Jewish news home april 17, 2017 by United Jewish Federation of Tidewater

Home Supplement to Jewish News April 17, 2017

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A bag for kitchens that works wonders Terri Denison

ust when my husband thought we were making great strides in eliminating kitchen gadgets and appliances that we rarely use, I walked in with another box. Without even knowing him, you can probably imagine the look on his face. “What’s that?” he asked, not in his usual friendly tone. “This one is different,” I said. After a simple roll of his eyes, he let it be. Billed as an alternative to slow cookers or hot plates, the wonderbag is just that…a colorful cloth bag. No electrical cords. No batteries. No power at all! That means it can be used just about anywhere without worry. An award winning eco-friendly slow cooker, the wonderbag is a much safer option to using hotplates during Shabbat, for example. It also offers a convenient way to feed a family everyday with minimum prep time—and stress time, with absolutely no supervision. Basically a slow cooker, the wonderbag takes the energy and heat from a pot of food boiled on the stove. The bag traps the heat and cooks the dish in its own juices, retaining all the nutrients and flavor. The heat-retention cooks the food at a hot and safe temperature. The bag can cook for up to 12 hours, without any supervision. In fact, dishes aren’t ruined, as the bag is not operating on an external heat source. The principle of retained-heat cooking is simple. In conventional cooking, any heat applied to the pot after it reaches boiling point is merely replacing heat lost from exposure to the open air. In wonderbag cooking, food is brought to a boil, simmered for a few minutes, then placed into the wonderbag to continue cooking. The insulated cooking technique prevents heat escaping from the dish, removing the need for additional energy to complete the cooking process. Cooking in a wonderbag slow cooker can save between 30% and 80% of the

The wonderbag.

energy normally required for cooking, according to the manufacturer. Another plus is that the bag’s exterior doesn’t get hot, so it literally can sit anywhere. And, since the bag is light in weight and portable, it can be transported to an outdoor party, picnic, or other social occasion—while it’s still cooking. For everyday, the wonderbag means cutting back on power and grocery bills (cheap meat off-cuts and bruised veggies are perfect for slow cooking), and it helps the environment. For holidays or Shabbat, it means spending whatever time a dish needs to be prepped, a few minutes boiling it on the stove and then leaving the wonderbag to do the rest, completely powerless. While it is larger than my Crock Pot when it is cooking, when it is not in use, unlike other appliances, it compresses

When loaded, the wonderbag is larger than a standard slow cooker.

(like any bag), and can easily be stored on a closet shelf…way out of sight. The bag comes with a recipe book that features dishes from mushroom barley risotto to steel-cut oatmeal to Chicken Marbella to whole milk plain yogurt. A

word of warning: some of the recipes in the 48-page book are not kosher. So, with the wonderbag, our kitchen hasn’t lost any of that cleared out space. That empty shelf in the coat closet, however, isn’t quite so empty anymore.

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ENJOY SOME MUCH NEEDED TAX RELIEF.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast Jennifer Stempel (Nosher via JTA)—Because I am someone who runs her life a million miles per minute, but still value the fruits of a home-cooked meal, the slow cooker is certainly a mainstay in my kitchen. Because of this favorite small appliance, my family gets to enjoy rich, hearty meals that taste like they’ve been simmering all day, even on those days when I’ve got just a few minutes to get dinner on the table. I especially love making this savory slow cooker pot roast for a festive Shabbat meal. Any good starchy side like rice, potatoes, or noodles will sop up the juices in a fabulous way. Plus, if you’re lucky you’ll have leftovers, which I have been known to turn into pot roast tacos the next day. Do the prep work the night before, and set the slow cooker in the morning. By the time dinner rolls around, your neighbors will be knocking on your door to join your Shabbat table.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe Ingredients

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1 5-lb boneless beef chuck roast 1½ tsp kosher salt (or more, to taste) 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper (or more, to taste) 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 large sweet onions, diced

2 large carrots , diced 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced 1 large sprig of rosemary 12 oz cremini mushrooms, chopped 1 15-oz can low sodium beef broth 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes 1 dried bay leaf

Directions

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Pat the beef chuck roast dry, and season with salt and pepper. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil, and brown the beef on all sides (about 3 minutes per side). While the beef is browning, layer the onions, carrots, garlic, rosemary and mushrooms in the bowl of a slow cooker. Once the beef is browned on all sides, place the beef on top of the vegetables in the slow cooker. Deglaze the saute pan with the beef broth, making sure to scrape up any dark spots from the pan. Pour the broth in the slow cooker. Pour the diced tomatoes over the beef, and tuck in a dried bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours. Remove the beef from the slow cooker using kitchen tongs, and set on a carving board. Shred or slice, and serve with a starchy side dish. Or, you can remove the sprig of rosemary and the bay leaf and blend the vegetables into a thick sauce that can be used as a gravy. Note: Steps 1–4 can be done the night before. Store the bowl of the slow cooker in the refrigerator overnight, and continue from step 5 in the morning. The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.

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Security & Beauty

Home Five helpful hints for a clean and clutter-free home (StatePoint) Papers piling up? Toys taking over? If your home is more cluttered than clean, you’re not alone—85 percent of homeowners say that organization and storage is the most desired feature in a home, according to OrganizedLiving.com. Your clean-home dreams can come true. In fact, simply getting rid of clutter alone can eliminate 40 percent of housework in the average home, according to the National Soap and Detergent Association. With a few helpful hints your home can get organized… and stay that way.

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Get a new spin on the laundry room. Sometimes the laundry room needs a bit of cleaning itself. Detergents and other build-up can cause washing machine odors. Run white vinegar through a cycle to sanitize it with ease. Next, improve efficiency and reduce fire hazards by thoroughly cleaning lint from dryer vents – both inside and out. Finally, use labeled baskets to ensure everything has its place. And, since the laundry room is often a catch-all location, label one as a “put away” basket and be sure to empty it daily, putting its contents back in their proper places. Control bathroom chaos. From towels to toiletries, bathrooms hold a lot of “stuff,” which can make organizing feel like a losing battle. Create a de-cluttering schedule. Since many toiletries, such as toothbrushes and make-up, should be replaced quarterly, this is the perfect time to purge. Empty drawers and linen cabinets and toss out items that are old or aren’t being used. Shelf liner can once again be a useful addition before putting items back, since products

Home like Easy Liner brand products with Clorox antimicrobial protection can add an extra level of clean by helping prevent the growth of odor-causing mold and mildew on the liner. Plus, you can toss it in the wash for easy cleaning.

Gear-up garage organization. From toys to tools to seasonal gear, the garage has it all. Unfortunately, 25 percent of two-car garages are so cluttered that there isn’t room to park a car, reports the U.S. Department of Energy. Annually, remove everything and categorize items into “keep,” “sell/donate,” and “trash” piles. Next, designate sections of the garage for “work” (hardware and gardening tools) and “play” (toys, bikes and balls). Create vertical storage by adding hooks and floor-to-ceiling shelves. Finally, label bins, boxes and shelves to encourage everyone to maintain the new-found organization. Purr-fectly clean pets. Humans aren’t the only ones accumulating clutter or making messes. In fact, Trupanion. com discovered that the average number of pet toys in a home was 34! Start each season by tossing out tattered pet toys and thoroughly disinfecting the keepers—along with leashes, boxes, and bedding. To keep areas neat and clean, place non-adhesive shelf liner under food and water bowls to keep them in place and spills contained. A piece under the litter box can also reduce litter scatter across floors and the grip surface helps pull litter from dirty paws. By following these helpful tips and tricks, your home will soon be clean, organized and clutter-free.

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Meatballs with Tahini and Tomatoes Recipe

Meatballs with Tahini and Tomatoes Liz Rueven

(The Nosher via JTA)—Tahini is a remarkably versatile ingredient. Its rich, nutty flavor adds unique character to everything from cookies to roasted veggies, raw veggie salads and simmer sauces. It’s not uncommon to find meatballs or fish fillets simmered in tahini when dining in Israel. For tahini newbies, be patient when you’re mixing tahini with water and lemon. Go for the right texture first, adding more water and lemon until the sauce is pourable. The paste will turn from beige to whitish, letting you know that you are heading in the right direction. Season with fresh minced garlic and whichever green herb you like best. This tahini sauce can be stored in a sealed container for three to four days in the refrigerator. Add more water or lemon juice if it thickens up. To avoid having the sauce seize up, I’ve cooked these meatballs on the stovetop and layered them with tahini in an oven-to-table casserole. Stick the casserole under the broiler just long enough to relax the tomatoes and reheat the meatballs. Be sure to garnish generously, as this dish needs a pop of color to brighten the creamy sauce.

ingredients Meatballs 2 pounds chopped beef or combination of beef and veal or beef and lamb 2 eggs, whisked 1 medium onion, minced or grated ½ cup fresh parsley, stems removed and chopped (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish) 1 teaspoon cumin ¼ teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon salt 6–8 twists of black pepper (ground) 8 cloves garlic, minced (reserve 1 teaspoon for tehina; see recipe below) ½ cup breadcrumbs

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or chopped tomato 3 tablespoons canola oil (for frying) Tahini Sauce 1½ cups tahini paste 4 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed (save some zest for garnish) 1 cup cold water 1 tablespoon (reserved) fresh garlic Salt and pepper to taste Garnish for serving Lemon zest Parsley Chopped tomatoes

Directions

First, make the meatballs: Place chopped beef in a large bowl. Add grated onion, eggs, parsley, garlic, all dried seasonings and breadcrumbs. Mix meat gently until well integrated; do not over-mix. (Grated onion integrates better into meatballs than chopped onion. Be sure to use the juice that collects when grating, as the extra liquid helps to keep meatballs soft.) Form into meatballs, rolling between your palms and dampening your hands if the meat sticks. Flatten meatballs with the back of a tablespoon to facilitate more even cooking. Heat oil to medium-high in large cast iron or nonstick pan. Fry meatballs 3–4 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn and brown other side. Do not crowd meatballs in pan. Fry in 2–3 batches as needed. Remove meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate. Next, make the tahini sauce: Whisk all the ingredients together in a large bowl until well blended. The texture should be very loose, almost watery.

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Next, preheat the broiler. In an ovenproof casserole (Pyrex 10-by-16 or 2 casseroles), pour 1 cup blended tahini into bottom of pan (or pans) and nestle meatballs into pans. Meatballs should be in one layer. Pour remaining tahini over the meatballs. Place chopped tomatoes on top of the meatballs and scatter into the tahini (this doesn’t have to be perfect). Place under broiler for 3–4 minutes until tomatoes begin to sizzle. Serve meatballs directly from the oven sprinkled with remaining parsley and lemon zest. Serving suggestions: Tahini will turn a bit golden and appear thickened after being exposed to the broiler. Fear not! Once you spoon the sauce, it will be deliciously runny. Serve these meatballs over brown rice or couscous and enjoy the broiled tomatoes. For a complete meal, serve with chopped Israeli style salad or wok your favorite green veggie (broccoli, bok choy or spinach) and serve alongside these delicious meatballs. (Liz Rueven’s blog, Kosher Like Me, features restaurant and product reviews, tips on events where like-minded eaters like her can actually eat, and news about folks in the food world.)

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The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www. TheNosher.com.

From to

Home

Planning Perfection

IKEA apologizes for woman-free catalog catering to haredi Orthodox JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Swedish furniture giant IKEA has apologized for publishing a catalog for Israel’s haredi Orthodox community that does not include any photos of women. A spokeswoman at IKEA headquarters in Sweden told the Israeli and international media outlets that the catalog was produced by its Israel branch, which has three stores, and that it is “not something that has gone through us.” The spokeswoman also said that “we have been very clear that this is not what the IKEA brand stands for.” The catalog features furniture that would be in demand by large-sized haredi Orthodox families. There also are no photographs of women, in keeping with the community’s strict tradition of modesty. “Due to requests we received, we decided to launch an alternative and special catalogue, which allows the religious and Haredi communities to enjoy

thumbing through our products and the solutions that IKEA offers in accordance with their lifestyle,” IKEA’s Israel headquarters said in a statement when it released the catalog earlier this year. Shuky Koblenz, chief executive of IKEA in Israel, said in a statement: “We realize that people are upset about this and that the publication does not live up to what IKEA stands for and we apologize for this. We will make sure that future publications will reflect what IKEA stands for and at the same time show respect for the Haredi community.” All IKEA outlets in Israel have kosher restaurants and are closed on the Jewish Sabbath and holidays. Other Israeli companies and institutions have excluded women in advertisements geared toward the haredi community. The haredi community comprises about 10 percent of Israel’s population.

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Home The cold, hard truth about mortgages and gifts Shikma Rubin

s a mortgage lender, I often work with recently engaged and married couples that plan to buy their first home. The decision to buy comes with a lot of questions about the down payment,

closing costs and the mortgage process in general. But then I also hear another common theme: what cash gifts am I allowed to receive? Great question. Several answers. Here are the most common questions I receive.

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Q. Instead of my parents giving us money for our wedding, can they contribute to our down payment? A. Yes, but the lender needs some documentation. The borrower and donor must complete and sign a form called a “gift letter,” which specifies the date and amount given, as well as the relationship between the borrower and the donor. The letter also contains a statement that the funds are a gift and no repayment is required or expected. The lender will also want to document that the gift did not put the donor in any financial harm. That’s why you may also be required to provide a copy of the donor’s withdrawal slip and/or bank statement and the borrower’s deposit slip and/or bank statement.

to their children at a reduced price, it can impact the marketability of other homes in the neighborhood and their appraised value. That’s why parents may consider providing a gift of Shikma Rubin equity, the amount the seller (ex: parents) has in equity transferred as a credit to the homebuyer. Here’s another piece of information many homebuyers don’t know (but should). Did you know all down payments must be properly verified? If the funds come from your bank account, a lender needs to make sure you have the money through bank statements. If the funds are proceeds from the sale of a property, a lender will need a copy of the settlement statement that shows the transaction. And if the money comes from a retirement fund, you need to provide the terms and conditions for borrowing against the retirement funds so the lender can verify if any repayment is required. Yes, gifts are allowed and a big part of homebuying— especially for millennials. The key is to know the rules and follow them closely.

All

Q. I received cash/ checks from my recent wedding. Can I use the funds for my down payment? A. Yes, most loan programs will accept wedding money as a source of funds. You will need to provide some documentation, but you won’t have to obtain gift letters from each person. The homebuyer needs to provide a copy of the marriage certificate/license and a signed statement that the funds were wedding gifts and repayment is not expected. Also, the buyer must produce copies of the check and the date of the deposits must be consistent with the wedding date.

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Q. Can parents sell their house to their children for a minimal amount? A. If parents sell their home straight out

Shikma Rubin is a loan officer at Tidewater Home Funding in Chesapeake, Va (NMLS #1114873). She can be reached at srubin@ tidewaterhomefunding.com or 757-490-4726.

Home Dedicated

Remembering that carp in my grandparents’ bathtub Lynne Daroff Foosaner

(Kveller via JTA)—My grandmother was a super shopper even before the advent of supermarkets and coupons. In those days, each food group had its own store, so that every neighborhood had a butcher shop, fish market, dairy, deli, and grocery. Shopping with Grandma was an allday experience. Time stood still as she filled her cart with the biggest, the fattest, the freshest, the juiciest of foods. Her culinary talents were legendary; the local shopkeepers greeted her by name and brought out their finest products for her inspection. Grandma, trained as a professional chef in the “old” country, ratcheted into high gear during holiday seasons, especially Passover. Passover brought us to the most exciting adventure of all: the fish market. The fish market was a hoot. In those days, fish wasn’t displayed in a refrigerated case, packed in ice or neatly shrinkwrapped. Nor was it available as little sticks or cakes, all filleted, breaded, seasoned, and boxed in the freezer section. No, in the days when “fresh” meant “alive,” fish swam freely in long wooden troughs outfitted with rubber hoses to bubble and circulate the water. The general wetness of the environment was augmented by thrashing, splashing fish. Grandma always tried to restrain me, but my curiosity and perseverance won every time. While she sized up the creatures, I stood on a wooden bench and hung over the edge of the trough, leaning into the swirling mass of cold-blooded vertebrates, hands extended, trying to capture myself a pet. In honor of Passover, the fishery annually brought in unusually large stocks of huge, fierce-looking carp that flopped about wildly. Grandma, in respectful awe of the sizable beasts, insisted I wait just at the edge of the puddle-soaked floor while she sidled into the sea of kerchiefed women who shouted, jabbered, and pointed out fish to the workers.

Once she turned her attention to the task at hand, however, I always managed to wiggle through the crowd and take my place on the wooden bench. I watched Grandma’s intense concentration, amazed that she could select exactly which fish she wanted. The hapless carp was captured, tagged and then delivered alive to Grandma’s house, where it swam freely in the bathtub for one day. I would drive Grandma crazy visiting it. Ignoring Grandma’s pleas not to get too “friendly” with the fish, I would name it, then lean over the rim of the bathtub and get soaked trying to pet it. The following morning the household rose especially early. It was the first seder day and there were endless chores to finish and mountains of food to prepare. That’s when my Grandpa

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grimly appeared at the bathroom door, surveyed the situation and wrestled that fish into a waiting towel. It squirmed and thrashed in Grandpa’s arms. Naughty words sprang from Grandpa’s mouth, in English, Yiddish, Hungarian, Russian, and Polish—he was a multilingual curser! In a desperate last thrust for freedom, the fish flew out of Grandpa’s arms and onto the floor. Grandpa began to sweat profusely before he finally managed to half-drag, half-push it across the floor into the kitchen. Unfortunately, it was also Grandpa’s job to hasten the fish to its greater reward in heaven. Grandma stood by, waving a dish towel, criticizing, suggesting, directing—but mostly crying for the fish’s imminent death, even though it was the natural order of things for carp

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New Adventures are Calling this Spring!

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to be transformed into gefilte fish patties. Grandma, with a soft heart for all living creatures, often passed up eating her own homemade gefilte fish. I, on the other hand, had no difficulty gobbling up my previous one-day pet. As the years passed, the Passover carp scenario played out over and over. Supermarkets eventually supplanted the fishery and all the mom-and-pop stores. Live food disappeared from view, except for the occasional lobster, replaced with prepackaged and sanitized choices. My mother did not follow in Grandma’s footsteps. Mother would not play hostess and executioner to a live fish, even if it meant no gefilte fish for Passover. But fortunately for Mother, by the time she assumed the mantle of matriarch, gefilte fish was available ready to eat from jars and cans. Mother created a new Passover tradition in our family. My children’s memories consist of watching their grandmother wrestle blobs of gefilte fish out of a jar, wipe off the weird jelly stuff and plop the patties onto a waiting platter of lettuce. Today, with my Grandma and Mother both gone, I’m the new matriarch and a grandmother, too. It is my responsibility and joy to prepare the Passover table. But even with all the modern conveniences and choices available to me, visions of my Grandma and our carp-drenched bathroom fill my heart, to say nothing of the melt-in-your-mouth fish made tastier by the added ingredient of Grandma’s love. To me, Passover is gefilte fish and no grandchild of mine should eat an assembly-line appetizer from a jar like my mother served. No, my grandchildren deserve old-fashioned, handmade food. So, I have the entire meal catered. (Lynne Daroff Foosaner is a freelance writer, political activist, artist and grandmother, not necessarily in that order.) Kveller is a thriving community of women and parents who convene online to share, celebrate and commiserate their experiences of raising kids through a Jewish lens. Visit Kveller.com.