Showing posts with label 7th Night Hanukkah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 7th Night Hanukkah. Show all posts

28 December 2011

8th Night of Hanukkah



1. Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.

2. Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.

For 8th night a bit of history and a really different recipe you might want to try:




Malawach, Yemenite Bread


Yemen is located on the southernmost tip of the Arabian Peninsula. The first Jews were sent to Yemen during the time of King Solomon. They sailed the length of the Red Sea to Yemen to find gold and silver for the Temple in Jerusalem. The Hebrew preserved by this community is said to be the most authentic articulation of Biblical Hebrew. The majority of the Jewish community of Yemen was flown to Israel in the summer of 1949 on Operation Magic Carpet. With them came malawach, now a staple in Israel.


This recipe is from Sephardic Cooking by Copeland Marks
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 cups water, or enough to make a soft dough
  • 1/4 pound margarine, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
Mix everything except the margarine together, knead a bit for smoothness. Then let the dough rest, covered, for 3 hours. Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Flatten out one piece to about 6 inches in diameter. Incorporate about 2 teaspoons of margarine into the dough circle, pushing and kneading it in but maintaining the circle. Cut a line open from the center of the circle to the outside edge. Take one end and roll it around counterclockwise into a ball. Flatten out the dough to about 10 inches in diameter to make a pancake that is not more than 1/4 inch thick. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Fry the pancake until brown and crisp, for about 5 minutes on each side.



Serve the malawach hot, straight out of the pan, with the tomato-schug dipping sauce.
Tomato dipping sauce with Schug (spicy pesto)
  • 1 cup tomato puree
  • 2 bunches cilantro
  • 1 bunch parsley
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 Serrano peppers or 4 Thai red chili peppers, stemmed
  • 1/2 cup olive oil, plus extra if needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
Cut and discard the visible, leafless stems from the cilantro and parsley. Wash and pat dry. Place the cilantro and parsley in a blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend at low speed, stopping often to smash down the ingredients as they combine. Turn up speed and blend thoroughly. Mix one teaspoon (or more to taste) of schug into one cup of tomato puree.

26 December 2011

Traditions


7th Night Of Hanukkah


The flicker of these lights echo the flame of our souls.

Searching. Hoping. Longing to find their place in the world as children of the Most High.
A G-d who promises us redemption through miracle and prayer, seeking and knowing.
He is our guidance who dispels the darkness and opens caverns of hope and salvation to our minds, eyes and hearts.

On this Festival of Lights, this miracle of days, we rekindle the Hanukkah flame in search not only of what has already come, but for the steps we have yet to journey.
And we do so as did our ancestors: in truth.

Praise be to our G-d the Heavenly One who spins the world into adventure, and us into its illuminated song.

Amen.


BOXING DAY


Boxing Day is celebrated in most countries of the British Commonwealth.  Exactly why - Well who knows, it's a tradition.  The two best guesses trace the origins to the Carol "Good King Wenceslaus"  According to the Carol he went out on The Feast of Stephen (December 26) to distribute charity.  This became an day for charity with the encouragement of the Church of England.  The alternate version is that this day was when the nobility provided a celebration for their employees complete with the distribution of presents (boxes) - A sort of company Christmas Party and bonus.


Which is true, probably neither or both.  Either way.  It's a tradition.





Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel

"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me bread and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went
Forth they went together
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather

In his master's steps he trod
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod
Which the Saint had printed
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing

Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the feast of Stephen
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel