So, for all those, young and old, who want to make mom something special to eat on Mother’s Day or any day.. here are a few suggestions. Pancakes 1 cup flour1 egg1 tablespoon sugar2 tablespoons sour cream1/4 teaspoon salt1 cup milk (can use reduced fat)1 tablespoon baking powder2 tablespoons melted butter Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Put egg, milk, and sour cream in blender. Mix and then add sifted ingredients and mix again adding melted butter. Blend until smooth. Spray a fry pan with vegetable spray. Drop a spoonful for small pancakes or a larger spoonful for a larger pancake. Serve with syrup (can be sugar-free) or jam. Baked eggs in bread 6 slices whole wheat bread6 eggs separated6 slices cheese (can be low fat) Cut out a small round hole in the center of each slice of bread. Spray a cookie sheet with vegetable spray. Carefully crack each egg and make the yolk fit into the hole in the bread. Put the bread with eggs into a preheated 300 degree oven. After 5-minutes, check to see that the egg is starting to set. Put a piece of cheese over the egg and bake an additional 5-7 minutes. Cinnamon toast 6 slices of whole wheat breadenough butter, softened, to spread on the bread3/4 teaspoons cinnamon3 tablespoons granulated sugar Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Toast the bread and spread the butter (preferably reduced fat). Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar over the toast. Put under the broiler for about one minute. Cooking with Beth 2012-05-08T17:26:21+00:00 /content/item/23120 http://www.jstandard.com/index.php/site/hey_does_the_great_peggy_noonan_read_www.heatherrobinson.net_by_chance/#When:13:00:26Z Notice: Undefined offset: -1 in /var/www/vhosts/jstandard.com/httpdocs/system/core/core.functions.php(663) : eval()'d code on line 43 Last week, I weighed in on Indiana’s heated Republican primary race between veteran Senator Richard Lugar and the state’s Republican Treasurer Richard Mourdock, and this week, Noonan did the same. Noonan analyzed the race in her (as always) gorgeous prose, and with a depth of political knowledge that only a many-decades-savvy veteran speechwriter, politico and columnist could possess. While I would not claim to have highlighted my points as artfully or against such a rich backdrop of experience as Ronald Reagan’s star speechwriter, Noonan and I did zero in on several of the same themes: Lugar’s experience in contrast to that of Mourdock, and Lugar’s real record of achievement in the crucial area of national security. Morever, we made similar points about Lugar’s effectiveness at working with others to execute sound policy that might not have always grabbed headlines but laid the foundation for a safer, more responsible future. Noonan wrote, “He’s fought many fights to keep bad policy from being imposed. (Unfortunately, there’s never a memorial to the bad bill that didn’t happen.) He’s waded into serious policy issues, such as disarmament, that get little credit but are crucial.” And I wrote, “Lugar co-authored the Nunn-Lugar program, which dismantled more than 7,500 nuclear warheads, more than 1,400 nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, 155 bombers, and 32 nuclear submarines in the former Soviet Union during the years immediately following its collapse. The program also upgraded security at 24 strategic sites. (This work was incredibly far-sighted and absolutely crucial given the possibility that enemies of Israel and the U.S. could have gotten a hold of this stuff). To the extent that the Russians have not already sold nuclear weapons and WMD to Islamic terrorists (fingers crossed), we may very well have to thank Dick Lugar for reaching across the aisle to do this absolutely vital work.” If I do say so myself (and to the eminent Ms. Noonan), our points are well taken. For all the justified concern about over-spending, runaway bureaucracy, and Washington fat cats, there are a few politicians there who have quietly and diligently accomplished important things. In the case of Lugar, because one can’t prove a negative, it is tricky to explain that without his foresight and work on issues such as buying up nuclear weapons and WMD that were sitting around the former Soviet Union, it is likely that some of that stuff might have wound up in the hands of Islamist terrorists. One point Noonan made that I did not, however, is that, to the extent that tea party activists have raised awareness about runaway spending and lack of foresight by Dems and Repubs alike, this close race will serve to reinforce in Lugar, if the voters of Indiana send him back to Washington, the imperative to return to conservative principles (cut over-spending that, while it might feel good and please some of the people, is borrowing unfairly against our children’s future). Cutting out that practice should be a manageable imperative for the already sober-minded Lugar. As I put it, I’m no Hoosier, but I’ll be rooting for him May 8. Or as Noonan put it, “They should save the old guy. He has value.” The Robinson Report 2012-05-08T13:00:26+00:00 /content/item/23067 http://www.jstandard.com/index.php/site/the_jewish_dog5/#When:01:36:21Z Notice: Undefined offset: -1 in /var/www/vhosts/jstandard.com/httpdocs/system/core/core.functions.php(663) : eval()'d code on line 43 A man walks into shul with a dog. The shammas comes up to him and says, ‘Pardon me, this is a House of Worship, you can’t bring your dog in here.’ ‘What do you mean,’ says the man, ‘this is a Jewish dog. Look.’ And the shammas looks carefully and sees, that in the same way that a St. Bernard carries a brandy barrel round its neck, this dog has a tallis bag round its neck. ‘Rover,’ says the man, ‘kipa!’ ‘Woof!’ says the dog, stands on his hind legs, opens the tallis bag, takes out a kipa and puts it on his head. ‘Rover,’ says the man, ‘tallis!.’ ‘Woof!’ says the dog, stands on his hind legs, opens the tallis bag, takes out a tallis and puts it round his neck. ‘Rover,’ says the man, ‘daven!’ ‘Woof!’ says the dog, stands on his hind legs, opens the tallis bag, takes out a siddur and starts to daven. ‘That’s fantastic,’ says the shammas, ‘absolutely amazing, incredible! You should take him to Hollywood, get him on television, get him in the movies, he could make millions of dollars!! ‘You speak to him,’ says the man. ‘He wants to be a doctor.’     Boroson's Anecdotage 2012-05-04T01:36:21+00:00 /content/item/22907 http://www.jstandard.com/index.php/site/two_memories/#When:05:25:22Z Notice: Undefined offset: -1 in /var/www/vhosts/jstandard.com/httpdocs/system/core/core.functions.php(663) : eval()'d code on line 43 When I was a little kid, I had a verbal fight with a little girl from down the block—her name was Rooney. She slapped me across the face and said, “No Jew can talk to me like that!” I saw her occasionally after that. She glanced at me and looked mortified. *** Poem for Passover… When I was a very little kid… At passover seder After someone ELSE asked the 4sameold questions I quietly snuck under the dining table It took forever but finally someone said, “Where’s Warren?” and “Warren, why are you under the table?” I whined: “Nobody’s paying attention to me anymore!” Yes, that’s what happens when you get old… Boroson's Anecdotage 2012-04-26T05:25:22+00:00 /content/item/22906 http://www.jstandard.com/index.php/site/cajun_sides_for_a_barbecue_anyone/#When:16:45:20Z Notice: Undefined offset: -1 in /var/www/vhosts/jstandard.com/httpdocs/system/core/core.functions.php(663) : eval()'d code on line 43 Mildred L. Covert and Sylvia P. Gerson published the “Kosher Cajun Cookbook” (Pelican) with loads of fun recipes for those who dare to cook with a little bit (or a lot) of spice! In our home, spices are a no-no… I have to keep everything plain with spices on hand (for me) to perk things up. My husband is so sensitive that there are some restaurants and markets that he cannot even walk in to. Can you imagine? Me, on the other hand, enjoys foods as spicy as it can be. Visiting New Orleans was such a treat! Anyway, try these to perk up a mundane barbecue. Malke’s Macaroni Salad 2 cups elbow macaroni1 tablespoon salt3 quarts boiling water2 cups diced cooked beets1 cup thinly sliced raw carrots1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber1/3 cup chopped shallots1/4 cup vegetable oil1 tablespoon vinegar1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon horseradish Gradually add macaroni and 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water. Allow water to continue to boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again thoroughly. In a large bowl, arrange macaroni, beets, carrots, cucumber, and shallots. In a small jar combine oil, vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, and horseradish. Shake well. Pour over macaroni-vegetable mixture. Cover and chill. Toss well before serving. Serves six. Pirogue Potato Salad 6 medium-size potatoes, scrubbed, but not peeled1 cup finely chopped shallots2/3 cup chicken *Beth’s note (or vegetable) stock1/3 cup olive oil1 tablespoon white vinegar2 teaspoons prepared hot mustard2 teaspoons salt1 teaspoon black pepper1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice2 drops Tabasco sauce2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped Drop the unpeeled potatoes into enough lightly salted boiling water to cover them completely. Boil briskly until they can be pierced with the point of a small knife. Do NOT overcook. Drain potatoes; then peel and cut into ¼ inch slices. Set aside in a tightly covered bowl. Allow to come to room temperature. In a heavy 2- to 3-quart saucepan, combine chopped shallots, chicken (or vegetable) stock, oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in lemon juice and Tabasco. Add chopped eggs to potato slices; toss gently. Pour sauce over potatoes and eggs, turning to coat them evenly. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Serves four. Cooking with Beth 2012-04-25T16:45:20+00:00 /content/item/22820 http://www.jstandard.com/index.php/site/switching_gears_to_healthier_foods/#When:20:42:41Z Notice: Undefined offset: -1 in /var/www/vhosts/jstandard.com/httpdocs/system/core/core.functions.php(663) : eval()'d code on line 43 Welcome back from Passover cooking! I loved having the family, growing rapidly, and extended family and friends for our second seder. This year we were 23. I will say it was a lot of work, but so worth it. I think the cooking was the easiest part. I made the soup and meatballs ahead of time and froze them. The container I poured the soup into was so large that when it came time to defrosting, there was no room for the matzah balls. I also made them a few days before the seder and spooned them into a rectangular tin (I didn’t freeze them). I actually had to heat them up in the oven because the pot would have overflowed.. always a funny story to retell… This year, all I forgot to serve was the steamed spinach..but I suspect, there were few who really missed this side dish. Anyway, leaving the memory of heavy kugels and rich foods aside, here are a few recipes from “Festival of Lite-Kosher Cookbook” by Gail Ashkanazi-Hankin. Chicken and Pine Nut Salad Cooking spray1 green pepper, cut into strips1 red pepper, cut into strips1 cup sugar snap peas or green beans1/2 cup steamed julienne carrots1 pound skinless chicken breast, cooked and cut into strips or cubes2-4 tablespoons chopped cilantro2 1/2 tablespoons toasted pine nutsjuice of 2 limes1/4 cup dry red wine or sherry4 cups salad greens In a skillet coated with cooking spray, sauté the green and red pepper and sugar snap peas over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until tender crisp. Add the steamed carrots and cooked chicken. Remove from heat. (The mixture can be refrigerated overnight.) Add the cilantro and toasted pine nuts and toss briefly to mix. Add the lime juice and wine and toss to coat. Serve over salad greens. Lemon Waldorf Salad 3 cups mixed red and green apples, peeled, diced1 cup halved red seedless grapes2 stalks celery, sliced1 cup finely grated red cabbage1/4 cup raisins1 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger or 1/4 teaspoon dry ginger1 cup nonfat lemon yogurt Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, stirring in the yogurt at the end. Refrigerate, covered, for about one hour before serving. Variations: Omit 1 cup of apple and add 1 cup seasonal fruit such as cantaloupe, mango, or watermelon. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and teaspoons honey to nonfat plain yogurt. Cooking with Beth 2012-04-17T20:42:41+00:00