(no subject)

[cellio]

The kitchen is kosher for Pesach. Yay. Granted, some of this was achieved by the simple expedient of taping some cupboards shut, but that was actually part of the plan from the beginning. Some stuff will sit out on the counter for the week because there's not enough storage space, but this too is fine.

Tomorrow morning, we drop my car off for some inspection-related work that the repair folks wanted to do while not under time pressure, and then we drive to Toronto. We finally found out what's up with the seders; fortunately, Dani's sister (at whose house we are staying) is not hosting tomorrow night, so we will not walk into a madhouse and have to feel guilty about not being there earlier to help.

There's a huge Reform congregation called Holy Blossom (!) that is less than a mile from Dani's sister's house, so that's where I'll go for services. I admit to more than usual curiosity...

I have no idea if I'll have any net access while in Toronto. We'll be back Sunday night.

I'll bet the cats will be mad at me -- I abandoned them this past weekend, and here I am doing so again. I'm glad a "cat person" (Lori) is looking in on them.

Comments

[steven.livejournal.com]

Have a safe drive to Toronto and a great Pesach!!

We weren't going to do anything for the holiday but then my parents decided to invite Paul and me out to dinner. Everyone is so spent, nobody felt like preparing the shankbone, food-processing the apples, yada yada yada. So we're having Italian food. (!)

[cellio]

Thanks!

Hey, Italian is fine. Sephardic, you know. :-) (I can give you a good recipe for what is alleged to be a Sephardic charoset, if you like.)

Re:

[steven.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I'd be curious to know what the ingredients are!

[cellio]

Combine the following and mix well:

2-3 large bananas, smooshed
1 large apple, chopped small
1 orange (pulp and juice)
half a bag of chopped dates (maybe more) (4-6 oz?)
couple handfuls raisins
couple handfuls slivered almonds
1/4 C honey
lots of ground ginger (I use a couple tablespoons)

I recommend squeezing the orange juice out into a bowl or the like and adding only some of it to start. When I made this last week it came out a little too moist because the orange was a bit large compared to everything else.

I do not know the origin of this recipe or whether it's really Sephardic. That's how it was told to me.

[fiannaharpar.livejournal.com]

I haven't been to a Seder in ages (I went yearly in High School, mostly at the JCC in Squirrel Hill. I don't even know if they do that any more), and I really connected to it. I have always found a great connection to that particular celebration. I think it's probably part of my bizarre theological attachment to Gethsemene, who knows?

I hope that you have a wonderful visit and a good Passover.

[cellio]

Thanks! If I ever run another seder, I'll be happy to invite you.

[goljerp]

taping some cupboards shut

Nothing wrong with that, as long as you're selling your chametz. In fact, what else can you do with your ceramic normal dishes?

Holy Blossom

Hmm... obviously it's a quote from the Song of Songs, which is very appropriate for Pesach. And which, of course, any complete idiot knows has nothing whatsover to do with erotic love poetry but is really just a dry allegory about God and Israel. Really. Wipe that grin off of your face and go read Rashi's commentary. I mean it. Don't read the translation of the original, you'll get the wrong idea. Ok, obviously you're such an ignoramous that we're not even going to translate the song of songs for you; instead we'll paraphrase Rashi's commentary.

Whoah. Sorry about that; obviously I was channeling Artscroll or something for a minute.

I'm back now.

One of my favorite lines from the Song of Songs is actually a misinterpretation of the King Jamesish translation:

"The voice of the Turtle is heard in our land".

Obviously this refers to the Turtle-Dove; I, however, choose to think of actual turtles calling out in lovesick tones.

(Actually, there's a lot of really cool erotic love poetry in the S of S, but don't tell Rashi.)

[cellio]

Nothing wrong with that, as long as you're selling your chametz.

Yup. Previously arranged, though I should have mentioned that.

Whoah. Sorry about that; obviously I was channeling Artscroll or something for a minute.

:-) Song of songs is pretty stuff, regardless of intent. Rashi doesn't have to know. :-)

I'll make a separate post about services at Holy Blossom shortly.