Flatbush Buzz #166 Dec 8th 2019

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Volume 7, Issue 166 Dec. 8th 2019

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The Shmuz on the Parsha

Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier

Chanukah Hashem Fights Our Wars The miracle of the oil Why do we celebrate Chanukah?

“When the Yivanim entered the Bais HaMikdash, they defiled all the oil set aside for lighting the Menorah. When the Chashmonoim were victorious, they searched and were able to find only one small jug of oil with the Kohain Gadol’s seal intact. It had sufficient oil to last only one day, but miraculously it lasted eight days. In honor of the miracle of the oil lasting eight days, Chazal inaugurated these days for Hallel and thanksgiving.” — Gemara Shabbos 21b

Al Ha’Nisim: the miracle of the battle The Maharal states that this Gemara seems to contradict what we say in Al Ha’Nisim, a tefillah that was written by the Tanaim hundreds of years before. In the Al Ha’Nisim, we proclaim thanks to HASHEM for the miracle of the war. We thank HASHEM for delivering the Yivani armies into our hands. “You fought their battles, judged their judgments, took their revenge. You put the mighty into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few…” According to the Al Ha’Nisim, the miracle of Chanukah was that HASHEM delivered us from the armies of the Yivanim. Yet the Gemara in Shabbos says that we celebrate Chanukah because of the miracle of the oil lasting eight days. The Maharal asks, “Which one is correct?”

The miracle of the oil revealed the miracle of the war.

The Maharal answers that both reasons are true, and both are consistent with each other. The actual event for which we give thanksgiving and sing Hallel is the salvation of the Jewish people. We won a war against all odds. However, it wasn’t clear that the victory was a miracle. To people living in those times,

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the military success seemed to be natural.

It was attributed to Jewish resilience and bravery. It didn’t appear that HASHEM had delivered us from the hands of the Yivanim; rather, it appeared as “their might, and the strength of their arms.” It was only through the miracle of the oil that they came to understand the miracle of the battle. Once people saw the oil last eight days – an overt miracle from HASHEM — they then came to see that their success on the battlefield was from HASHEM as well. The miracle of the oil revealed to them the miracle of the war.

Israel didn’t have a standing army This Maharal becomes difficult to understand when we take into account a basic historical overview.

The events of Chanukah take place around the middle of the era of the Second Bais HaMikdash. From the time that Bavel destroyed the first Bais HaMikdash up until that point, the Jewish people lived under the reign of gentile monarchies. Our right to exist and our form of self-government was decided by the ruling parties. We were a vassal state under foreign rule, and when the Yivanim entered Yerushalayim, the Jewish people did not even have a standing army.

This wasn’t a war of a stronger army against a weaker opponent. It was a war in which the most powerful empire in the world was pitted against a band of unorganized, unarmed, private citizens.

While the war itself lasted three years, during the entire first year of fighting, there were no formal battles. Two armies were not squaring off against each other; there was no Jewish army. The fighting consisted of guerrilla skirmishes. Some Jews would sneak up on a lone detail of Yivani soldiers, kill them, and take their arms. Bit by bit, more Jews would join Yehudah Ha’Macabi, but at every point during the war, the Jews were far outnumbered, outgunned, and preposterously less battle-ready than their enemies.

The leaders of the rebellion were Kohanim Even more startling is that almost all of the original fighters had no battle experience.

The leaders of the rebellion were Kohanim. A Kohain is a Torah teacher, one who serves in the Bais HaMikdash, one who guides the klal Yisroel in ruchniyus (spiritual matters). He isn’t a soldier. So this was a war led and fought not by soldiers, but by roshei yeshiva. It was akin to Reb Shmuel Kaminetsky leading the Lakewood Yeshiva in battle against the US Marine Corps.

How could anyone not see the miracle of the war?

No intelligent assessment of the situation would have predicted a Jewish victory. How then is it possible that the Jews at the time

saw these events as anything other than the miracles that they clearly were?

This seems to be natural to the human The answer to this question seems to be that when one is many years away and far removed, he gains a historical vantage point.

He is able to see an event in context and can easily recognize it as a miracle. But to those living in the day-to-day heat of the battle, it is much more difficult to see the event from that perspective.

To those involved, it seemed to be a natural course of events. Granted the odds were slim, but the Jews won. Skirmish after skirmish, battle after battle, the Macabees came out victorious. There is no question that they did well, which is why it seemed that their skill, their cunning, and their wisdom in battle won those wars. And as such, to people living in those times, the miracle was hidden. And then a single event focused their sight.

When the Kohanim returned to the Bais HaMikdash and took out that little bit of oil

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Maharal said, “The miracle of the oil revealed the miracle of the battle.”

We see the same phenomena in our times In our own times, we witness an eerie parallel to these events and to the same mistaken interpretation.

For almost two thousand years we have existed as a lone sheep amongst seventy wolves. Universally hated and oppressed, the Jewish people have survived. And now, after almost 1900 years of wandering, we find ourselves back in our own land.

in time for

Chanukah!

Since 1948, the Jewish nation has witnessed profound miracles in the repopulation and development of the land of Israel. But it is the survival of our people that is the greatest miracle.

In 1948, the population in the Middle East numbered roughly 650,000 Jews, surrounded by some 50 million Arabs. On May 15th, 1948, one day after the State of Israel was declared, five nations attacked, each with well-trained armies and air forces, each alone capable of annihilating the small band of Holocaust survivors. At the time there was no Jewish army, navy or air force. Yet, against all odds, we won that war, and against all odds we continued to win war after war – until now, ironically, when the Jews are considered the superpower in the region.

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To most people, Jew and gentile alike, it seems that this is just the way of the world. To the average witness to these events, it isn’t a demonstration of the hand of HASHEM. It is just the ebb and flow of history.

The lesson of Chanukah is to see behind the veil of nature, to tune our sight into the true cause of events, and to see that it is HASHEM Who runs the world and fights our wars – then as now.

Rabbi Shafier is the founder of the Shmuz.com – The Shmuz is an engaging, motivating shiur that deals with real life issues.

All of the Shmuzin are available free of charge at www. theShmuz.com or on the Shmuz App for iphone or Android.

Simply text the word “TheShmuz” to the number 313131 and a link will be sent to your phone to download the App.

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My Last Line of Defense

by Ross Hirschmann

How Chanukah kept me Jewish when all else failed.

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rowing up, there was not much about Judaism that I loved, or even liked for that matter. Passover was a bust (the Four Questions was the only acting gig I met that I didn’t like), and don’t get me started on Yom Kippur (can you say, “Starvation without meaning”?).

With my father making me miss high school football games and dances for something he called “Shabbos,” you can pretty much guess how I felt about Judaism by age 16. Hated it!

But there was one Jewish thing that I connected with from the time I was a kid: Chanukah. I know it sounds so cliche to say that the only Jewish holiday a secular Jewish kid from Walnut Creek like me enjoyed was the one that occurred close to Christmas, but it’s true. I’ve always

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loved Chanukah. In fact, it was Chanukah that probably saved me from giving up on Judaism all together.

As a kid, my house was not the place to be for the holidays. Any holiday. There was always so much pressure to have the “perfect holiday” that usually everyone ended up very tense and unhappy by the day’s end.

My father was always particularly tense around Rosh Hashana, but not without some justification. It was tough trying to get five little kids into the car so we could all get to temple on time to celebrate the festive New Year. But since we were always running late, (inevitably someone’s shoe was missing or hair wasn’t just right) we usually brought in the New Year in a manner that was, well, let’s just say “less than festive.” Yom Kippur was the same situation, different holiday, but

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with the added “wildcard” of a fast mixed in.

Thanksgiving did not fare much better either. The turkey always took longer than the “meat guy” at Safeway said it would (which led to us reliving the Yom Kippur fast), the yams weren’t as good as the year before and the true pain of having to sit through yet another Detroit Lions football game on TV all added up to, well, not much fun.

But Chanukah was different. Maybe it was because my dad lost steam after all the tension of the “big” holidays, or maybe it was because nobody had grand expectations of making a “Chanukah to Remember,” or maybe it was because no one particularly cared. I don’t know.

Whatever the reason, Chanukah was relaxed and even fun.

growing up, and now my present struggle to preserve Judaism within in my family.

Growing up, I was surrounded by the world of Walnut Creek, a world that encouraged me at every corner to assimilate into the general, American, Christian culture. As a kid I thought, “Well, that sounds good to me!” I mean who wants to stand out as “odd guy out” or worse as “Jewish Guy Out”? Not me.

I was no Judah Maccabee. In fact I was just the opposite -- I was my own SyrianGreek. I encouraged myself to assimilate as much as possible.

But just like with the Maccabees, Hashem saved me from losing Judaism all together. The odds against this happening were great: all of Walnut Creek and secular culture versus Hashem saving one Jewish soul. The Almighty had to come up with something good, something powerful. And He did. He gave me a holiday I could enjoy, something Jewish that I could cling to. He gave me Chanukah.

Having that allowed me to say, “Well, maybe I won’t chuck all this Jewish stuff just yet. Maybe it’s okay to be Jewish -just a little bit.” In the end, as in the story of Chanukah, Hashem won. Judaism survived in me.

When you become religious in your 30’s, however, you also face some pretty tough battles -- against yourself, against society, even against some well-meaning family members -- in order to preserve Judaism in your life and your family’s life.

Sometimes it seems that the battles are overwhelming and the enemies too much to handle.

But even in the face of all of that I realized that the battle has to be won because my wife and I, and our two little daughters are the last strong links to Judaism in both our families. We’re the last line of defense.

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So during the tough times, I think back to that verse in Rock of Ages and remember that Hashem can help us overcome anything, that He can help us save Judaism in our lives just as he helped the Maccabees so many years ago. My eyes still well up with tears when I think of that verse or sing it.

Chanukah reminds me that Hashem is always there for us, and that if we just allow Him to help us fight our battles -whatever those battles may be -- His word will indeed break our enemy’s sword.

Maybe it’s that powerful reminder of Hashem’s love for us that makes Chanukah my favorite holiday. And maybe it’s that powerful message of Hashem’s love for us that kept me from abandoning Judaism during all those years I was so far from it.

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REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM AISH.COM

And it wasn’t because of the presents.

Believe me, with five kids to shop for there weren’t a lot of presents.

As a boy Chanukah had particular appeal because well -- let’s face it -Chanukah is a really good war story. It’s like D-Day for the Jews. My father was a decorated B-25 pilot during WW II and I grew up hearing his war stories. They captivated me. The battles, the heroics, beating the odds, successfully completing the “mission impossible” -- my father had done it all. But he did it as a part of the United States Army.

Chanukah told the story how the Jewish Army overcame the odds and beat the stuffing out of the Syrian Greeks. The Chanukah story had everything dad’s war stories had: battles, heroics, beating the odds and completing successfully the “mission impossible.”

But Chanukah had something more: it had Hashem. The story of Chanukah not only gave me a sense of a proud and even “tough” lineage as a kid, but it also taught me what my mom always told me: You can always rely on Hashem to take care of you.

Every night after we lit the menorah, we’d sing Rock of Ages. Even as a kid, my eyes always welled up with tears when we sang the verse, “And Thy word broke their swords, when our own strength failed us.” The thought that Hashem, with just one of His words, could break an enemy’s sword and defeat him for us was overwhelming to me. Somehow it got through to me that alone we’re helpless, vulnerable, defeatable. But with Hashem’s help we can do anything, overcome anything, accomplish anything. Even when we believe we can’t.

Now that I am a religious adult, I see even more profundity in the Chanukah story. It’s still a great war story, but now I also realize that it’s a story about my own battles: first against Judaism when I was

Chanukah told the story how the Jewish Army overcame the odds and beat the stuffing out of the Syrian Greeks. The Chanukah story had everything dad’s war stories had: battles, heroics, beating the odds and completing successfully the “mission impossible.”

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My First Chanukkah in Communist Russia

by Gita Steinberg

No one saw my pitiful menorah. Little did I know how that small flame would grow into a huge light.

I was born in Communist Russia to parents who were Holocaust survivors. We knew that we were Jewish – it was written in our identity cards – and we had Jewish names. But apart from that I had no idea what Judaism was all about.

I was the third generation to be disconnected from Judaism. I grew up amongst non-Jews but I always felt out of place, like a black sheep. As far back as I can remember, I had a strange feeling that I couldn’t identify; I felt like a plucked leaf flying in the wind, without a home.

I was restless and didn’t feel at home anywhere. I thought that maybe it was because of my family’s wanderings – they were penniless refugees. But the lack that I felt was not material; it was deeper, in my soul. I felt abandoned.

One bright day I heard for the first time that there is a country called Israel,

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whose residents are all Jews. Somehow, my soul heard that there is a place in the world where I belong. At that moment it was absolutely clear to me that my place is there because I am a Jewess. I had no doubt that my home was in Israel, even though I had no idea how, or what to expect on the way, or what was waiting for me there.

This discovery changed my life, granting it a purpose and meaning. It was clear to me that whatever price I would have to pay to get there would be worthwhile, for what is truly precious requires effort. I was possessed by this goal – to be a Jew and to live as a Jew – and pursued it relentlessly for the 12 years that it took until I received permission to leave the prison of Soviet Russia.

During those years I suffered greatly.

The Soviet authorities branded me a traitor for wanting to leave Russia and put every possible obstacle in my way.

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house was searched. I lost my citizenship and my rights as a citizen. Ironically, I was no longer a Russian citizen but I was unable to leave Russia. But worse than that, my family also rejected me. “How could you leave your parents?” they told me.

None of this lessened my fervor to pursue my goal. On the contrary – as the pressure and persecutions increased, I became stronger and surer of myself. My soul awoke and began to demand its food – a connection with its Creator.

I tried very hard to find every opportunity to learn about Judaism, paying dearly for every drop of information. I travelled to the larger cities searching for underground Jews.

And I found them. I was given a suitcase with illegal booklets describing Judaism.

These were papers secretly typed with five copies using carbon paper. I read them thirstily and gathered a few likeminded Jews in my city to share the

information with.

When I learned about the story of Hanukkah, about the Maccabees and Hasmoneans with a small picture of a menorah, I felt that this belonged directly to Russian Jews, to the struggle for the right to be a Jew and to remain a Jew in every place in every generation. I decided that I must get a menorah and light it and share it with the members of my group.

I made a simple sketch based on the picture in the story and what I imagined.

One of the members of our group was a machine engineer and I asked him if he could make such a thing out of metal. He agreed even though he had to work at great risk at night when no one would see or ask questions – true Jewish heroism. When it was finished I was very excited.

He made it in one piece; it was very heavy, but to me it was beautiful.

I lived in an eight-story building for young people.

I had to wait years for government housing, and I had received a small room on the eighth floor in an apartment for eight families with one kitchen for all of us and a joint bathroom. It was opposite a building materials factory. The building was at the edge of the city and all my friends lived at the other end of town. When Hanukkah arrived it was the end of December, freezing cold, minus 30 degrees and snowing heavily.

On the appointed day I invited my friends and prepared to share the story of Hanukkah and serve some light refreshments. Night came. I waited and waited but no one arrived. The storm was raging outside. When I realized that there’s no point in waiting any longer I put the menorah on the windowsill and lit a candle. My first Hanukkah candle. I sat in front of the small flame watching the reflection in the black window. I began

to ask myself: What’s this candle doing?

Who sees it? The factory opposite? To whom am I publicizing the miracle? There isn’t a living soul outside. And if someone does go by down there, he won’t pick up his head. Even if he does lift his head, he won’t see this little candle.

So what am I doing here? I’ve been

began to drip down my face. I didn’t know how to pray but I knew how to cry and I continued crying throughout the night.

That was my first Hanukkah candle.

A Bright Light

That small candle was not lit in vain.

Someone did see it, the One who created me a Jew and Who guides my life. He wanted me to light a candle, to exert myself, and He freed me in the end from that huge prison – Communist Russia.

Hashem brought me to Israel. I kissed the Land and I merited going to Jerusalem and to the Kotel, the Western Wall. Slowly I learned about Judaism and became a fully observant Jew. Hanukkah party at my school, with me in the middle.

Over the course of ten years, drastic changes took place in Russia with the fall of the Soviet Union. I was sent back to Moscow to be the principal and teacher of Jewish studies in a Jewish school that had opened there, very close to the Kremlin.

At the mall, handing out Shabbat candles.

The school was called Migdal-Or which means a lighthouse. My small Hanukkah candle ended up lighting many more candles, eventually turning into a huge light, a veritable lighthouse. Additional lights come from the thousands of Shabbat candles that I give out every Friday in the mall near my house. More light shines from the Torah classes that I am privileged to teach and my learning partners throughout Israel, and from my poems and stories of my personal miracles that accompanied me throughout my life.

To think that all this began from one forlorn Chanukkah candle that no one but the Almighty saw.

Reprinted from Aish.com

To think that all this began from one forlorn Chanukkah candle that no one but the Almighty saw. sitting in this prison for over ten years without family and without children.

Will I ever leave this prison and live a normal life? I was disappointed that after all my efforts to prepare for this night, none of my friends had turned up.

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Oh! Chanukah! Oh Chanukah! Sweet Celebration!

Gitta Bixenspanner n.d.

I hear the kids singing the song Oh Chanukah Oh Chanukah What a Sweet Celebration!

All 8 nights we feel great elation, Fun and games with family and friends, Many nights in the glow of the menorah to spend.

The original Chanukah menu features mostly potato latkes and donuts. Since we have eight days to celebrate here is a bit of a varied menu for one of the festive Chanukah nights. Do not forget our all time favorite the potato latke.

Traditional Crispy Potato Latkes Latkes are a real staple of Chanukah menu. If you plan to serve latkes, make lots of them, as they are sure to disappear quickly. White or red potatoes work well and a mixture of both yields even better results.

Ingredients 6 potatoes 1 small onion 4 eggs ½ tsp salt 1/8 tsp black pepper (optional) Oil for frying Instructions

Grate potatoes in food processor on your favorite blade. I favor the shredder as pieces are a bit bigger and latkes come out crispier. Squeeze out the liquid through a colander. Add the rest of ingredients. Mix well.

In a deep pot or deep frying pan, heat oil very thoroughly.

Drop batter by spoonful and fry until golden on both sides. Pat with paper towel to absorb the oil.

Serve warm with applesauce or sour cream, if desired.

Just plain is great too.

Preparation time: 12 minutes Cooking time: 18 to 24 minutes Serves 8

Sweet Potato-White Bean Latkes In as much as potato latkes are the all time favorite and preferred latkes here are some assorted latkes to add some variety to our Chanukah menu.

Ingredients: For the latkes: 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound total) 1 can (15 ounces)navy beans, drained and rinsed 2/3 cup toasted wheat germ 1/2 cup chopped red onion 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 Tbs Dijon mustard 1 tsp ground cumin 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil To serve a complete feast make this sauce and serve with the latke in a pita bread, add a spoonful of salad for a full meal.

For the Tahini Sauce: 2 Tbs tahini 4 Tbs water 2 tsp fresh lemon juice 2 cloves garlic minced 1 shallow tsp cumin 4 large whole wheat pitas (6 to 8 inches) Directions: For the patties : Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork, then set on a paper towel and microwave on high for 6 minutes, or until tender.

When cool enough to handle, halve the sweet potatoes and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Add the beans and mash together with a fork. Mix in the wheat germ, onion, walnuts, mustard, cumin, salt, and pepper until well combined.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the oil. Use a tablespoon to shape the sweet potato mixture into 16 patties (each about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide) and set the falafel patties on a plate. Add half of the falafel to the hot skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until they form a crispy, golden crust. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and falafel patties.

Make the tahini sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the tahini, water, and lemon juice, 1 tablespoon cumin salt and pepper to taste.

With the tip of a knife, cut an opening in one side of each pita. Divide the falafel among the pitas and drizzle with the tahini sauce.

Along with the patties and tahini sauce, stuff the pitas with your favorite toppings, including cucumber slices, lettuce, tomato, and red onion.

Note: These patties freeze well so feel free to double the recipe and use for other nights supper or next day nutritious lunch box .

Preparation 20 minutes Serves 4

Stuffed Spaghetti Squash 1 medium spaghetti squash 2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce (or see the simple sauce recipe below) 2 diced tomatoes 1 small can tomato and garlic sauce (optional) 1 chopped red pepper 2 Tbs fresh basil 3/4 cup ricotta cheese ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (plus extra for topping) Olive oil Salt & pepper to taste Directions Roasting the squash Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash spaghetti squash, cut off stem and slice squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and threads. (save the seeds and roast them with a light dusting of sea salt or tamari sauce!) Brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place, cut side down, in baking dish (9×13 works well) with a little water in the bottom of the dish — as the squash cooks, you can add more water if it dries up. Roast for 30-45 minutes, depending on squash size, or until inside is soft and easily “fluffs”

with a fork. It will look like very tiny spaghetti noodles… hence the name. Try not to over bake or strands will turn to mush.

While squash is roasting, sauté toamotes and peppers in large skillet over medium heat. Remove from the pan and set aside, but SAVE the drippings in the pan for the next step.

If you are using a jar sauce, add that to the pan now and simmer.

If you chose to make the super simple sauce recipe below, use the sautéed tomatoes and peppers in the pan with some olive oil to start your sauce.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, and fresh basil, set aside.

When squash is tender, remove from oven and using a fork, scoop, fluff, flake, scrape, to get the inside of the squash to look like spaghetti noodles. You don’t have to get at ALL of the squash, you can scoop more later when you get to the bottom after it’s been filled and you’re enjoying it for dinner.

Now we FILL THEM! Start with a scoop of the red sauce, followed by a layer of the cheese mixture, (you can add extra mozzarella on each layer too!) and repeat the layers until you’ve over filled your squash, ending with a layer of red sauce and then topping them with mozzarella. Trust me. Over fill ’em.

Turn the oven to broil and put them back in to until top cheese layer is melted.

Green Bean Casserole with Homemade Mushroom Gravy Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 Tbs oil 1 pound mixed gourmet mushrooms, such as shiitakes, creminis and oyster, cleaned and quartered 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder 2 Tbs all-purpose flour 1 cup water 1 cup sour cream 1/4 cup grated Parmesan 4 medium shallots, sliced and separated into thin rounds 1 cup all-purpose flour Vegetable oil, for shallow frying Directions Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until they just turn bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. (You don’t want to cook the green beans through as they will cook in the oven also.) Strain and plunge the green beans immediately in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. When cool, drain and set out to dry on paper towels.

Set a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the

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vegetable oil. Once the pan is hot, add the mushrooms. Cook undisturbed so the mushrooms sear nicely, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and continue cooking the mushrooms to achieve some nice color. Season with the salt, pepper, cayenne.

Cook 2 to 3 more minutes longer, dusting the mushrooms with some of the flour as they release moisture. Stir with a whisk to incorporate the flour (just like making a roux) and gradually add in the water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and add mayonaise. Stir gently and cook over low heat until gravy thickens, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the blanched green beans to the pan and fold together so everything is mixed well. Spread out evenly in the pan.

Sprinkle the green beans with the grated Parmesan and transfer to a roasting tray (to catch any spill-over). Bake until the casserole is bubbly and the top is melted and golden, 15 minutes.

Pour the vegetable oil into a deep skillet and heat to 350 degrees F. Pour the flour into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Toss the shallot rounds in the seasoned flour, then place in a strainer and shake off any excess flour. Fry the shallots in the hot oil in small batches until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt while still hot.

Top the green bean casserole with the fried shallots and serve.

Prep:10 min Serves 6 to 8

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Easy Pea and Cabbage Latkes These easy pea and cabbage latkes taste delicious and are very filling. It adds a twist to our menu. They taste mellow, have a crispy texture and they are super cheap and filling. One of my favorite ways to eat these patties, is to put them on a rye bread along with some mild mustard and pickles.

Ingredients: 10 ½ oz (about 1 ½ cups) dried split peas 1 bag Bodek cabbage 1 cup water 2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp cumin powder Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup whole wheat flour or favorite flour 1 onion, finely chopped Preparation: Soak the peas in plenty of water for 10-12 hours. Drain and rinse the peas carefully. Add the drained peas to the food processor along with chopped cabbage, water, salt and curry powder.

Process for a couple of minutes, until fairly smooth. Add whole wheat flour and finely chopped onion. Stir carefully. Preheat a pan and pour some oil in it. Form mixture into patties of desired size Fry the patties in hot oil until crispy on both sides. Make sure the patties are cooked completely on one side, before you try to flip them over. They are delicious served hot or cold.

Preparation time: 25-30 minutes + soaking the peas Yields 25 latkes.

Tasty Cabbage Latkes Combining leftover sweet potato and cabbage, these cabbage latkes are a play on the traditional “bubble and squeak” and are a great way to use up leftovers!

Ingredients ¾ cup cooked mashed sweet potato 2 cups shredded cabbage / carrot / broccoli - bagged slaw mixes would also be perfect 1 cup flour 2 eggs 1 Tbs onion chopped 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp cilantro (optional) Oil to fry Instructions

Beat the eggs together, then whisk in the flour Add the mashed sweet potatoes to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the cilantro and garlic, then season to taste.

Add the shredded vegetables to the bowl, mixing until they are evenly distributed.

Form the mixture into four rounded patties.

Heat a pan over medium low heat with plenty of oil to coat. The oil is hot enough when little bubbles form around the handle of a wooden spoon placed in the pan.

Place the patties in the pan and space them out evenly. Use a spatula /slice to flatten them down to about a half inch thick but no bigger than the size of your spatula / slice as that will make them too big to flip!

Fry until browned, about 3 - 5 minutes, then carefully flip and brown the other side. Done!

Prep time: 15 minutes Serves: 4 servings

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Chronic Pain Diagnostic Specialist Owner & Clinical Director Hi my name is Dr. Ofir Isaac a Knee Specialist and Pain and Injury Consultant, and I guarantee that this procedure will work for you on the spot.

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