daf bit: Eruvin 96

In addressing what can be carried on Shabbat, the talmud discusses t'fillin (phylacteries) that have been found. These are ritual objects and will be missed by their owner. This leads to a discussion of whether t'fillin are worn on Shabbat; Rabbi Akiva says yes, while others say no. How can R. Akiva say this when he elsewhere said that t'fillin are a sign, and we don't need a sign on a day that itself is a sign? This relies on a Tanna who said that t'fillin may be worn at night, and if night is a proper time for wearing t'fillin then certainly Shabbat is. The Akiva question is not here resolved, but the g'mara notes in passing that Michal the daughter of the Kushite (I don't know who this is) wore t'fillin and the sages did not attempt to prevent her. The g'mara then goes on to discuss other things, not taking up the question of women wearing t'fillin. (96a)

Modern practice: t'fillin are worn only during the day, not on Shabbat, and not by women. Liberal and egalitarian communities disagree on the last point, and apparently some S'fardim consider it optional for women.

(Today's daf is 97.)

easy, tasty fish recipe

We had friends over for dinner last night. The fish turned out really well, so best to write down what I did. :-)

Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Melt some butter. Take breadcrumbs and shredded Parmesan cheese, in a ratio of 2:1, and mix together with some garlic powder. Dredge orange roughy fillets in butter, then roll in the breadcrumb mixture (cover both sides) and place in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes, until the fish flakes, and if your oven heats unevenly like mine does, be sure to rotate the pan halfway through. (Note: orange roughy fillets are cut a little thicker than, say, tilapia, and it's a firmer fish. If substituting a different fish type, you may need to adjust the cooking time.)

This managed to hit the right balance of "unambiguously, fully cooked like whitefish should be" and "not overcooked and dry". I trust that the coating has a lot to do with that.

(I've previously tried using beaten egg in place of the butter. Googling led me to the butter clue and that worked better in terms of enough coating sticking to the fish. I'm not sure why that would be. It still ends up being a light coating, not like the overly-breaded fish that comes from the frozen-food section of the store.)

I served this with quinoa (cooked with a bit of olive oil) and acorn squash stuffed with diced apples and some butter and then baked, with Emerald Riesling (Mony Vineyards, Israel) to drink.

For the completists, dessert was pineapple upside-down cake (from a bakery).