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JEWISH LIGHT
High Holidays Recipe: Braised Short Ribs With Honey And Thyme
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
By Ronnie Fein
Credit: (Ronnie Fein)
(JTA) -- Some people think of short ribs as rustic fare. But they are an ideal choice for the High Holidays – and not just because of the honey representing a sweet New Year. Serve them with a thick and glossy gravy: They look impressive and substantial, keeping with our hopeful and festive feelings. And there’s a bonus: Short ribs taste even better a day or so after TORAH Continued from Page
JEWISH LIGHT
lic and cook briefly. Return the meat to the pan. Pour in the red wine, stock, chili sauce, honey and Balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and let simmer for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and cook for about 3 hours or until the meat is tender (or place in the oven at 275 degrees). For best results, when the meat is tender, separate the meat and sauce and place in the refrigerator. When chilled, remove the fat that rises to the top of the sauce. Place the meat in an oven-proof serving dish, cover with the sauce and reheat (about 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 325 F.). Makes 6 servings.
Best Wishes to My Many Supporters for a Happy New Year Thomas J. Capella Jefferson Parish Assessor
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this was a license to change those demographics. When the Arabs left in fear, their villages were razed and they were not allowed to return. According to the many diaries that Yosef Weitz left behind, he carried out this plan with a heavy heart, as he did feel compassion for the Arab refugees he was creating, but he felt at the time that it was “us or them.” He assumed the surrounding Arab countries would absorb the Palestinians, whereas Jewish refugees had nowhere else to go. But the Palestinian refugees were not absorbed, and he had a change of heart — especially in 1967, when occupying the West Bank and Gaza Strip reversed much of what he had accomplished. With annexation, Palestinians would again be a majority on this land. With occupation, Jews would be mistreating the stranger. At that point in history, the Jews were no longer the powerless refugees they were in 1948. But matters were out of his hands. This week’s Torah portion tears me apart — if we are truly meant to read it as a recipe for how to live today. But what if we aren’t? What if we are meant to read it as a recipe of what not to do today? What if instead of trying to repeat history, we are meant to correct it? The Jews were THE
cooking, so you can make them ahead, skim the fat and just reheat. The addition of honey in this recipe adds just a hint of sweetness to the dish, a good balance to the spicy chili sauce and tangy Balsamic vinegar I serve these on cooked egg noodles, but mashed potatoes would be welcome, too. INGREDIENTS: • 4-5 pounds boneless short ribs • all-purpose flour • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, approximately • 2 large onions, sliced • 2 cloves garlic, chopped • 1 1/2 cups red wine • 1 1/2 cups stock or water • 1 cup bottled chili sauce • 1/4 cup honey • 3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
DIRECTIONS: Dredge the meat in some flour and shake off the excess. Heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large saute pan or oven-proof casserole over medium heat. Add the meat a few pieces at a time and cook them for 3-4 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Add 1-2 more tablespoons of vegetable oil to the pan as needed to prevent sticking. When the meat has browned, remove the pieces to a dish and set aside. Pour the remaining 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil into the pan. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the gar-
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sovereign on this land twice already, and it did not end well. As Ruby tells Tikvah about her mandala art in my novel: “These paintings combine the linear and the circular. As does life. We move forward as we spiral back to our core. Each reconnection to our essense strengthens us for the next spiral. Hopefully even correcting past mistakes, healing old wounds.” Should we insist on the borders God promised us in (Deut. 10:23), or should we take the spiral path forward, look beyond Deuteronomy, inward to our “hearts of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:29), and find a new way to live here in this land that does not pit “us” against “them”? I am part of a growing movement in Israel to create a shared society, a true partnership of equals. It is hard work, but it is the only way to spiral out of this vicious cycle dating back to the biblical Ishmael and Isaac. In my novel, when Tikvah and Ruby meet, they are suspicious and fearful of each other. But slowly, as they recognize each other’s humanity and acknowledge each other’s pain, they build a deep and true friendship which ends up being the corrective of the novel’s backstory in 1948. Let’s hope fiction can one day become reality.
Happy New Year to all of my friends in the Jewish Community.
www.thejewishlight.org
Thank You for your continued support.
Judge Sidney H. Cates, IV
Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans
Rosh Hashanah 2021
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