TRIBE Magazine Pickup locations: Westwood
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March 31, 2011
Food flight: Perusing American Jewry’s past and present
Two relatively new books tell the story of American Jewry, weaving together its past and present by examining tradition and making it relevant to today’s reader.
Where Sue Fishkoff’s “Kosher Nation: Why More and More of America’s Food Answers to a Higher Authority” (Schocken, 2010) is robust and detailed, Leah Koenig’s “The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook: Daily Meals for the Contemporary Jewish Kitchen” (Universe, 2011) is spacious and adaptable.
With the “The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook,” Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America has attempted to free itself from the matzah ball-and-chain and community cookbooks of its nearly 90-year past and plunge itself into the present-day reality of America’s Jewish kitchen.
An increased interest in local and healthy food, and the amplified availability of kosher-certified products—with an assist from popular television shows—have created a market of ever-more sophisticated American Jewish consumers, and Koenig doesn’t shy away from using trendy food items such as quinoa, miso and pomegranate.
Food is an important part of the Jewish home during Shabbat and holidays, but Jewish sensibilities don’t always kick in on the days and weeks between. “The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook” attempts to fill in the gap.
The recipes are simple and fast—no six-hour braising times or intimidating French techniques. The book is meant to be used, and through its use will continue the story of American Jewish cooking. The recipes are kosher, of course, and Koenig’s tone throughout is clear, concise and friendly. She informs the reader immediately that she is not a chef, and that a more experienced cook should “think of these recipes as flavors and ideas to riff off of.”
Some of its best recipes are among the more unusual. Honey-Glazed Carrots with Za’atar presents a synchronicity of the unexpected sweetness of carrots and honey and the zing of za’atar, a dried spice mixture common in Middle Eastern cooking, and lemon zest. Sweet Potato Kale Soup with White Beans and Caramelized Vegetable Soup utilizes familiar flavors in updated ways.
“Jewish” and Israeli foods make an appearance in the form of Cheesecake in a Jar, an attractive dessert inspired by a classic Jewish sweet; Quick(er) Borscht, a 30-minute remedy to an Eastern European comfort food; and Sabich, a fried eggplant sandwich commonly on the menu at falafel joints.
Generally the recipes in “The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook” are global and health conscious, and more often than not vegetarian, reflecting an increased consumer consciousness of non-meat alternatives.
“Kosher Nation” contextualizes how it is that American Jewry got to a point where Walnut Pesto and Portobello Burgers, two foods not at all associated with traditional Jewish cuisine, appear in Koenig’s Jewish cookbook published by a major Jewish organization.
Written with the probing voice of a journalist like the JTA’s Fishkoff, “Kosher Nation” is a series of vignettes: the mashgiach in China hopping from factory to factory; the kosher winemaker experimenting in Napa; the Reform rabbi negotiating kashrut with a conflicted congregation.
Connecting these stories are data and history lessons on the building of today’s behemoth kosher infrastructure that shows no signs of slowing its growth.
“Today one third to one half of the food for sale in the typical American supermarket is kosher,” Fishkoff informs the reader in her opening chapter.
This means that most people who buy kosher products are not even aware of what the small symbol on the label implies, but that many manufacturers see kosher as a hot food trend and kosher often is associated with cleaner, superior food in the American mind.
Kosher can even be connected with “hip”: The popular television series “The Office” in a recent episode had a character slap a “K” on bottles of pesto made by his mother without actually having the product certified. In his defense he remarks, “I meant like, it’s cool, it’s kosher, it’s all good.”
Fishkoff’s book helps make sense of that kind of pop culture reference.
It wasn’t always this way. Until only several decades ago, meat was the primary concern of kosher authorities and strictly kosher food in general was relevant to only a small number of observant Jews. Many Jews kept some form of kosher, refraining from pork or the practice of “eating out,” but American Jews often rejected dietary laws in an attempt to assimilate into the dominant culture.
With an increase in the number of baalei teshuvah, newly observant Jews, who refuse to settle for syrupy wine or processed cheese, combined with the increasing appeal of the kosher symbol to celiacs, vegetarians and many other demographics, the kosher industry has become relevant to manufacturers as far away as Thailand.
Fishkoff explains the rules of kashrut to the layperson, from biblical to Talmudic injunctions to modern-day stringencies that wouldn’t have been an issue even a generation ago. She breaks down the kosher industry, from “The Big Four” certifying agencies to slaughterhouses to kosher caterers, and brings the reader up to date on some of the most relevant issues facing today’s kosher consumer. They include the ethics involved in the scandal at the Agriprocessers meat plant in Postville, Iowa, and the burgeoning New Jewish Food Movement.
Throughout “Kosher Nation,” Fishkoff regards her subjects with objectivity. Even the most zealous figures—like the Chasid on a one-woman campaign to prevent Jews from ingesting insects—become sympathetic and even relatable. It is clear that Fishkoff was fascinated by the subject; the reader cannot help but be fascinated, too.
For anyone who remembers when Oreos became kosher, notices when sushi is served at an Orthodox wedding or simply wants to take a bite out of Jewish Americana, “Kosher Nation” offers a readable, in-depth exploration into the cultural shifts and subtleties surrounding the rise of an industry.
Paired with “The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook,” readers have a chance to re-examine food traditions far beyond the holiday table.
Dipping back into the origins of the kosher industry in America and then cooking recipes that reflect a contemporary kosher reality prove a filling and fulfilling experience.
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Turkey to UN: We seized illegal Iran arms shipment en route to Syria
Turkey has informed a UN Security Council panel that it seized a cache of weapons Iran was attempting to export in breach of a UN arms embargo, according to a document obtained by Reuters on Thursday.
Security Council diplomats said the report of the seizure from an Iranian cargo plane reflected positively on Turkey, which some U.S. and European officials say has taken a lax approach to implementing international sanctions against Iranian financial institutions.
The report to the council’s Iran sanctions committee, which oversees compliance with the four rounds of punitive steps the 15-nation body has imposed on Iran over its nuclear program, said a March 21 inspection turned up the weapons, which were listed as “auto spare parts” on the plane’s documents.
Read more at Haartez.com.
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A beard to be feared?
” title=”including mine” target=”_blank”>including mine, which has superpowers, are a ” title=”at least 40 posts” target=”_blank”>at least 40 posts.) But I don’t think that batters fear the beard of Brian Wilson for the same reason that, say, A beard to be feared? Read More »
Palestinian group slams storing rockets in civilian areas
A Palestinian human rights group in the Gaza Strip condemned the storage of rockets used against Israel in civilian populated areas.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights in a statement posted on its website Tuesday called on the Hamas-controlled government in Gaza to investigate three incidents of homemade rockets exploding in densely populated civilian neighborhoods, causing heavy property damage and injuring six Palestinians, including a baby.
The center also noted that “members of the Palestinian resistance continue to store explosives or to treat such explosives in locations close to populated areas. This poses a major threat to the lives of the Palestinian civilians and constitutes a violation of both International Human Rights Law and the International Humanitarian Law.”
The statement did not condemn the firing of the rockets on Israeli citizens, however.
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This Week in power: Facebook, J Street, Palin, Jimmy Carter
A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:
Facebook removes uprising page
On Tuesday, ” title=”http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2011/03/30/2011-03-30_antisocial_network.html” target=”_blank”>said a New York Daily News editorial. “They remind, too, that fanatics looking to find like-minded villains” can find a community online. “We applaud Facebook’s ability to acknowledge when a line has been crossed; we’d support the same action for a page inciting violence against Palestinians, or anyone,” ” title=”http://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/facebook-backpedals-removes-third-palestinian-intifada-page-against-israel/1049″ target=”_blank”>warned Emil Protalinski at ZDNet. “It looks to me like it has chopped off the snake’s head, although the body is still writhing.”
J Street’s agenda in Israel
The topic of whether J Street is anti-Israel came up at the Knesset last week, amid ” title=”http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/03/israels_knesset_debate_and_j_s.html” target=”_blank”>said Matthew RJ Brodsky and Samara Greenberg at American Thinker, and J Street repeatedly shows its support for Israeli’s antagonists. “Now is not the time for Israel to push away its friends and family,” ” title=”http://nationalinterest.org/blog/jacob-heilbrunn/j-street-anti-israel-5065″ target=”_blank”>said Jacob Heilbrunn at The National Interest. After all, ” title=”http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/03/24/did-palin-zone-out-on-obama-and-israel-nope/” target=”_blank”>said Jonathan S. Tobin at Commentary, this was considered an early step toward a presidential run. Admittedly, she made a blunder when she called the debate over settlements a “zoning issue” – “it is an existential question that goes to the very heart of whether or not there ought to be a Jewish state no matter where its borders might be drawn,” said Tobin. But attacks were “a bit overblown.” She showed some courage, too, because she is “the only politician, in either party, who has been prepared to speak up for the right of Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria,” ” title=”http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/sarahposner/4427/palin%27s_israel_trip/” target=”_blank”>said Sarah Posner at Religious Dispatches. Palin is “far more comfortable with an evangelical approach” and “like many of her co-religionists, the Jews are adorable pawns in God’s plan.” That’s more in keeping with her own faith.
Hispanic-Jewish conference
In Texas, a two-day event titled “Bridges & Pathways” brought together local and national leaders from both Jewish and Hispanic groups to discuss the topics of immigration, education, the state of Israel, and more, ” title=”http://blog.mysanantonio.com/religion/2011/03/diversity-reflected-in-jewish-hispanic-partnership/” target=”_blank”>said the story’s writer. How was the conference received? “One thing is clear: with Latinos poised to play a powerful role in American politics and culture, every other group — including the Jewish community — is looking for Latino partners,” ” title=”http://www.thejewishweek.com/editorial_opinion/editorial/latino_jewish_challenge” target=”_blank”>said a Jewish Week editorial. These “alliances around domestic issues” will foster good will to help “the cause of protecting the critical U.S.-Israel relationship” down the line.
Jimmy Carter in Cuba
President Jimmy Carter ” title=”http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2011/0330/Cuba-What-Jimmy-Carter-and-Calvin-Coolidge-have-in-common” target=”_blank”>only the second president to visit Cuba since 1928 – and served the purpose of promoting improved relations between the countries. Even ” title=”http://blog.heritage.org/2011/03/29/jimmy-carters-ill-timed-visit-to-cuba/” target=”_blank”>warned Ray Walser at The Heritage Foundation. But with an American in prison there, that takes a backseat. “I hope Gross gets out, by whatever means,” This Week in power: Facebook, J Street, Palin, Jimmy Carter Read More »
Flames You Can’t Put Out
Until recently, I thought the idea of “chemistry” was somewhat made up – a term people used ex post facto to justify liking a certain physical aesthetic. Like if a guy went on a date with a brunette and he really just has a thing for blondes, he would say “oh that girl was nice but we just didn’t have any chemistry.” I mean don’t we all just “feel chemistry” with whomever we like at the time? But recently, it’s taken on a new meaning for me. I was telling my roommate about an encounter I had with an ex that had stoked something within me – it’s not that I still have feelings for him or would want to be with him in any way. It’s just that he has the type of personality that will always be compatible with mine. Something about our conversation will always keep me drawn to him a moment longer than I would be with someone else. You guys just have that chemistry, my roommate said.
Some exes are easy to forget. This is acutely obvious when you date someone at your workplace or graduate school. If it doesn’t work out, you inevitably will end up seeing them around and have to deal with the many awkward situations that can arise. I used to think that all of these situations were created equally. But it turns out, not so much.
I’ve dated two people at my school and I still continually see them around, have classes with them, and though I try to avoid it, sometimes must interact with socially. But one guy, I don’t even think of as an ex. I forget anything ever happened between us, don’t have any stirring of emotions when he’s with another girl, and the truth is I can’t even really remember what he looked like naked. I actually was sitting a seat away from him yesterday, looking at him and he felt like a stranger – no stirring of emotion bad or good. Just a distant memory without any emotional attachment.
But the other can still get to me. The other wasn’t in class yesterday and I have no idea why I noticed. There is something about his personality that will just always be in sync with mine and so even a casual conversation can fire up the chemistry between us. It’s been two years since we dated and a year since anything happened between us so it’s not like there’s a fresh break-up in my emotional repertoire. And when I’m not around him, I don’t think about him at all, and even when I do see him I could say with one hundred percent surety that I don’t want to be with him. In fact when I really do think about it, I remember all the reasons it didn’t work and get irritated about all the cartoons he would watch and angry with him for things he said to the point that I start to think I should never even say hi to him again. And yet, he has this personality that just clicks with mine. I ran into him two days ago in the cafeteria and inevitably in just a few sentences he is teasing me or making me laugh and I catch myself wanting to carry on the conversation a little longer. I looked him in the eye and I was almost surprised at how familiar it felt to return his gaze.
The thing is, we didn’t have a good break-up. We didn’t have a terrible one either, but when things ended, both times, there were harsh feelings at least on my end. And when I compare him to the guy I’m dating now whom I really like, I’m positive I would never want to be in a relationship with this ex – more than that, the thought of it seems terrible. And yet, and yet, what is it, what happens to my brain that ignites when I talk to him?
The thing is, chemistry is not that hard to come by. You can feel it with a lot of people – in legal speak they would say it’s necessary but not sufficient. As in, it’s not enough to build a relationship on but it’s impossible to have a relationship without it. And of course some exes you end up hating so much, the only chemistry around the two of you is the radioactive waste leftover from the explosion between the two of you. But there will just always be these inexplicable chemical anomalies, these people who can still positively charge some ions in me, but whom I have no desire to be with.
But chemistry is completely beyond our control. Maybe, we shouldn’t even call it chemistry because that implies there’s some scientific explanation for what’s going on between two people. We really should just call it magic because we don’t understand any of it. No scientist can explain why anyone falls for one person over another. And there’s nothing I can do to stamp out the flame that still ignites when I run into this ex as I’m getting my diet soda.
If I remember correctly, (and it’s been a long time), the most fundamental precept in chemistry is the law of conservation of mass, which says that mass or matter cannot be created or destroyed. So nothing in the world can truly be destroyed. It can merely be changed into a different form or different types of particles. So the chemistry you feel with someone, if it really truly exists, can never disappear completely. Perhaps with the first ex, it feels gone because we never really had it in the first place. I thought we did because of certain circumstances, or maybe I wanted so much to believe it was there I pretended I felt something more. But now, it’s easy to see there was really nothing ever between us. And with the exes who truly break your heart, the chemistry gets converted to the anger and pain that consumes all other emotion. But for the exes who didn’t quite break your heart, and for whom you know you felt something for, your left with this untransformed chemistry in the air, lingering between you. Of course the law of conservation of mass only applies in a closed system, a system that is completely isolated, and not to an open system where other types of energy are allowed in. So maybe what finally makes these lingering sparks go away, is when you open the system up and let an unknown enter the system. Maybe letting someone in to rock your world – or system rather – eventually can make all the excess matter, all the vestiges of earlier charges, completely dissipate. And then you’re just left with the strongest chemical charge of all.
Tamara Shayne Kagel is a writer living in Santa Monica, CA. To find out more about her, visit” title=”@tamaraskagel.” target=”_blank”>@tamaraskagel. © Copyright 2011.
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