#jewish vegan cooking

[2ndmiddleage]

UPDATE - Kosher L’Pesach Granola with Buckwheat

Passover Granola with Buckwheat This year – at least so far – I have been unable to find the quinoa flakes that were so helpful last year for my Passover Granola. So what’s a gal to do?! After asking at both of the likely stores nearby (there is one more a bit further away to check), I woke up early this morning determined to find a solution, which appeared in the form of Buckwheat Penne…

[vodrae]

We need to give more props to our mighty god Alfred Pennyworth, only to thank him for his patience when he has to cook for the entire team

Bruce, Harley, Kate: Jewish ascend, don't eat pork, a lot of sea foods and horse.

Ivy: Vegan, except for rich man meat.

Talia: The League certainly has some of the best chef, bakers...in the world, everytime she's on vacations in the manor, it's personal. I don't know her relationship with pork, I mean, Chinese people love it, and Arab people being mostly muslim, it would be cultural not eating it. Also loves spice.

Dick: Romani, grew on the road, can survive on tuna cans and cereals.

Barbara: Her family was always ordering somewhere and most of the time tacos or chinese food.

Helena Bertinelli: Pasta and wine. By a chef. She loves pizza. And tomatoes.

Jason, Selina: Latinos, favourite meal would 100% be with pork, and spicy.

Tim: Survived alone on monster energy, milk and instant noodles and late burger when he stalked Bruce and Dick. That's why he smol.

Steph: Unstable household, she was feeling like a chef when there was cheese in her mac and cheese. Also vegetarian.

Cass: Will eat the entire plate. I mean litteraly. One time Bruce said her to drink her cup till it's hot, she was chewing on porcelain. Love desserts otherwise.

Harper and Cullen: Survived on chili.

Duke: Cornbread. He loves cornbread. Pretty normal household for once.

Damian: Vegeterian, and fed by chefs and Talia's cooking. It's. Personal.

Bonus :

Clark : Fed by Ma Kent. It's why he big and strong. Doesn't understand a meal without meat.

Lois : Doesn't understand a meal without fruits and vegetables.

Diana : Fed for 3000 years by immortals cordon bleu. Loves ice cream too much. It's. Personal.

[askjumblr]

I was reading a jumblr post (excellent post, very good at explaining things and therefore very educational for me) and it mentioned "You shall not eat anything with its blood." Which made me think. My dad was Jewish and he always wanted his steak cooked well-done, no pink inside. I picked up eating it that way from him. My mom on the other hand isn't Jewish and prefers her steak medium rare. I'd always thought it was a health thing, but is it actually a Jewish thing to want your meat well-done? I get so much flack for wanting it well done when some people think it's a waste of meat to cook it like that.

Mod note: no anon, kosher meat gets salted to get rid of all the blood. That's what the term "kosher salt" comes from, it is salt used for kashering meat. People who keep kosher can have rare or even raw meat if they felt like it, as long as it's kosher.

[11x13kyle]

have any stupid style headcanons?

oh SO many dude you have no idea

stan will wear the stupidest outfits of all time, go around with his hair unkempt and greasy, have the worst eyebags you’ve ever seen, and kyle will look at him like god…….isn’t he just so dreamy???

they alternate between who cooks and who cleans but by god is stan ALWAYS doing repairs. it’s not just because kyle is lazy (that’s part of it) or that he doesn’t want to get dirty and sweaty (that too) but it’s also that kyle simply has no idea what he’s doing. one time he feels emasculated by the fact that he just sits there while stan does the repairs so he tries to help but he does it so poorly that stan gets pissed and tells him to just let him do it himself, which makes kyle all huffy

stan is in kyle’s phone as “Stan Marsh” and people think he’s a total freak for it. he justifies it by explaining that everyone in his phone is first name last name, even his parents, but that just makes it even more offputting

on that topic, they don’t really do pet names besides the occasionally baby or honey once in a while when they feel really affectionate or the other is in a kind of pathetic state. they mostly call each other by their names or like dude or man. sometimes kyle uses “stanley” as a kind of pet name but he also calls him stanley when he’s really really mad so it’s a bit hard to tell sometimes!

stan gets more jealous than kyle because for all of kyle’s insecurities, he knows stan isn’t going to leave him for some rando. stan also knows this at his core but it doesn’t stop him from getting unbelievably mad when another guy has the audacity to flirt with kyle. he doesn’t even try to hide it either. this isn’t an issue for kyle it makes him twirl his hair and kick his feet almost every time (the only reason for the almost is the times where it’s inconvenient so then it’s just irritating)

stan tries to be a good shiksa boyfriend and participate during jewish holidays, which kyle finds sweet, but he gets SO embarrassed when stan is reading a prayer in front of his parents because his pronunciation is just the worst and it’s basically incomprehensible. he doesn’t blame him, it’s just so so painful and kyle stands there like 😀 the whole time

when they were like 11-15 years old one of their most important intricate rituals was competing over height. kyle was taller than stan for most of those years but there were two occasions where stan outgrew him, and on the second occasion it was permanent because kyle definitely stopped growing by like 14. it was also intensified by the fact that stan was bigger and stronger than kyle, who isn’t exactly weak or anything it’s just. comparatively. the first time kyle notices this he has to fight so hard to pretend like it isn’t making him swoon because having a crush on his best friend is so humiliating.

stan is a vegetarian when he’s an adult but he goes through a two year vegan phase in his early 20s and whenever kyle eats meat he gives him these sad puppy dog eyes about it, which doesn’t actually change kyle’s dietary habits and really just serves to annoy him

stan enjoys working out as a kind of catharsis, mostly like lifting weights and hiking (which has the added benefit of being in nature and giving him the chance to see cool animals) and kyle hates doing this stuff so bad but sometimes he’ll tag along because stan likes it so much that he wants to support him. every time he joins stan on a hike he feels like he’s about to die and it makes him feel like a huge loser because like how is he struggling more with this than his boyfriend who is literally asthmatic. it’s not that kyle hates anything athletic it’s just that what he considers a tolerable form of working out is COMPLETELY different to what stan likes

kyle makes a point to be extremely aware of what’s going on in the world, be it politics, pop culture, or niche internet drama. stan doesn’t give a shit even a little bit. a lot of the time when kyle complains about something some extremely famous person did stan will go “is that a coworker of yours?” and kyle is like ?????no. when kyle explains hyperspecific discourse stan will nod along and smile at him because he doesn’t understand a single word he’s saying but he loves hearing kyle talk

they both like watching football to a certain extent but stan is the only one who actually is invested. kyle only cares if the broncos are close to or actively winning the super bowl, and even then it’s nowhere near as serious as stan takes it. kyle will try to proposition stan in the middle of an important play and stan will move his hands away and go “can’t. i’m watching.” which makes kyle get SO offended

kyle facebook stalks their old classmates and stan thinks this is the actual stupidest past time in the world. every time he does this stan goes “hey dude, have you been outside today? wanna go on a walk?” and kyle says something like “did you see that clyde got divorced again?” and stan goes “kyle, i literally doesn’t care at—wait, really?”

kyle is really controlling of the decor for their house once the two are like actual adults with real jobs. he wants their house to be neat and mostly minimalist and reflect their maturity (save for some photos and cute little tchotchkes) which conflicts with stan’s desire to fill their living space with anything and everything. stan will bring home some shit like a sexy leg lamp or a 6 foot framed and signed poster of john elway and go “living room?” and kyle will screech “NO. ABSOLUTELY NOT GET THAT OUT OF HERE.”

the decor issue is a trauma response to when the two of them shared an apartment with kenny for like 4 years and stan and kenny were allowed creative control, which meant some of the dumbest dude decor ever. it was acceptable at like 22 but by the time they’re 26 kyle is practically begging them to stop

whenever stan and kyle get into a big argument they use comparing each other to randy or sheila to be particularly nasty but they use comparing each other to cartman as like an ultimate trump card. it eventually gets banned because it’s too powerful and that’s not really fair!

[punkbakerchristine]

coming up on a year of me baking, so here are some things i’ve picked up on along the way:

read the recipe, especially with baking. if a recipe tells you to do something, it’ll probably tell you. the biggest mistake i see happen with people on the great british baking show (especially the celebrity one) is people overthinking things. a recipe is basically a successful lab experiment that was recorded, so i would listen to them if i were you.

that cooked.wiki/ shortcut is a huge lifesaver. really, i don’t know where i would be without it.

baking is science. cooking is an art. in fact, it wasn’t until around the 18th century when women started entering the kitchen to bake. i.e., this whole trope that baking is a feminine thing flies right over my head.

as mary berry would say, chocolate melts in your pocket. in other words, it literally does not need that much heat in order to be tempered.

if chocolate is shiny, that’s good. if not, turn down the heat and keep going until it is.

good way to save a frosting that’s “split” or curdled in appearance: add some more liquid and keep beating it.

butter is your friend. so is olive oil. hell, any kind of fat is your friend—except margarine. avoid that shit at all costs.

oil is used in spice cakes because butter will turn them into bricks. oil makes it lighter and fluffier.

when you’re adding some more wet ingredients, add a little more flour. this will help balance out the batter. this works the other way, too: add a little more liquid if it’s too dry.

a good method of making chocolate a little more chocolate-y: add a tablespoon of coffee. i did this for the chocolate bailey’s cake on st. paddy’s day and my last two chocolate babkas and the chocolate came out rich and delicious.

cardamom does this with cinnamon and ginger. one of the reasons why i love my recipe for spice cake so much is because cardamom enhances all the spices.

literally the best way to stop yourself from overbeating a batter is pause the mixer as you pour in an egg, dry mixture, whatever. you spare yourself from injury doing this, too.

always flour your surface and rolling pin before you roll out your cookie dough/pie crust/any kind of dough. do the same with powdered sugar for marzipan and fondant, too.

literally watch caramel as its melting down and bubbling because it turns amber in the blink of an eye. another big mistake i see on tv all too often.

the hellofresh kits: their best proteins are their beef, shrimp, and anything ground up. their chicken and their pork can be pretty hit-and-miss, but when they’re good, they’re amazing.

wash your hands after handling any kind of raw meat, eggs, onions, and chili peppers. make sure your knife is sharp and you’re wearing some kind of protection when you’re slicing an onion (something i heard in welding and machine shop a lot whenever i took off my glasses: “nothing worse than a blind engineer.”)

don’t ever let anyone tell you that you have to laugh if things go awry in the kitchen in order to be classified as a good cook or chef. shit’s an emotional experience and you put your heart into the food, probably more than art or writing (and i get emotional over art all the time, and i’ve found i give more of myself in writing than i do art). like… i cried over a quiche.

i actually have mad respect for anyone who does vegan baking. i made a vegan chocolate cake back in january of this year and it was like a crepe 😅

bake what you like. i like spice cakes, anything chocolate, breads, cookies, pies, and tray bakes. i like stuff that’s kind of unusual like babka and anything jewish, canadian, latin, indian, or british. i like aromatic stuff. i like the kinds of goods you get at halloween or christmas, like they’re warm.

if you’re making something like a pot pie or a wellington, something that has an interior that needs to be cooked, cook it beforehand and then put it in the crust and bake it.

you actually don’t always have to blind bake a pie crust, like if it’s a meringue pie or one of those enclosed meat pies you can get in england. it is a good idea if you’re making a tart, a quiche, or any fruit pie, however.

forget pastry: if you can master bread, you can tackle anything.

when you’re baking bread, you don’t necessarily have to bloom the yeast—i guess some authors do this because it wakes up the yeast and preps it for the dough, but moisture + flour will do that trick as is.

keep the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl. salt stunts the yeast and will take longer for the dough to rise.

depending on the type of dough, you can just knead bread with your hands. if anything, this is the best way to do it. go by time, too: my first loaf took me 15 minutes to knead until it felt as smooth as the inside of my arm; really put your arms and shoulders into it, too, make your muscles work (and this was back when i was still over 200 pounds, too).

fewer things in life are more satisfying than kneading bread dough. it’ll make your arms and shoulders nice and strong, too.

good way to tell if your bread is underproved: there’s a big split near the top. if you poke the dough, and it doesn’t bounce back right away, let it proof for longer. if you poke it, and it sort of collapses, it’s overproofed (never been a problem with me because i’m always on top of that, but i see it a lot in my bread making group on facebook).

mnemonic device for remembering the different types of meringues: french meringue starts with “f”, “f” for “foundation”, it’s the most basic meringue with the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar. swiss meringue. “sw”. “sweet”. “sweet water.” whip the egg whites over a bain-marie and add the sugar there (swiss meringue inexplicably is a bit sweeter than french). italian meringue is made by pouring a simple syrup into the egg whites so it looks like the boot of italy. at some point, i’ll come up with one for the different types of pastry cream 😅

salt is also your friend, even in sweet goods. especially in sweet goods.

it’s a little difficult to confuse salt with sugar (especially if you’re like me and you keep them in separate cupboards). a mere taste will save you on that, too.

145° is the safe temperature for beef and pork. 165° for chicken. 200° for bread.

iirc: it’s your cheekbone for rare beef. the tip of your nose for medium rare. your chin for medium.

less really is more with baking and cooking. this is another thing that people on baking shows do that drives me nuts (judges often don’t like it, either, believe it or not). you don’t need to add cherry, lemon, ginger, and nuts to that chocolate cake, becky, you can just do the nuts.

i just barely started with sourdough but so far, i’ve learned that with some recipes, when it misses, it REALLY misses. like i made sourdough english muffins a while back: they were good and we ate them at breakfast, but they were weirdly heavy, like hockey pucks.

i actually really don’t like it when there are other people in the kitchen with me. i’ve always been autonomous and did better working alone without any distractions. for this reason, i could never be on a baking show, what with all the cameras in your face and producers running around.

the more you bake, the more you’ll want to turn away from any store bought baked goods.

and finally, i really could not have become a baker at a better time, if i’m honest. i made my first loaf of bread on october 7, when the middle east fell into chaos again and this fated feeling swept over me. food in america is mostly comprised of things that aren’t even food, like high fructose corn syrup—that’s part of why i managed to lose 60 pounds since then, i know what’s going into what i put in my mouth and i can think ahead to what i’m going to eat through the day (and we wonder why american society is having the mother of all health crises, on a physical and mental level: everyone is eating garbage and not getting their vitamins, good fats, good carbs, and proteins, and everyone isn’t treating themselves to something comforting like a donut or a piece of pie). i hope more people realize this, too, like… when shit hits the fan and america descends into chaos itself, turn to those of us with the tools of the trade and like to work with our hands.

[hindahoney]

Do you have any specific tips on learning to keep kosher? Advice like what dairy substitutes work best or a reliable place to get recipes would be great. I grew up in a house that mixes dairy and meat for most meals so any help would be greatly appreciated. If you've already answered this, could you give a link to the post? I couldn't find one, but that might be because tumblr's search function doesn't work.

Sure! Here is a post I made about keeping kosher. Substitutes are your best friend. If a recipe calls for butter, using vegetable oil instead could be better if you're eating it with a meat meal. Margarine is also a great substitute when making baked goods. Mixing lemon juice with a nut milk gives you buttermilk.

In brownies, using orange juice instead of milk makes the flavor really pop. I love doing this on shabbat so I can have a dessert after a meat meal. You could also just use any other nut milk, or oat milk (just make sure it has a pareve symbol on it, I've seen some oat milks that are still OU D because it's sometimes manufactured in dairy machines or factories). Pareve chocolate is a miracle to be appreciated. Using egg noodles or zucchini noodles are great when you want to have a meat-based dish, and pareve bread for meat-based sandwiches.

I love using vegan or vegetarian plant-based meats in my dishes.* For example, I use vegan ground beef in my lasagna, so I can still use regular noodles and cheese. Plant-based chicken is also great for skillets or pasta. You could also just use fish instead, as it's considered pareve. I don't like the taste of vegan cheese, so I'd much rather use real cheese and vegan meat, but it's always an option. If you don't have meat but still want a filling meal, using grains such as quinoa, or starches like potatoes, can help with that.

As for finding recipes, there are a few kosher cooking blogs online. To find things I usually just search whatever food I want followed by "kosher" and it's usually there. If I can't find a recipe for it, I use a regular recipe with the above substitutes to make it kosher. Buying kosher cookbooks is also a good idea. I don't recommend just searching for "jewish cookbooks" because sometimes those include non-kosher dishes, so search specifically for kosher cookbooks.

*Some Jews have customs that don't allow them to eat vegan meats due to abiding by the spirit of the law, and the fact that the appearance of eating something not kosher could mislead others. It is best to discuss this with your rabbi if you think this may be an issue.

[loser-bassist]

dearest irl

hedwig headcanons IMMEDIATELY ‼️‼️‼️‼️

yoyrs cruelly,

fimn :3

Gonna do multiple Hedwig characters!!

Hedwig (they/she)

-Gender queer and doesn’t label her sexuality

-She has no middle name

-wears cherry flavored lipstick 100000%

-Switch. (Standing before you in the divide between top and bottom)

-LOVESSSS denim (obviously)

-Before becoming Hedwig, Hansel experimented with his mother’s makeup and one day she sat him down and properly taught him how to apply lipstick.

-Aside from singing and performing, Hedwig has a knack for pottery (remember the detail about their mother teaching pottery to limbless children) and poetry

-Has a soft spot for home made cooking

-As a child, Hansel dreamed of becoming an astronaut, to escape their restrictive environment and explore the vast unknown, much like their later journey of self-discovery.

-Has a small collection of potted succulents and herbs

-Hedwig collects vintage issues of niche magazines

Tommy Gnosis (he/him)

-publicly bi but you never see him dating men

-Does a lot of things for his image

-Tries to present himself as a tortured artist and sort of comes across like a more alternative Harry Styles in the way that he wears women’s clothing so his hoard of teenage girl followers are like “oh em gee he’s breaking gender norms!!”

-Claims to be vegan for the image, secretly loves turkey.

-His producers made him get a black bob to come across as more sensitive

-Tommy somewhat hates what he’s become and doesn’t even feel like himself anymore.. but anything to keep the money coming

-Cut off his family after he became a success

-Has been cancelled on Twitter 4 times

-Truly never got over Hedwig

Yitzhak (He/Him)

in drag: Krystal (she/her)

Canonical fact that seems to get glossed over a lot is that he is Jewish!

I honestly don’t have much for Yitzhak but may update this

[whatthefishh]

Merry, Happy II

AN: self indulgent fic of the week #3. This is part two of three little blurbs of what I think a friendship with the moon boys would look like during Ramadan (and if reader has an inevitable, obvious, unmistakable crush on them). In no way am I trying to misrepresent the boys from their original presentation of Jewish, and if I have in any way please let me know. This is mainly just focused on reader’s time during this month, not to take away from anything the boys do on their own :).

Tagging some people, no pressure :) @looneytooz @copingchaos @marc-spectors-wife @romanarose @melodygatesauthor @360iris @vaderstherapist @kittyofalltrades @dameronscopilot @xbellaxcarolinax @annautumnsoul @minigirl87 @campingwiththecharmings @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction

Marc

After being close friends with Steven for a while, he let you in on his secret. He kind of had to, considering his extensive sick calls and your concern for his well being skyrocketing to the point where one day you showed up to his apartment uninvited, only to come face to face with Marc.

You had only gone there as a last resort since Steven wasn’t answering your texts or calls, and called in sick for the past few days with no heads up. You were concerned, okay? Plus, you brought him some lentil soup that you made, a shitty attempt at copying your mom’s recipe (but vegan of course).

Marc had swung open the door angrily at your incessant knocking, squinting his eyes as he placed you - Steven’s work bestie and object of his affections. Not that you knew that last part.

You quickly noticed he wasn’t behaving like himself and left uncomfortably, urging him to have the soup before turning on your heel when he barely spoke two words to you and leaving. Steven had called you the next day to talk and clear things up. Pretty soon, it was you and Marc having movie nights at their apartment on your shared evenings off when Steven tapped out after a long day at work. It actually worked out in a way since Marc would gladly watch all the loud movies with shitty plots with you, whereas Steven would start shifting in his seat and asking, “are you enjoying this?”

Since you started fasting, you put a pause on your movie nights, choosing to spend the evenings focusing on the spirituality that's highlighted during the month. The boys understood and would text you asking if you’ve gotten to eat yet on those nights, checking in with you from a distance.

Marc would ask what you had for iftar, joking about how you never shared that recipe for your mom’s soup with him, to which you guiltily sent it right away, not thinking twice about it.

The next day, Marc invited you over for dinner, telling you he’s got all the food covered, and yes, he made sure to get the halal meat this time. So you go, expecting to walk in on the kitchen being a mess and him to ask you to help him finish up. You end up walking in to see that he’s already set the table, and just about to put the warm, aromatic dishes out.

You’re kind of shocked, to be honest, not expecting him to pull this off but your mouth starts watering at the smells coming from the covered pots and you just turn to him in glee, smiling so big at the effort he’s put in. He’s excited to seat you, telling you he’s almost done as he pulls out the Challah bread that you love so much to go with the soup.

Basically, he made all your favourites, including the lentil soup that you sent him the recipe for, which you happily dipped the bread into. After eating, he didn’t let you wash the dishes even though you argued with him about how he never soaks the pots for long enough. But Marc was stubborn and it seemed like he wasn’t going to stop talking over you about this.

“Marc, come on, you cooked all this food, at least let me᠆”

“No no, go sit down, go-”

“Marc, stop, c’mon, you don’t even do them right-”

“Yes I do, yes I DO, WHO TOLD YOU THAT-”

“Steven has to wash them twice, come on just-”

“I GOT THIS”

Yeah, you weren’t going to fight with him after his nice gesture.

[mariacallous]

My #BLEWISH ancestry shows up in different ways. My maternal DNA is Ashkenazi-Russian Jewish. On the paternal side, like many African Americans, my ancestors are a swirl of Black, Native American, and European White — largely German, though I don’t know how much of that was added to the mix consensually.

Rosalyn and Kelly, my parents, were married in Seattle, Washington long before the Supreme Court made unions like theirs fully legal throughout the United States. But unlike many interracial couples, they grew up together during the Depression in North Minneapolis, where Black people and Jewish people were “allowed” to live side by side.

My parents divorced when I was two, just before my younger brother was born. Mom raised us in the very diverse Central Area of Seattle, which (pre-gentrification) was where many Black and Asian people resided.

My mother was proud of her Jewish heritage. While she wasn’t religiously observant, she did send my brother and I to Hebrew school. “I want you to learn about my people’s history, culture, and beliefs,” she explained.

Food was my mother’s love language and a form of spiritual expression. Everything from the simplest dishes to elaborate meals were always cooked to perfection. Most Sundays, she turned out a soul food feast with chicken (baked, not fried), collard greens, candied yams, rice, and often black-eyed peas. Sometimes she even threw in a sweet potato pie. My father had tutored her in creating these delicacies during their years together.

When it came to traditional Jewish dishes, she didn’t cook many, though she’d rhapsodize about her mother’s knishes, rugelach, and schmaltz. But she was serious about her chicken soup. She cooked it old school: a whole chicken, plump chunks of carrots, silvered slices of celery, and plenty of “nature’s antibiotics:” onion and garlic. Sometimes she added noodles; other times, rice. One thing was certain: Mom’s chicken soup was a powerful healing elixir for body, mind, spirit, and soul. And true to form, she whipped some up and administered it at the first sign of any illness.

My approach to cooking is more serviceable than spiritual, and I don’t have my mom’s gift for making everything flawless. But I have carried on the traditions of two cherished dishes: collard greens and chicken soup. My now-grown son and daughter request and expect collard greens for every holiday meal, and they grew up eating chicken soup as a cure-all. Their adult palates are more vegetarian–vegan, so the chicken soup tradition might well end with my generation. But the spirit of healing chicken soup lives on in spirit and memory. Who knows, maybe they’ll come up with a non-poultry option.

Every New Year’s Eve, my mother cooked collards and black-eyed peas, and made sure we all ate at least a little before midnight. “The greens are for money, and the peas for good luck,” she’d remind us. I didn’t realize how deeply this was rooted in African American tradition until I moved to the South.

I thought all the mothers of Mixed-Black children were experts at preparing soul food. It wasn’t until I was grown that I realized how extraordinary my mother was. As my brother and I brought people from different places into our multicultural home, I watched in amazement as she mastered their traditional dishes as well from lumpia and adobo for my brother’s Filipina girlfriend to berbere and Doro Wot for my Ethiopian beau.

My mother’s eclectic approach to culinary expression taught me a lot about being from a mixed-race background. Her kitchen was a living laboratory of what we now call diversity. She learned and then produced the dishes from different cultures with reverence and seasoned them with love. They mirrored her approach to people and life: open-minded and open-hearted with a hearty appreciation for the cultural spice of life.

Unlike my late mother, I normally take shortcuts in the kitchen. But chicken soup and collard greens are sacred, and require elaborate rituals, often taking a couple of days. I clear my counters and my schedule, and savor the opportunity to commune with my parents and to reflect on the paths of their ancestors that brought them together in a rule-breaking love with the audacity to produce children who were destined to live outside the lines.

And when I place small amounts of those special dishes upon my ancestral altar, I give special thanks for the vision, heart, and culinary prowess of a mama who spoke — and cooked — Yiddish and jazz.*

Note: Use your favorite seasonings to flavor your greens. Lawry’s Seasoning Salt is popular and Seasonest (sold in Whole Foods and online) is a Black family-owned alternative with all-natural ingredients.

*I borrowed the phrase, “a mother who speaks Yiddish and jazz” from my #BLEWISH sister-author Lisa Jones and her wonderful book “Bulletproof Diva“.  

Make sure to Check out TaRessa Stovall’s most recent book “Swirl Girl: Coming of Race in the USA“.

[culinary-vagabond]

What Is This?

Welcome to a Culinary Vagabond's travels through food.

Who Am I

I'm an American who wasn't taught to cook growing up and who's parents didn't have a particular preference for one specific cuisine. I got to college, made friend with a bunch of guys who could all cook really well, and decided that obviously I need to learn to do that too.

Complication: I'm anosmic — completely without a sense of smell — and have a number of food-based migraine triggers. Also, it turns out it probably was a good thing I wasn't taught to cook as a child. The primary cook in the house then is actually quite bad at it. Like my partner feels cheated out of good Jewish food by having them as an in-law.

So, what's a college student with delusions of being able to learn anything and no sense of smell to do?

Try any and every recipe they get their hands on that looks good.

And I haven't stopped for the past 20 years.

Cookbooks to finish or start trying in 2025:

Sous Vide: Better Home Cooking by Hugh Acheson Leftover from 2024 2 recipes left to try

Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking by Fuschia Dunlop Left over from 2024 23 recipes left to try

Bookmarks from the Internet 1 dessert recipe left to try Oh gods if you send me more it'll probably grow again...

Modernist Cuisine at Home Leftover from 2024 (maybe 2023, I'm not sure) 79 recipes left to try This is primarily Partner's responsibility to work through. He's the one interested in this mishegas, he gets primary responsibility

Vegan for Everybody by America's Test Kitchen New for 2025! 25 recipes to try

Foolproof Preserving by America's Test Kitchen New for 2025! 16 recipes to try

Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett New for 2025! 9 recipes to try (4 of which are desserts—pray for me)

Turkuaz Kitchen by Bëtul Tunç New for 2025 22 recipes to try

What Will be Posted Here

Photos and musings on recipes I try

reblogs of pretty food pictures

funny food memes

[commander-writergirl]

Red String of Fate 2

Synopsis: In a world where your soulmate is picked for you with a name tattooed, you are born with the rare trait of not seeing colors until you meet yours. You never expected the universe to foresee the divided mind of your other half.

Pair: Jake Lockley x Jewish!fem!reader, Steven Grant x Jewish!fem!reader, Marc Spector

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Mention of child abuse (verbal), mentions of death, car crash, drunk driver, alcoholism

Word Count: 2,151

Tags: @softlyspector @romanarose @ginger-haired-queen @loonymagizoologist​ 

“Wait, wait.” I turned from the eggs I was cooking to look at Steven. “Why didn’t you tell me before you were vegan?”

The spoon Steven held stopped halfway to his mouth before setting it back in the bowl. “Y-you just always seemed so happy to cook for me. I didn’t want to ruin it.” He answered rubbing his hands along his pants.  

Steven still had a lot of nervous energy around me even after months of being together.  

And I knew he was being honest, Jake even stepped out of the kitchen when I began cooking because I just disappeared into my own little world. I hadn’t gotten around to telling the boys about my mother yet... even almost 16 years later, her death still hung around.

I shook my head and walked over to Steven. Once I stood next to him, I ran my fingers through his curls. “You could have told me; I could have tried to cook more vegan friendly meals.”  

He leaned into my hand, his eyes drifting close. I smiled lightly and tilted his head back before pressing my lips to his. He hummed and held me close to his side. I giggled. “Jake would have taken the chance to bend me over the table.”

Steven nodded, “Yea, the bloke won’t stop mentioning it.”  

I shook my head, “Well now I know to make more vegan meals.” I said walking back to the stove and finishing up my eggs.

Steven’s spoon clanked against the bowl a few times. “Well maybe if you keep them kosher, it won't be so bad.”  

I smiled to myself, moving the eggs from the frying pan to my plate. “I can certainly do that.” I grabbed my plate and walked over to the table.

“So, any plans today?” Steven asked, resuming his task of finishing his cereal before it got too soggy.

I took a bit of egg before answering him, “Yes, I have matinee ticket to a friend's production.” I looked at my watch. “Shit, I’m gonna be late.” I shoveled a few more bites into my mouth before getting up and running back to my bag that now had an almost permanent place in the apartment.  

“Well, I’ll be at the museum today so no Jake randomly picking you up.” Steven said with a smile.  

I rolled my eyes; how could I be attached to two men so competitive for my attention.  Well technically three, but Marc was still hiding himself. I knew he came out when the boys weren’t around me, keeping himself distant.

I quickly slipped into the sunset dress I brought and turned in it a few times making the skirt ‘swish’ about. I nodded to myself, “Okay, this works.” I sat on the edge of the bed and pulled my heels on.

“Oh, bloody hell,” I looked up to see Steven standing in the door frame with his hand on his heart. “You have to warn me when you’re dressed like that darling.”

I giggled and got up grabbing my purse as I walked over to him. “Sorry, I kind of forgot I even had this dress until a few months ago.”

He pulled me to him and kissed me deeply. I smiled and kissed him back cupping his cheek. It was always hard to pull away from Steven and Jake, the soulmate bond having full effect almost.  

I hummed and pulled away. “If I miss this, my friend will kill me. I will see you both tonight.” I pecked his lips before stepping around him heading for the front door. “Love you, bye.” I shouted before stepping out and heading for the elevator.

~~~~~~~~~

Steven rolled his neck sighing as the bone cracked.  

“Why can't I go do my job?” Jake asked for the... well Steven didn’t quite know how many times Jake had asked that. Probably since Steven grabbed the spot in the archive room almost; he glanced at his watch, four hours ago. Thankfully it was still daylight out.

“Because this is my job and we agreed to alternate who does what.” Steven rubbed his eyes, the text in front of him blurring a little.

“At least we aren’t doing Marc’s job.” Jake grumbled.

“Screw both of you.” Marc spat out in the headspace.

Steven looked over at the glass display and could see Marc scowling. Which since you came into their lives has been the norm. He still hadn’t shown himself and even Steven was losing patience with it. He woke to find himself on the couch when he could have sworn up and down, he fell asleep with you wrapped around him.  

“Maybe if you just showed yourself to her Spector, you would feel a lot better.” Jake said, showing up in another glass display, mustache and all.  

“I don’t know what you think but I don’t deserve her affection.”  

Steven grounded his teeth. There were days where he wished he had the ability to put the walls between them back up, but Jake didn’t deserve that. “Obviously the universe, the Fates, whatever you believe, knew what would become of you and still believed you deserved a partner.” Steven snapped.

Almost a year of this. Of Marc’s self-deprecation. It was grating on everyone. Steven and Jake could both see it hurt you that Marc didn’t want to meet you. Even when you said it was fine and gave them a smile, they could see the pain.  

When Steven was met with only silence, he returned to the text he was working on and was able to focus once more.

~~~~~~~~~~

I traced random shapes on Jake’s chest as he snored softly. As my finger ran over a specific scar, his arm tightened around my waist before his eyelids fluttered. I looked up to meet molten brown eyes.  

“Mornin’ mi vida.”  

“Mornin’,” I leaned up and kissed his cheek. He smiled and ran his finger over my thread bracelet.

“Who gave this to you?” He messed with the moon charm. “Because I wonder if they had any idea of who you were connected with.”

I tried not to think too much about what Marc did at night for an Egyptian deity, usually just worried me. “My mother.” I watched as he twisted the charm.

“I can’t wait to meet her.”

I felt the burning start behind my eyes. “Believe me, I wish you could.” I sniffled and sat up.

“Mi vida?” I felt him pull me to his lap.

I took a shaky breath and wiped away tears. “She died, 15 years ago.” I looked at him to see him blink a few times. “I know it was so long ago and I shouldn’t be crying about it.” I looked down and curled in on myself.

He stroked my cheek. “What happened?”

I sniffled, “She was picking me up from a function or something, I can’t remember.” I could hear the music that had been playing. She had some Bruce Springsteen playing and I was laughing at her lip singing. I remembered the headlights... “We were hit by a drunk driver. The doctors said she died on impact, but that it was a miracle I survived.” I shook my head. “I haven’t felt lucky, and then after her death, my dad he...” I sighed.

“It’s okay, take your time mi amor.” Jake pressed a kiss to my temple and brushed my hair back. “I’m sorry about your mom.”

I nuzzled into his chest. “You never told me who was the uh,” I closed my eyes trying to remember the term. “The host was.”

He set his chin on the top of my head. “Marc is.”  

I ran one of my fingers along the vain running in his forearm. “Funny, he doesn’t want to meet me. Considering I was probably originally born to be his.”  

“Well, the time between the universes creation of you and you meeting us has been filled with roads of bullshit and death. He doesn’t believe he deserves you.” Jake rubbed circles along my bare thigh.  

I sighed, “I like cooking because I had to take care of myself for a while and it reminds me of my mom.” I moved to rest my head on his shoulder. “My dad, he lost himself when she died. He began to drink excessively. A man who hated liquor caused bottles to litter our home.”  

I felt Jake tense and realized I needed to keep going. “I came home from school one day and he passed out on the couch. I decided that for the moment, I needed to be an adult. I started with picking up all the empty bottles. I then took all but one vodka from the house to the bar down the block. And when I got home, I began to cook dinner.”

I remember that day, I had therapy and was home later than usual. “When he finally woke up, he went for the bottle of bourbon that had been on the table. When he couldn’t find it, he began to look for it. The whole time I sat at the island eating dinner and finishing my homework.”

The look in his eyes when he realized what I did.” I shook my head. “My father doesn’t scare me, but the look on his face that day.” I sighed. “I thought he was finally gonna break and blame me for my mom dying, I had been blaming myself. Hence the therapy.” I felt Jake slowly relax as I squeezed his hand. “But I guess something in my face told him, I wasn’t afraid of him even then. He cried a lot after my mom but after the tears were gone, he drank.”

“Whatever he saw in your face that night broke him again?” Jake asked.

I nodded. “He did and after that we went to family therapy, and he got better. After a few years of that, our therapist explained that losing his soulmate had broken a part of my father so much that she was surprised I was able to pull him back.” I sighed and moved so I could look at him. “And that is my tale of woe.”  

Jake stroked my cheek. “Aw mi sol.”

I sniffled and laid my hand over his. I closed my eyes and let the warmth of his hand spread from my cheek to the rest of my body.

When I felt his body tense again, it felt... different. “Marc?”

He huffed, “They were right, you are good at sensing that.” Midwestern accent, not what I was expecting.

I opened my eyes and looked at him. He had the same brown eyes, but I could see something else in them. Something I didn’t usually see in Steven or Jake. A sense of being lost, unfocused.  

“Why now?” I whispered. As he began to turn away, I cupped his jaw. “Marc, why now?” I repeated, a sternness in my voice.  

He gripped my wrist and for a moment, I worried he would shove me away. But his thumbs rubbed against my pulse points. “Because you don’t deserve to be in pain because I’m...” He sighed and kissed the inside of my palm. “I don’t feel deserving because of the things I did. Because someone told me for too long, I was a mistake. A monster.”  

I wanted to tell him that whoever said those things was a liar, but I also felt that once he told me who had been saying those things, I would understand why they still stuck so much with him.  

“Who made you believe those things baby?” I watched some of the tension in his shoulders vanish from the nickname.  

“My mother.” He looked at me and I caught the small crack in his armor. “I did a stupid thing as a kid, and I got my brother killed. She blamed me, took all her pain out on me.” He took a shaky breath. “It’s taken me a long time to realize, I couldn’t have known what would happen. I was a kid, I wanted to have fun.”  

“Is that what caused the break?” He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “First, I went to therapy for years. And second, I know the boys let you in on my fascination with psychology.”

He shook his head, “Right.” He took my left hand from his face and began to mess with the charms on my thread. “Yes, it was.”  

I nodded and moved to sit on my knees in front of him. He tilted his head and furrowed his brow. I smiled and held my hand out. “Hi, I’m F/N L/N. And I think I might be your beshert.”  

He chuckled and shook his head before shaking my hand. “Hi Y/N. I’m Marc Spector and I think you are right.”

I watched our hands shake and we both watched as the red thread slipped off my wrist.

----------------------------------

translation: 

Beshert: “destined” or “intended.” An event, set of circumstances, or situation can all be referred to as bashert, implying that whatever happens was orchestrated by G-d, who ultimately has out best interests in mind. 

In short, it’s the closest term in Hebrew/Yiddish to soulmates. Some Jews also see it as meaning “the right person, at the right time.” 

[jasperjv]

Hey man I was just reading a thread of you and another blog arguing about Israel (frankly the thread was a shitshow and I couldn't find it in my heart to reblog it) but you said at one point that veganism is kosher, and I don't know if you're Jewish, but I just wanted to correct you on that.

Pure veganism is a myth. I call myself vegan, but it's not possible to cut out animal products or cruelty altogether - for example, migratory bee farming is used to pollinate many vegetable crops, beeswax is used in processing and storing fruits, calcium carbinate (used as a ripening agent for fruits) is sometimes sourced from the shells of oysters and molluscs, and pesticides are almost universally necessary (including, despite what many people think, in organic farming).

These things are mostly ignored by vegans because of the impracticality of trying to avoid them, but that's generally ok! because veganism is more of a philosophy to minimize harm than a rule of law to eliminate it.

But kashrut are laws, and depending on your denomination, there's less flexibility if you want to keep kosher.

Wine is the obvious one. It sometimes isn't kosher even if it's vegan. They have a whole kosher certification body that oversees the production of wine. By extension, vinegar and grape products are often not kosher.

This is partly because pests are taken into consideration when determining the kosher status of plant foods - especially if they're organic.

Organic farming is generally more likely to be kosher because they use fewer products to treat and process the crops, but it has the drawback of using less effective pesticides and is non-GMO (meaning less resistant to disease and infestation) so there's a greater chance of insects being inside the food you're purchasing. Things like lettuce, broccoli and brussel sprouts are especially susceptible to this. For some Jews keeping kosher, this might necessitate them preparing the food themselves and paying extra attention to washing.

Figs can also have dissolved wasps inside them and I'm sure there are Jewish scholars out there who've spent months debating the kosher status of figs. I would personally consider them vegan but not kosher, because in this case the lifecycle of the wasp is natural rather than farmed.

In any case, kashrut don't just apply to the foodstuffs themselves but often the circumstances around their preparation. To a strictly observant Orthodox Jew who follows Bishul Akum, a vegan meal can be non-kosher simply because it was cooked by a non-Jew. Another well-known example is that chametz (leavened bread) isn't kosher during Passover.

Of course YMMV as to where you draw the line, but my point is: vegan doesn't automatically mean kosher. I'd encourage anyone interested to read about eco-kashrut. It's a movement to incorporate environmentalism into Jewish life, built on the philosophy that 21st century interpretations of Halacha should promote the preservation of life and the natural world.

Have a nice day & sorry for the infodump.

Interesting. Thanks!

[neonkewpie]

I wanna cook for my work bff so bad but she's Jewish and vegan so unless I actually use her kitchen, nothing I make would be kosher 😔

[beardedmrbean]

I think Hogwarts legacy debacle is showing that the mantra left is not working any more .Oh I'm a bigot for buying this game.Well I'm going to still purchase it.What people don't get it's not everyone is going have to same view or be a moral person.They still going to make money.Because they make something of value.

I just had a devious thought enter my head reading this about the why part of the question of the response to this game, my peta theory popped back into my head and I modified it some.

Founded by the meat and dairy industry to make vegetarians and vegans™ look bad, by letting them do what they do naturally but previously without a big audience.

what's one of the things you can always count on seeing happen on here when someone pope in with a mind numbingly bad take on the beef industry

47 reactions gifs of meat cooking and a bunch of people saying they're gonna go pick up a few extra steaks today, amplify that reaction ______________

Entirely possible it' something similar happening here, saw someone spouting about "Blood Libel" and no that's not blood libel the qualifications may have been reduced from accusations of Jewish people killing Christian children so they can use their blood in their matza, but not tat far i don't think.

Be interesting to find out that this was a marketing ploy in the end though I think.

Very good way to get tons of free publicity

Sorry for taking so long on this, got 4 different conversations going and trying to get the news out all at the same time

[rockislandadultreads]

Nonfiction Thursday: Cookbooks from Around the World 

My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz

It’s been ten years since David Lebovitz packed up his most treasured cookbooks, a well-worn cast-iron skillet, and his laptop and moved to Paris. In that time, the culinary culture of France has shifted as a new generation of chefs and home cooks—most notably in Paris—incorporates ingredients and techniques from around the world into traditional French dishes.

In My Paris Kitchen, David remasters the classics, introduces lesser-known fare, and presents 100 sweet and savory recipes that reflect the way modern Parisians eat today. You’ll find Soupe à l’oignon, Cassoulet, Coq au vin, and Croque-monsieur, as well as Smoky barbecue-style pork, Lamb shank tagine, Dukkah-roasted cauliflower, Salt cod fritters with tartar sauce, and Wheat berry salad with radicchio, root vegetables, and pomegranate. And of course, there’s dessert: Warm chocolate cake with salted butter caramel sauce, Duck fat cookies, Bay leaf poundcake with orange glaze, French cheesecake...and the list goes on. David also shares stories told with his trademark wit and humor, and lush photography taken on location around Paris and in David’s kitchen reveals the quirks, trials, beauty, and joys of life in the culinary capital of the world.

Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi

In Jerusalem, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi explore the vibrant cuisine of their home city—with its diverse Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities. Both men were born in Jerusalem in the same year—Tamimi on the Arab east side and Ottolenghi in the Jewish west. This stunning cookbook offers 120 recipes from their unique cross-cultural perspective, from inventive vegetable dishes to sweet, rich desserts. With five bustling restaurants in London and two stellar cookbooks, Ottolenghi is one of the most respected chefs in the world; in Jerusalem, he and Tamimi have collaborated to produce their most personal cookbook yet.

Persiana by Sabrina Gahyour

A celebration of the food and flavours from the regions near the Southern and Eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, with over 100 recipes for modern and accessible Middle Eastern dishes, including Lamb & Sour Cherry Meatballs; Chicken, Preserved Lemon & Olive Tagine; Blood Orange & Radicchio Salad; Persian Flatbread; and Spiced Carrot, Pistachio & Coconut Cake with Rosewater Cream.

The Real Japanese Izakaya Cookbook by Wataru Yokota

Izakaya cooking is all about enjoying hearty and flavorful Japanese food with drinks and friends at your local hole-in-the-wall hangout. Similar to tapas or pub food, izakaya fare ranges from tasty bar snacks to substantial salads, stews, grilled meats and seafood dishes--all made fresh with minimal fuss and maximum flavor--and served alongside a chilled glass of beer or sake.

The Real Japanese Izakaya Cookbook allows you to recreate over 120 of these classic izakaya dishes in your own kitchen at home. These include standards like Yakitori Chicken Skewers, Crispy Gyoza, and Grilled Wagyu Beef with Shiso. Vegans and vegetarians are also well catered to with dishes like Daikon Salad with Yuzu Dressing, Chargrilled Fava Beans and Baked Tofu with Ginger Sauce. Chef and author Wataru Yokota adds his own unique twists to signature Japanese recipes, like Miso-Simmered Pork and Grilled Mackerel with Plum Sauce.

[switchytransboy]

so fun fact: im jewish and live with my parents and they keep a kosher house (meaning one of those rules in eating kosher is no mixing meat and dairy in meals). i been starting to cook meals with vegan/vegetarian meat to have the tastes of mixing all the foods i want without breaking any kosher eating rules, and god damn i feel healthy 😂😂 i keep this cooking thing up and be more disciplined to keep up with working out imma look gewwwwd