Together with the Candles and the Dreidels – little whirligigs – the latkes belong to the subjects from Hanukkah. This feast remembers us the victory of the Maccabees over the Greek Roman occupation and the rededication of the Temple to our G’d of Israel on the twenty fifth of Kislev. The latkes – Jiddish for...
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In the first place Hanukah remembers me at the battle of a small army under Judas Maccabeus against a mighty Syrian/Greek army to get back their religious freedom. This story is written in Flavius Josephus’ “Old History of the Jews” pages 824-830. And in the Talmud: Shabbat 21 B. Through intervention from HaShem it happened...
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Recently we celebrated Erev Sjabat with family and adopted family. This is always a festive time. This evening we also celebrated my husbands birthday. At the time we had our dinner, my grandson Bram, 2 years young, looked at me with great hope and asked: “Chicken soup?” Being the grandma of this loving boy, my...
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During Hannuka the children are playing with dreidels –  little whirligigs – and we enjoy the delicious dishes baked in oil. The oil remembers us the miracle about the Temple Menora (candle), that was filed with oil enough only for one day but was lighting during eight days. The dreidel, the square whirligig (top), with...
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Stewed Cherry fruit A kind of desert made from our cherry crop. In general It is very special that in our orchard on the sour soil of the area “the Krimpenerwaard” in the Netherlands, a cherry tree brings forth plenty of fruit. Usually fruit trees grow on clay-soil. As we find along the rivers. The...
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Hummus (pronounce the H like “ch” as in Scottish Loch) is a delicious spread or dip made from chickpeas and tahini. Very well known in Israël and a specialty of Middle Eastern Jews. Nowadays it’s sold in delis all over the world. Tahini is an oily paste of ground sesame seed and also used as sauce...
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In the times of the Maccabees (175-135 b.c.e.) dough balls were already fried in oil and eaten with honey. So these doughnuts – sufganiyot – are refreshments originating from antiquity. Betey-avon! (Bon appetit) Ingredients for 4-6 persons (12 doughnuts) 500 g self-raising flour 5 egg yolks (remove any blood) 4 tbsp sugar 4 pack vanilla...
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Makes about 48 / 64 parve cookies. “Parve” means without milk or meat ingredients. Ingredients:  125 gr. dates (stone-less) chopped. 4 eggs 250 gr. ground or fine cane sugar ½   teaspoon salt 1    teaspoon cinnamon powder 3    tablespoons of fresh lemon juice or grated zest of 1 organic lemon. 4    tablespoons of  “delicato” olive oil...
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  Ingredients    500 gr. Flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablesp. olive- or sunflower oil 4 tablesp. water 5 eggs Sunflower oil to fry in Powdered sugar to sprinkle You can eat them also with honey. Preparation Combine all ingredients to form smooth dough and divide the dough in six round balls. Pack the balls...
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  This is probably my favorite recipe, My Mama’s Brownies. It is very easy and uncomplicated. Mama actually ices her brownies with a delicious chocolate icing! June’s Brownies Ingredients:    (one well oiled baking pan) 2 cups of sugar 1½ cups of flour 1 teaspoon of salt ½ cup of cocoa Measure these 4 dry...
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