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<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/MakingKosherSalads.html">
<title><![CDATA[Making Kosher Salads]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/MakingKosherSalads.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[One of the unexpected consequences of writing this blog is the incredible increase in the catering business (Thank G-d, thank you, customers). Originally, closing left the community without a bakery and erev Shabbat take-out counter. "What do we do now?" was more important than "What are you going to do now?" I thought that if I showed people how easy it is to cook and bake, if I gave them my recipes, if I made videos for some of the items, that everyone would be happy. Since then, I&#39;ve had the self-realization that very few people&#39;s happiness is dependent on what I do! In fact, some people&#39;s frustration is very dependent on what I don&#39;t do. For instance, the 7-layer cake isn&#39;t an attractive project unless I&#39;m doing enough for 250 people as a dessert to a caterered dinner. The way I make it is too involved, too time consuming. Someone calls and asks if I will make one. I mention that the recipe and video are on my website. They reply that they know that and that is why they called. They don&#39;t want to make one and her friend from New York really loves 7-layer cake. She wants to give one to him for his birthday. I explain that it isn&#39;t cost effective to make just one cake. I&#39;d have to charge a fortune. "How much is a fortune?" With all the Microsoft gazillionaires in Seattle, I think for all of 2 seconds....bottomline; I really can&#39;t make just one cake. I need some time to work on the website. Sigh, another dissatisfied almost-customer. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2013-04-23T17:08:13-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Leah-does-yard-work.html">
<title><![CDATA[Taming the Great Outdoors]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Leah-does-yard-work.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[If you&#39;re like me, you are brisketed and chickened out. Trapped indoors for the month of March, I take Wednesday as a personal day. I can&#39;t focus on my backlog of event proposals, let alone tackle the invoicing and general bookkeeping. I&#39;m outta here! Tony, my chef and ex-landscaper, is more than willing to pickup some hours after the erratic schedule during Passover. Apartment dweller that I am, all I need is an overgrown yard to tackle. Fresh air and exercise; I know just the place. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2013-04-05T10:54:05-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/PassoverCleaning2013.html">
<title><![CDATA[Passover Cleaning 2013]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/PassoverCleaning2013.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Passover cleaning.....this is my 8th year supervising the cleaning of Hillel UW for Passover. Supervising means watching with the eyes on the back of my head as I scrub my share of oven racks and interiors of refrigerators. Last year, watching the Rabbi use the pressure washer to clean tables and racks, I wonder ALOUD, very aloud, why we aren&#39;t using STEAM. Because we don&#39;t have a steam cleaner. I&#39;m not known for tact, an easy going demeanor or passive acquiescence. My father&#39;s "you can do anything you set your mind to" has translated into "people go to the moon and we send machines to Mars!" in my brain. I may not be able to build a TV, but I can RENT a steam cleaner. Benoit suggests a couple of places to call. I tell the gentleman on the phone what were doing and he tells me what I need; 313&#39; F steam and water option with Eco-friendly degreaser pre-wash....delivered and picked up. Yes; ask me now "How is this year is different from last year?" Last year we were SLAVES, this year we have STEAM!Of course, this doesn&#39;t necessarily mean that the job will be faster. No, it means I&#39;m going after the roll down doors that close off the meat, dairy and parve kitchens. It means the walk-in fridge is getting blasted top to bottom. Coming out of the little hallway, I emerge from a sauna. My glasses are steamed over and there is water everywhere. Opening the reach-in fridges, I point Benoit in their direction. He blasts the interior. So easy, so clean.  ]]></description>
<dc:date>2013-03-19T01:53:26-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Marich-Candy-LeahCooksKosher.html">
<title><![CDATA[Big Sky - Happy Purim!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Marich-Candy-LeahCooksKosher.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[It&#39;s been a couple of years since I&#39;ve taken a real vacation. Booked solid for the past forever, a weekend is open. Unable to close the deal on a couple of events, I take it as a sign. I&#39;m outta here! I don&#39;t have much time or the energy for anything exotic or faraway. I want air, I want space.....I want Big Sky!This is Bozeman, Montana. Hard to capture the expanse in 520 pixels. Hard to capture the 25&#39; F not counting the wind chill. This small university town, gateway to Yellowstone and Big Sky skiing, is a few main drags. The terrain is so different from Seattle&#39;s cluster of hills and waterways. Flying into the airport, I see the town is situated on a plain flanked by mountains. Miles of deserted roads extend outward from the heart. I can breathe.]]></description>
<dc:date>2013-02-20T23:37:07-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Natural-State-Rice-Bran-Oil.html">
<title><![CDATA[Natural State Rice Bran Oil - A Miracle Oil]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Natural-State-Rice-Bran-Oil.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I am remiss. Yes, remiss...period. Everything has fallen to the wayside that wasn&#39;t a wedding, bat or bar mitzvah or major organization catered event. A coming weekend reprieve allows me to sit a minute and collect my thoughts. Where was I?  I was amazed, and am still amazed, at Natural State Rice Bran Oil. Standing in my booth at Kosherfest last November, Jeff Levi approaches me with the magic oil. Pulling the bottle from his bag (I don&#39;t think it was a trench coat), he asks if I&#39;ve ever heard of, or used, rice bran oil. Nope. He has my attention from his first statement: "It has a smoke point over 450 degrees."  Whoa! If there is one thing a commercial chef wants is an oil that doesn&#39;t smoke and burn and can handle batch after batch during production. It&#39;s love at first sight.      Natural State Rice Bran Oil]]></description>
<dc:date>2013-02-05T15:55:41-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/QFC-Kosher-Spirits.html">
<title><![CDATA[QFC - University Village Kosher Spirits]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/QFC-Kosher-Spirits.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I usually wander into liquor stores about once a year around Honey Cake season. I&#39;m far too much of a control freak to let alcohol gain a foothold on my psyche. A little of the low alcohol content Bartenura&#39;s Moscato d&#39;Asti now and then at shul is nice. But then, that whole designated walker thing is an issue when you live 2 miles away. One couldn&#39;t even buy beer on Sunday between 2:00 am and noon or something crazy like that up until very recently. I find that out when I need beer for beer batter fish and chips. Brother. Feeling humiliated and demeaned as I&#39;m chastized for attempting to purchase alcohol, it is unseemly to get belligerent. It has been said that sleep deprivation has the same affect as a high blood alcohol content. Hard to argue that I look like I do because I cooked all night....and, oh by the way where I go to pray everyone drinks and that was yesterday. Yes, I&#39;m not much fun sober and I don&#39;t think it would be any better if I drank. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2013-01-06T01:46:25-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Dennis-Warshal-Cooks-Kosher-for-Leah.html">
<title><![CDATA[Dennis Warshal Cooks Kosher for Leah]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Dennis-Warshal-Cooks-Kosher-for-Leah.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[It&#39;s year end, and what a year it has been. Business is, thank G-d, busy and busier. My only regret is not having had as much time to cook, post, write and make videos. There is always next year; G-d willing! I am planning a schedule and hope to stick with it. What inspires me? Those who try my recipes and let me know how things turn out. I&#39;m thrilled to know that Dennis Warshal has begun a new Chanukah tradition at his home; Spring Rolls! He has shared some photos and I&#39;m honored to show them here. Dennis is a sculptor, custom florist and event ambiance designer. And, apparently, food stylist. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-12-23T03:03:24-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ItsChanukahTimeToOrderforPassover.html">
<title><![CDATA[It's Chanukah! Time to Order for Passover!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ItsChanukahTimeToOrderforPassover.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Yes, I&#39;m scrambling....weddings out to June already on the books. I need to post for Chanukah...watch for my secret ingredient to successful everything fried coming this week! I notice in my inbox that I have the order guide for Passover. Must be Chanukah, must be December, I must be nuts.Further in my inbox I find images of one of the Best New Products at Kosherfest. This image of Dyana Furmansky standing by her product "Matzolah" - yep, billed as "The Trail Mix of the Exodus!" makes me laugh. This is seriously good food despite all the whacky fun Foodman&#39;s team is having marketing. You&#39;ll want to fill your shelves at Passover with this item. It&#39;s gourmet granola made with matzoh sans the Birkenstock&#39;s. I&#39;m thinking Matzolah brittle, Matzolah turtles, Matzolah crisp, or Matzohlah on top of ice cream. And, I suppose there isn&#39;t a halacha against eating it the rest of the year. I&#39;m one of the lucky ones to have my own personal can NOW. Now, as in as I browse the order guide for Passover.....that is due this month! ]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-12-04T18:05:44-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/GoyofKosher.html">
<title><![CDATA["GoyofKosher.com"]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/GoyofKosher.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[It&#39;s been a scramble since returning from Kosherfest. So many ideas; so many events to cater! Last week, with 450 meals to prepare for a Bat Mitzvah weekend of events, Thanksgiving throws a wrench into my production schedule. Reminiscent of the old bakery days, this secular Thursday holiday is usurped by more pressing obligations. Sending my kids off to family, I drown my sorrows in pumpkin pie; yep ~ 2 of them. I ate 2 pumpkin pies in 5 days. Alone in the kitchen with the airplane droning sound of the range hood, the intermittent cycling of the refrigeration motors, the periodic ice falling in the ice machine and with Edgar Allan Poe heart trobbing and mental anguish as I watch the clock consume Thursday, I hear my Blackberry ping ~ I&#39;ve got mail. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-11-28T02:27:29-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Kosherfest.html">
<title><![CDATA[Kosherfest 2012]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Kosherfest.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Kosherfest, an amazing tradeshow of who&#39;s who in the kosher food business, proceeds last week in Seacaucus, New Jersey despite the havoc brought on by hurricane Sandy. While areas of New Jersey are demolished, the Meadowlands Exposition Center is surprisingly unscathed.Having attended Kosherfest in years past, I decide it would be fun to get a booth and join the party. Two years after launching LeahCooksKosher.com, it is time to research kosher products and see what&#39;s new. Eager to fill my "kosher products pantry", we upload the winners of the Kosherfest New Products contest. I&#39;ll write more about those later; that said ~ my personal favorite is Jack&#39;s Gourmet Facon. Sizzling sample, hot off the grill, had me fooled. Yum-yum!]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-11-18T00:43:45-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Vote.html">
<title><![CDATA[Vote!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Vote.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Post-yontif catering throws us into a tail-spin for a couple of weeks. 8 hours of sleep in 4 days catering a marathon is followed by a bar mitzvah party and UW reception. Cleo and I go to our respective couches and drop. Last Shabbos, I&#39;m 18 hours under the blankets; TGIS! Coming out of Shabbos hibernation, I hear of a storm swirling off the east coast. Doing event planning for 3 days, I&#39;m distracted by the devastation. I&#39;ve been catering through 2 wars, Katrina, Joplin and now this. While I&#39;m safely calculating tablecloths and creating menus, my events large and small are specks on the global stage. I like to keep a perspective that is mindful of the times; minimize the urge toward more than necessary. Tasteful, elegant but not over-the-top. The majority of my customers fall into this mindset. Watching the destruction on TV, homes washing away and burning to the ground, it is challenging to at times to imagine a beautiful wedding and put the details to paper. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-11-01T00:46:46-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/LeonIsraelBakes.html">
<title><![CDATA[Leon Israel Bakes - and ROCKS!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/LeonIsraelBakes.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The first days of Sukkot are just over; dry weather with only a hint of fall in the air grace the day while the golden orb of a harvest moon shoots light through the pine boughs of the sukkah. Yontif couldn&#39;t be more perfect. I find myself wishing that I didn&#39;t have to work chol moed. Too bad, we&#39;re working every minute that isn&#39;t yontif proper or Shabbat. Ignoring my phone messages tonight but going through emails, I happen upon one sent by a reader in Florida. Leon Israel sends me a photo of some of his holiday baking; awesome Sephardic style challah rolls and biscochos. They are beautiful; I truly see the love that shapes the dough. Leon writes that he has been making biscochos for 50 years ~ seriously, Leon and his baked goods rock. Thanks for making my yontif!]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-10-02T23:40:00-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ShanaTovaandThankYou.html">
<title><![CDATA[Shana Tova and Thank You]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ShanaTovaandThankYou.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Shabbat is just out. Since closing the bakery, Rosh Hashana baking madness is modulated. I&#39;m empathetic to everyone in the food business erev yontif; it&#39;ll be a long night. I&#39;m only cooking for 100 people tomorrow. Rarely feeling like going into work after Shabbat ends, tonight is no different. I can go in at 5:00 am and get done what needs to be done before yontif, HaShem willing. I&#39;m looking forward to sitting with friends and family tomorrow night. Before that, I&#39;m anticipating the wonderful smell of challah, honey cake and apple cakes I&#39;m baking in the morning.I&#39;d like to thank all of my readers for using my recipes. A special thanks to those who write and tell me of their successes baking and cooking. My catering business has been crazy this past year; busy, busy. I appreciate that readers continue to check out the site even when my posts are less frequent. I hope the recent uploading of videos inspires many of you to bake. I&#39;m having fun doing them.]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-09-15T22:48:25-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BackInTheKitchen.html">
<title><![CDATA[Back in the Kitchen]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BackInTheKitchen.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The "Three Weeks" and "Nine Days" are over. I&#39;m guilty of conflicting feelings; on one hand, the period of mourning should be just that and a time of reflection. That said, as a very busy caterer, I look forward to the down time. Parties are incongruous with the solemnity commemorating the destruction of The Temple. Kids are off to camps. I can catch up on paperwork....and, sleep.People wonder how I do "it", party after party, simcha after simcha. Shabbat is necessary and I love, love that a power greater than myself gives me permission to do nothing one day a week. I need that; boy do I ever. And, once a year, I need the "Three Weeks" and this year more than ever. It&#39;s been crazy busy, thank G-d. With Aviva in Israel for a month and the Fourth of July behind me, I relish a few weeks without events....and, a few weeks to play in the new video kitchen.Working on new videos]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-07-31T00:32:25-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ShesBack.html">
<title><![CDATA[She's Back!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ShesBack.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Great news for both Leah&#39;s Catering and LeahCooksKosher.com. Cleo is back! Bringing her infectious energy as chef and talented food stylist, I look forward to playing in the kitchen with her. This is a picture from the past ~ we&#39;ll need to update our photos.  Welcome back Cleo ~ we love you!]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-07-04T21:42:27-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/NewKitchen.html">
<title><![CDATA[New Video Kitchen]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/NewKitchen.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I am remiss in uploading new content. The catering business is crazy busy (thank G-d) and I&#39;ve been diligent in producing successful events. I have missed blogging and uploading the many recipes and photos piling up on my desk. In between events, the last 6 months are spent cobbling together a new kitchen for video shoots. Combined with the many hours dedicated to the project by videographer Gordon Modin, we&#39;re thrilled to have a space that allows for easy production shoots. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-07-04T20:52:19-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/SwedishSpread.html">
<title><![CDATA[Swedish Spread Kosher Style]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/SwedishSpread.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Think smorgasbord; not the giant spreads proceeding some Jewish weddings laden with potstickers and carving stations. This is Seattle and we have real Swedes here. While they combat assimilation and gentrification like the rest of us, a smorgasbord at The Swedish Club better look semi-authentic. Never mind that the caterer is a Jewish convert of mixed ethnicity cooking kosher. Think smorgasbord without pork and without meat and dairy cooked together. Okay, think Jewish kosher with a nod to Sweden; it&#39;s as close as I can get.Gravlax in the foreground]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-06-04T22:01:25-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/PigFoodTruck.html">
<title><![CDATA[Maximus-Minimus]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/PigFoodTruck.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Catering kosher in Seattle requires a ton of running around in a 12 mile loop. Smaller events need a little of this, a little more of that....all kosher, of course. Large events aren&#39;t much different. Food distributers don&#39;t carry much kosher. My shopping list is divided into 5 - 7 stops. Shopping is part of the process and, it takes a trained eye to always check for the hechsher. Benoit is great at all that running around especially when I need to be in the kitchen. Otherwise, my &#39;half day off&#39; is spent in the van driving here and there in search of not only what I need, but new products.A very special place in town is Pacific Food Importers. The owner is an older Italian who has been bringing foods from his homeland for decades. PFI is a distributer but I rarely need a truckload of anything. The warehouse, down the street from the retail outlet, is just another quick stop on the loop. The store is most understated fun and has morphed into a second-hand showcase of Italian/Mediterranean specialty foods. Their 30 foot cold case of exotic cheeses is impressive even if off limits.Maximus-Minimus]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-05-16T09:42:20-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ATributetotheJewishMother.html">
<title><![CDATA[A Tribute to the Jewish Mother]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ATributetotheJewishMother.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[And now, a message to our sponsor Wissotzky Teas ~ thank you for sharing the video tribute. I see Wissotzky Teas and I think Jewish. I see gift boxes of your tea, I think Passover. I like your tea, I like your packaging......and, my reaction to the video had a Rachel Maddow sort of "huh?" about it. Was that "The Twilight Zone" theme song?I did share my concerns with Margelit Hoffman of Hoffman Productions who had forwarded the video link to me to share. I wasn&#39;t sure I could get onboard with genuine enthusiasm for the video. Yes, I&#39;d love to have someone make me a cup of tea at the end of a long day....as opposed to the 5:00 am Starbuck&#39;s crew down the street propping me up after a long night. But, I have a bit of an issue with the visuals. Every element is elevated to certain unobtainable perfection in my chaotic life. The beautiful woman, more distressing knowing that this is how she really looks, can only be described as "Eishes Chayil on Steroids". I watch this video and I need something stronger than tea, something with a red label and clear.I&#39;m a "Mad Men" devotee and let the TV run into "The Pitch" while I worked the other night. I&#39;d pay tribute to the Jewish mother with different visuals. Keeping the same soundtrack, I&#39;d like to rework the pitch:Here&#39;s to the mother, the unsung hero who takes on: (wake up at 6:00 am and hit snooze a couple of times)challenges large and small (show kids aged 2 - 16)bringing it all together and making it happen (ordering bagels and schmears at the deli)you wear many hats (a knitted tichel)and play many roles (drop kids off at school and then teach at same school)you&#39;re a chef (reheat deli)a homemaker (learn Spanglish)a stylist (1 day sale)a chauffeur (mini van that seats 10)a hardworker (auction chair)a baker (weird shaped challah and flat cookies)a doctor (physicians assistant - call the doctor!)a nurse (Benardryl cures everything)a fashion designer (smooth wrinkles from clothes out of hamper)a photographer (take baby photos out of cardboard frame by bar mitzvah)a spiritual force and revered role model (a force to be reckoned with)you alone hold the key to your family&#39;s heart and soul (it&#39;s under the mat!)and no one else can take your place (call your dad!)the only occupation that can&#39;t be retired from or delegated to anyone else (but can I quit?)yet, incredibly, you wouldn&#39;t have it any other way (INCREDIBLY!)and while you never want to take a break from being a mother, we think you deserve a break while being one (a week in Mexico - great!)Tea time is me time, enjoy your moment (s)Thank you for all you do. (You&#39;re welcome!)To my beautiful daughters, I say "I love you" and you know your mom is silly. Thanks for not quitting being my kids!Oh, here&#39;s the link to the beautiful video:"Tribute to the Jewish Mother"]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-05-09T22:55:12-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/LifeCycles.html">
<title><![CDATA[Life Cycles]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/LifeCycles.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Yesterday, being the first bona fide work-is-optional day since well before Passover, allows me to attend the funeral of a young 40-something mother in the community. Alternating catering funerals and brisses over the past weeks, I&#39;d felt small relief that births outnumbered deaths. My unofficial statistic offers little comfort when confronted with the life-is-optional reason for joining the community in burying one of our own.My work doesn&#39;t often offer time for being on the rejoicing end of a simcha. The back of the house is where my energies are spent. I consider it an honor to assist and suport a seamless celebration of a Jewish lifecycle event. I miss countless weddings, bat mitzvahs, bar mitzvahs, shul dinners and school auctions. I try to never miss a funeral in my immediate community. As a convert, I find the art and functionality of the Jewish burial intensely real and quietly intimate. As friends and family shovel, the sound of metal on rock, gravel on wood fills the hollow of uncertainty within my soul. I don&#39;t know what lies beyond. We release the dead and comfort the living. Funerals are important and a community matters.The Rabbi spoke with eloquent familiarity having been a mentor and friend of the deceased and her family. Speaking with authority, offering insight, wisdom and consolation, his words are heartfelt. He ends his eulogy with encouraging words that in the face of ultimate loss and grief, choose to love more not less and choose to give more, not less. Let us say, Amen.]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-05-09T21:47:25-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Freeze.html">
<title><![CDATA[Freeze!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Freeze.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[We&#39;ve been in Passover cooking mode for 6 days and we are almost done with what can be done ahead. Meals for about 1,800 and only 3 of us cooking; not bad. The magic word is freeze....everything. Gefilte fish, chicken soup, matzoh balls, brisket, chicken complete with marinade, salmon already boned and portioned, kugels and dessert. We couldn&#39;t do 300 - 350 people a day for lunches without the ability to prep ahead.Hillel Meyer packaging matzoh balls for the freezer.]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-04-03T10:30:22-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ReadyforPassover.html">
<title><![CDATA[Ready for Passover]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ReadyforPassover.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[There is something to be said for tradition; makes doing something over and over again that much easier. It&#39;s been a crazy busy first quarter catering. Cleaning for Passover was supposed to be an easy breeze as the University of Washington was on spring break last week. Less hectic in the kitchen, I start to strategize the clean.With the end of Purim comes a more deliberate way of moving about the kitchen. Odds and ends of miscellaneous ingredients are either used, discarded or set aside to be given away. Every motion includes a minor nod towards the end goal of a spotless kitchen.  ]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-03-30T00:51:06-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ThanksSam.html">
<title><![CDATA[Thanks, Sam!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ThanksSam.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[It&#39;s 4:00 pm and I know that for some March Madness has set in; I&#39;m working on pre-Passover insanity. Readers want new recipes for the holiday and they are coming. That said, I must order ingredients for my upcoming 1800+ meals or there won&#39;t be anything to use in cooking. In order to clear my brain, I need to clear my email accounts. I was looking for this email in my files earlier and here it is in the &#39;inbox&#39;. Sam&#39;s challah rolls]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-03-18T18:22:51-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Planningamenu.html">
<title><![CDATA[Planning an Event Menu]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Planningamenu.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I spend a lot of time in my head. Even when I&#39;m in the kitchen I&#39;m in my head. It isn&#39;t exactly meditative, nor is it &#39;in the moment&#39;. I&#39;m a caterer, everything is time sensitive. What&#39;s being made in the moment needs to be done in five minutes. One party is barely a wrap and the next one starts. If I&#39;m not cooking a party I&#39;m planning a party. We live for that moment in time that is coming, not this moment that is flying by too quickly.]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-02-17T02:35:04-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/StateoftheBlog2012.html">
<title><![CDATA[State of the Blog 2012]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/StateoftheBlog2012.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I want to thank everyone who has visited the site, used recipes and contacted me with questions and comments. Doing a &#39;soft launch&#39; a year ago, I&#39;ve never gotten around to big promotions of the site. I&#39;m thrilled at the 22,000+ visits to LeahCooksKosher.com. Using the ClustRmap embedded on the homepage, it is really fun to watch more and more red dots fill the map and get larger. My knowledge of world geography is increasing and I&#39;m intrigued at who might be logging on and where they live.]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-02-06T02:16:24-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/SeattleSnowDays.html">
<title><![CDATA[Seattle Snow Days]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/SeattleSnowDays.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Catering is a time sensitive business; more than even UPS next day deliveries. We don&#39;t get &#39;next day&#39; options. We don&#39;t really get 5 minute options (she says with a smile!) The party starts when the client says it starts and that is about it. Enter Seattle snow.]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-01-19T18:44:39-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/AViewfromtheU.html">
<title><![CDATA[A View from the U and the JTNews]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/AViewfromtheU.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[A friend who spent winter break in Hawaii returns and emails me: "Did you see the full-page fiasco information in the JT News about Marty&#39;s column?" I didn&#39;t take time over the break to read the paper. I do a search and get the update from Joel Magalnick, editor. It prompted the following letter from me emailed to the JT News last night. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2012-01-04T12:00:14-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/WSJHSCookbookLaunch.html">
<title><![CDATA[WSJHS Cookbook Launch]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/WSJHSCookbookLaunch.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Last month, having the pleasure to cater the Washington State Historical Society&#39;s Cookbook launch party, I&#39;m able to test out numerous recipes. The project, chaired by Cindy Masin, is a wonderful overview of favorite foods eaten by our local community members. With recipes as diverse as our ethnically eclectic melting pot, there is plenty to learn and appreciate within the 300+ pages. Stories, peppered throughout the book, seat readers at the table with generations of families enjoying their traditional dishes.Yesterday&#39;s Mavens, Today&#39;s FoodiesA Collection of Recipes and Stories from theWashington State Jewish Historical Society]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-12-06T12:32:43-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BenchScraper.html">
<title><![CDATA[Recommended Bench Scraper]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BenchScraper.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Working on getting Thanksgiving recipes up....no blog tonight! However, Karen in NYC sends this link for a bench scraper: bonus....made in the USA! Looks sturdy. I always work with a bench scraper. Thanks, Karen!http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00153AIEY/ref=oh_o01_s00_i00_details]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-11-23T01:37:36-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/VeteransDay.html">
<title><![CDATA[Veteran's Day Shabbat]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/VeteransDay.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[This past Shabbat, being Veteran&#39;s Day, we celebrated at Hillel with an all American themed dinner. Chicken noodle soup, BBQ chicken, glazed meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes and, of course, apple pie. Comfort food at its core, I don&#39;t think I needed a recipe for anything. Just like mom used to make. I don&#39;t actually stick around for the dinner service. Judging by what I found in the refrigerator, nothing was leftover....except one piece of apple pie. Surely, it was saved for me, right? Tasted great!As I understand it, a few Vets were invited to participate in the Shabbat dinner and share their stories. A very beautiful portable display featured accomplished Jewish troops from various eras, all looking quite dapper in uniform. Sister Leilani (retired 1989, Air Force Master Sergeant) and her husband Brent (retired 2008, Army Sergeant First Class) ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-11-15T00:39:46-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/TechnicalDifficulties.html">
<title><![CDATA[Technical Difficulties]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/TechnicalDifficulties.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Just as everyone is scrambling to get a routine back after the holidays...or challah-daze, I am happy to report that I feel human again. Short work weeks and lots of cooking, LOTS of cooking, left me wondering where I was before the madness started. Taking stock of the unopened mail, unpaid bills, proposals sitting waiting to be done all the while juggling the 5 events I have this week, part of me wants to go back to bed. Staying up until 2:30 am Monday morning, I do triage on the pressures pulling me all directions. Taxes and balancing accounts first, with Hillel expenses categorized, I can focus. My training at Nordstrom back in the day includes learning that balanced accounts clear the mind. Confirming details of my events this week, I know what I&#39;m doing. What remains are proposals for January through June.....I need another week!The website has suffered a bit through neglect. Not enough hours in a day, not enough days, my photo files sit waiting for me to upload recipes. I&#39;ll try to get one up next. I&#39;m having some glitch uploading photos into the blog....hence, I&#39;ve been quiet on the blog front for a few weeks. Got my guy on it now. Working through my list, I know I&#39;ll be relieved when caught up. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-10-25T10:29:34-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Shofarsogood.html">
<title><![CDATA[Shofar So Good!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Shofarsogood.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Well, it seems that I owe my readers wishes for a Happy, Healthy New Year.....and for an easy fast.....and, at the rate I&#39;m going I should add in a Happy Chanukah and Kosher Passover. Three day yontifs are tough enough feeding family and guests. It was a fine situation I found myself in last week: tailgate party for 100, BBQ for 200, Rosh Hashana for 300 and Shabbat dinner for 120. Whoa! That left zero time for the website or getting my hair done......]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-10-04T16:44:35-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/itsashark.html">
<title><![CDATA[It's A Shark!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/itsashark.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Done! Done, done and more done! It has been a marathon since Tisha B&#39;Av. Six weeks of back to back events ending with the Stand With Us reception prior to their very successful presentation yesterday at McCaw Hall. Sheer will eeks out savory and sweet tidbits for 475 guests. The event doesn&#39;t suffer for being the end of the line; my perfectionism streaks across the finish line. Very long hallways to the loading dockPhillip, owner of Noshaway, has the next reception for The Jewish Federation. It&#39;s been a community day at McCaw Hall and lots of familiar faces are in the building. Phillip and I, viewed as &#39;competitors&#39;, have much in common given the market we serve. I consider him a friendly rival, we each have our followers. I made the decision long ago not do the jumbo sized, mega events. Too many plates, too much effort. Hats off to Phillip and Arthur for biting off that biz. Exiting the building, we pass Phillip and his wife Dana in the downstairs kitchen. "Have fun!"..... ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-09-19T18:50:02-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/noholidaybakingfromleah.html">
<title><![CDATA[No Holiday Baking from Leah!!!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/noholidaybakingfromleah.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I need a sheital and dark glasses to walk through QFC incognito. The phone calls and emails are pouring in all with the same question. "Are you baking this year for Rosh Hashana?" My negative response breeds heavy sighs, I see the desperation across the miles. Tearing emoticons decorate replies in my email box. Virgo guilt rises in my belly; I&#39;m nobody&#39;s BFF. Closing the bakery 3 years ago was difficult but financially necessary. I sold product last year at the SJCC but required 5 days in Acapulco to recoup. Commercial baking is a tough business and I don&#39;t have the energy for it anymore. Alas, it is the end of an era in Seattle.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-09-15T23:33:10-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/MakingChoices.html">
<title><![CDATA[Making Choices]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/MakingChoices.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The last 6 weeks have been insanely busy with catering. The next week promises more of the same. Post Labor Day and pre-Rosh Hashana, erev 9/11 amidst a climate of economic uncertainty and terrorist threats, famine and floods, fire and general inane political postering, the climate is perfect for personal reflection. In fact, the climate here in the Northwest is perfect with sunshine illuminating our glorious landscapes and water ways. Light adds optimism to thoughts of what might lie ahead. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-09-11T01:01:10-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ItsWeddingSeason.html">
<title><![CDATA[It's Wedding Season]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ItsWeddingSeason.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[It is wedding season....and, apparently every other type of event season. I&#39;m buried under just finished, to do and on the horizon.....never mind the calls for events next MAY! This past Sunday, we cater a wedding at a local city park. I marvel, as I drive through the thick foilage and trees, that I am in the city 15 minutes from the kitchen. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-08-23T10:44:38-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/CarolBarer.html">
<title><![CDATA[Carol Barer Shares Her Blintz Recipe]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/CarolBarer.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I want to thank Carol for sharing her incredible blintz filling (see the recipe archive). You are gracious to let the world in on your family&#39;s favorite holiday treat. I appreciate you letting me into your home and allowing me to post your recipe. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-08-03T20:12:25-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/RaisetheDebtCeilingAlready.html">
<title><![CDATA[Raise the Debt Ceiling Already!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/RaisetheDebtCeilingAlready.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Being home most of the week, I keep the TV muffled in the background. In keeping with the spirit of Tisha B&#39;Av, evil lurks in remote places and guns down kids in Norway. On the heels of the horrendous crime in Brooklyn, I wonder what is up with people. The cable news channels repeat the same debt ceiling crisis situation with breathless anticipation, incredulous frustration and baffled intolerance. I&#39;m exhausted from listening to scripted platitudes. Get a brain! The Rabbi has often said, with hopeful encouragement, that I don&#39;t suffer fools gladly. Yep, the Rabbi is very astute. So, I haven&#39;t written a blog this week; "if you don&#39;t have anything nice to say, don&#39;t say anything." ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-07-29T19:15:58-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/NoSummerVacation.html">
<title><![CDATA[No Summer Vacation]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/NoSummerVacation.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Apparently, it isn&rsquo;t happening this year; I&rsquo;ve made no plans to go anywhere. I&rsquo;ve been to San Francisco, Acapulco, New York, and Bali in the past 15 months. I have no desire to travel. My catering schedule is lighter this summer with &ldquo;the three weeks&rdquo; being pushed into August. Traditionally, not a time for parties, I have an extended off-season. I&rsquo;m enjoying time to decompress and not be crazy night and day. I like sleeping in until 8:30, I like staying up until 1:30 am. I still have a dinner here and there, a Kiddush now and then, but no brain straining logistically challenging major event&hellip;.but soon. No, I&rsquo;m enjoying the down time. I&#39;m enjoying my family and friend time.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-07-17T01:25:12-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BabkaWeddingCake.html">
<title><![CDATA[Babka Wedding 'Cake']]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BabkaWeddingCake.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Vanessa and Craig tell me in April that they are engaged. I&#39;m thrilled. Many employees, seasonal college help, come through the bakery over the years. Vanessa arrives and helps me with office work. Smart, calm, soft-spoken and fluent in Spanish, she is the perfect balance to my harried and intense, loud Spanglish in the final moments of an event going out. I admire Vanessa&#39;s service in the Peace Corp. She joins after graduating college and I lose my competent help. Over the years, I get postcards from Panama. She lives in a dirt hovel she built herself and spends her time helping the locals. Once her stint is up, she stays on to help with basic medical training in remote villages. Eventually, she heads to DC to go to grad school. I meet Craig when I visit on my way to the Inaugeration. I think he&#39;s perfect for her. My babka is a favorite of Vanessa&#39;s and I schlep some out to DC.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-07-09T15:35:19-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/LarryCrowne.html">
<title><![CDATA["Larry Crowne" - College Days]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/LarryCrowne.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I frequently take my mother to the movies. Not working today, I pick her up 15 miles south of where I live and double back to the multi-plex closer to my neighborhood. Southcenter is closer to my sister&#39;s but I can&#39;t stand the sprawl of the huge mall and surrounding satellite discounters and chain stores. On the way back north, we zip through downtown on the freeway. Can&#39;t stop there either; parking is a drag. Five minutes further I can park easily and get my mother into the theater with few obstacles. Three Dog Night (and Leah!)]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-07-03T19:30:14-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/FivePartChineseSisters.html">
<title><![CDATA[Five Part Chinese Sisters]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/FivePartChineseSisters.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I had big plans today to upload tons of recipes and photos and write a blog. It&#39;s 11:43 pm and I&#39;m just starting my work day. It&#39;s a hard day. Officially diagnosed with Alzheimer&#39;s earlier in the afternoon, my mother struggles to find the words and courage to tell me and my sister Leilani. My sister Terri has already called to break the results of the testing. She asks us to wait for mom to tell us before we say anything. The four of us sit with watering eyes and aching hearts. Sister Dawn calls while we&#39;re struggling with the situation. She&#39;s working and can&#39;t join us. Sister Jeanette is on the way back from Florida. We&#39;ll speak tomorrow. "The Five Chinese Brothers" by Claire Huchet Bishop and Kurt Weise 1938]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-06-29T02:19:34-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/LifeataGlance.html">
<title><![CDATA[Life at a Glance]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/LifeataGlance.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Like many in Seattle, I have trouble realizing it is June. June 21st, even. The longest day of the year. A record 3 days of sunshine in a row barely breaks 70 degrees. My equilibrium is off; until now life is suspended in perpetual March dreariness. People make small talk about the amount of vitamin D they are main-lining. Me, I&#39;ve been working and working. Coming home at about midnight the other night, I catch a glimpse of roses blooming by the gate. I tell myself that I should &#39;stop and smell the roses&#39; and take this photo. It isn&#39;t about the clarity of the shot, it is about the need to truly savor the moments.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-06-21T13:32:18-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/cholentthrowdown.html">
<title><![CDATA[WSJHS Cholent Throwdown]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/cholentthrowdown.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Thanks Lisa for writing this on your wall....I have 400 to feed this weekend and am pretty tired to write. You saved me! I was thinking how funny it is that it is June and we haven&#39;t been able to break 70&#39; around here. Feels like March; perfect cholent weather!Food is history, culture, connection, community, ritual, nourishment, sustenance, survival, memory. Food tells stories. Cookbooks tell stories. The Washington State Jewish Historical Society is creating a cookbook - Yesterday&#39;s Mavens, Today&#39;s Foodies: Traditions in Northwest Jewish Kitchens. The cookbook will include recipes and stories. Through the lens of our kitchens, our grandmothers&rsquo; kitchens, and our children&rsquo;s kitchens, we will see a slice of our unique history - a history that illuminates our Sephardic and Ashkenazic traditions and combines them with the pioneer spirit of the Pacific Northwest, its bounty of food products, fresh produce and growing foodie culture. This fabulous and unique cookbook will be launched on November 6 &ndash; the perfect Hanukkah gift for you, your friends and family. Leading up to the November 6th launch of the cookbook, the Washington State Jewish Historical Society is sponsoring a series of food related programs that showcase northwest cooking and northwest cooks. The last 2 programs are: Top Cholent The traditional stew made for the Shabbat midday meal is so much more than a stew. Heinrich Heine wrote that &ldquo;Cholent is the food of Heaven, And the recipe was given By the Lord himself to Moses One fine day upon Mount Sinai.&rdquo; Come and learn, taste, and choose your favorite. We&rsquo;ll make cholent that is traditional, Sephardic, vegetarian, nouveau. And, of course, you&rsquo;ll take home recipes. Thursday, June 23rd at 6p.m. Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath 5145 South Morgan Street, Seattle $10. Recipes included. Northwest Gefilte Fish: A Family Affair Dorothy Becker and her family make their fish together. They have it down to a science. Did you never have the opportunity to learn how to make gefilte fish? Dorothy and her daughter Arlene Azose are experts. Come and learn. Step by step. From the first step when Dorothy brings up her large pot and the scarf that protects her hair from the fishy smell, to the taste of the soft, flavorful fish ball that is made with salmon from northwest waters. You&rsquo;ll go home with a packet of fish recipes - gefilte, sweet and sour, pickled and a layered fish terrine. Tuesday, August 16th from 11 to 1 Congregation Beth Shalom 6800 35th N.E. Seattle $10. Recipes included. To make reservations for any or all of the food programs, please register online at: www. WSJHS.org/ Or call Lori at The Washington State Jewish Historical Society 206-774-2277 Monday 13th of June at 10:42 &#9642; &#9642; Like &#9642; Hide]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-06-16T00:10:43-0500</dc:date>
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<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ApocalypseNowMorethanEver.html">
<title><![CDATA["Apocalypse Now, More than Ever"]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ApocalypseNowMorethanEver.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[My friend Harvey is a poet, writes hybrids of political haiku and Subaru bumper sticker. The title of this blog is from a collection of his I recently read. It stands out in my mind, "Apocalypse Now, More than Ever." The news of nuclear meltdown in Japan after earthquakes and tsunami. Volcanos. Tornadoes. Heat waves. Forest fires. My equalibrium is thrown off kilter. I&#39;m glad to be working, glad to have 400 people to feed this week. Nose to the grind, I can take a break from real time disaster and heartbreak. Cooking is my escape, my oasis in time and space. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-06-13T00:59:07-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/OodlesofKugels.html">
<title><![CDATA[Oodles of Kugels]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/OodlesofKugels.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I&#39;m a week behind in my life and frantically trying to catch up. Walking through the big box store today shopping for yet 3 more events, I decide that I need to get ahead of the game. Holiday after holiday may pass me by over the next couple of months....I&#39;m heading straight to Rosh Hashana....soon. First, I want to post the results of the Kugel Throwdown that happened last week at Hillel. A joint effort of the Washington State Jewish Historical Society and JConnect, 15 contestants throw their kugels into the ovens. I learn a lot about kugels as I supervise the cooks in the kitchen.Guest Chef Joel Gamoran with his sous chef, and Carol with Joanne]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-06-01T00:01:03-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/EastsideTorahCenter.html">
<title><![CDATA[Chabad of Bellevue and Issaquah Lag Ba'Omer]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/EastsideTorahCenter.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Chabad of Bellevue and Issaquah hosts a huge turnout for Lag Ba&#39;Omer last Sunday. Not having an event booked, I agree to set up a table offering complimentary treats. In exchange, I schmooze it up with folks I haven&#39;t seen in a while and talk up the website. I also get to stand in the great out of doors and take a whiff of nay-cha. We&#39;re situated in a well manicured park so I don&#39;t wear my off-road shoes. We don&#39;t hit the first 70&#39; day of the year. We&#39;re spared the rain, I leave my down coat in the van.  ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-05-25T00:23:21-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/JaneEyre.html">
<title><![CDATA[Jane Eyre, Corn Chowder, Yom Kippur and Larry]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/JaneEyre.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I&#39;m a person of books. Busy as of late, I miss long hours of turning pages, losing myself in other worlds and other lives. I love to read. There are books for every facet of life, books for every season of every life. I haven&#39;t been able to keep every book I&#39;ve read. Cumbersome as I move from city to city, neighborhood to neighborhood, many end up at the Goodwill bin or left by swimming pools at sunny resorts. Words, like casual acquaintances, leave an impression and recede in memory."Jane Erye" (Bronte) and Volume 1 of "The Works of Charles Dickens"]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-05-18T19:05:16-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/EternalSoup.html">
<title><![CDATA["Eternal Soup" ~ I'm Mortified!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/EternalSoup.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[It&#39;s been a crazy week. Event after event, we pull long days to positive reviews. As a member of the sandwich generation, I manage calls to my mother and a quick visit erev Shabbat. Sadly, I fear she may succumb to Alzheimer&#39;s as has her sister. I feel compelled to check in on her more often. She frequently calls me at work and I don&#39;t know what she is talking about. Of course, my mother has a propensity to pick up very odd tidbits off the TV and try to repeat them to me. Something has to be lost in the translation; the world can&#39;t be that weird.My four sisters keep the email chain going with their accounts of my mother&#39;s situation. We brace against the uncertainty of the future. Watching the Larry King special on Alzheimer&#39;s last week, I am nervous to hear that symptoms may present even at 55 years of age. We&#39;re all fair game. Once, my daughters and I are visiting my mom. As she is saying something my eldest turns to face me and silently mouths, "you&#39;re next". Thanks. Aviva, whom I share custody with my ex Marty, seems to have spent more time at my place over the last few months. Since she is driving and can remember my pin number, I let her do the grocery shopping on occasion. Works for me; I live in grocery stores. She mostly makes good choices selecting broccoli, Nutella and chips. I&#39;m into fusion cooking: Nutella on flour tortillas. It is sort of like a crepe, right? I even see on TV that it a healthy breakfast choice. Anyway, shopping gives her a sense of being in control, responsible and grown up. Always a proponent of self-service child rearing, I applaud her attempt at proving her independence.Recently told by a good friend that Marty and I are the poster children for divorced couples, I take complaints by Aviva against the other household with a grain of salt. Aviva has definite ideas of right and wrong. As of late, she&#39;s been ranting about the food at Marty&#39;s. Animated and full of hyperbole, she declares that her father doesn&#39;t look at fruit and buys it already rotten. There is nothing but beans to eat. I remind her that I worked all through high school at the Pike Place Market. I remind her that I&#39;m a caterer. I tell her that her complaints must be exaggerated. She tells me, "Mom, you wear gloves when you cook...at home!"I&#39;ve been aware (and envious) that Marty and Charla&#39;s kitchen is undergoing renovations as of late. Hearing Aviva protest about the stressful food preparations over the months, even I break and email Marty asking what idiot he hired who needed 6 months to remodel a kitchen. Finally, it is done and the ranting has ceased, more or less. Back to my relaxing weekend. Shabbos is great; nap and more nap. By the end that nears 9:40 pm, I&#39;m driving to Seward Park in pouring rain to pick up Aviva from Marty&#39;s. Why she can&#39;t stay until morning I haven&#39;t a clue. Today, leisurely going through the week&#39;s mail, I come across The JTNews, Seattle&#39;s local Jewish bimonthly. I see that Marty&#39;s column, "A View from the U" is in this issue. We may be divorced but I still appreciate his wit and odd perspective, somewhat irreverent as it is.This week&#39;s title is "Eternal Soup".....(http://www.jtnews.net/index.php?/columnists/item/8359/C6/)Okay, I&#39;m dying! "This miraculous soup cooks up for Shabbos and, like the lechem panim (the "Bread of the Presence") of the Temple, that stayed fresh from Shabbos to Shabbos, grows tastier as the week unfolds." This is the best description in the entire article. I&#39;m mortified. I&#39;m ashamed by extension and even divorce doesn&#39;t redeem my unintentional co-conspirator status. What have I been allowing my kid to eat??! No wonder she has been at my house ranting. I&#39;m embarrassed and humiliated....eternally ashamed. Marty, Marty........]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-05-16T00:54:40-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Yomamawearsshapeups.html">
<title><![CDATA[Yo' Mama Wears Shape Ups]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Yomamawearsshapeups.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I feel sentimental this Mother&#39;s Day. In years past, I&#39;m frequently working on Mother&#39;s Day and the day slips away. This week I reflect on my girls, born 12 years apart, and marvel at how they are each their own person. They are fun, a little quirky, with definite ideas about living their own lives. I have spent the better part of 22 years as a single mother or 1/2 time single mother. Kosher catering and motherhood is my way of life. Hasn&#39;t always been easy but I wouldn&#39;t do it any differently given the chance.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-05-06T18:15:56-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/NotSoVictoriousGarden.html">
<title><![CDATA[Not So Victorious Garden]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/NotSoVictoriousGarden.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[It is May and by Seattle&#39;s standards, we have a lovely spring day....maybe the 2nd this year. An illusion of sunny weather heightens the sense of freedom; freedom from polar fleece and hoodies. In reality, it is just a lack of rain in the air. White clouds hover over the region shuttering the sun from the eyes of potential worshipers. The promise of 65&#39; F warms expectations of shirtsleeves, flip-flops and socks with sandals. The actuality of the current 56&#39; F doesn&#39;t damper the yearning for vitamin D. We take what we can get, rain or overcast, rain or.....overcast; in hoodies with flip-flops.  ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-05-01T16:52:25-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/SevereWeather.html">
<title><![CDATA[Severe Weather Worries]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/SevereWeather.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[It is really hard to imagine all the destruction due to weather happening these past days and weeks on the other side of the country. Between my nose to the grind and the TV off so many days, I had no idea of what was going on. Thoughts and prayers to so many out there affected by tornedos and flooding. As the ClustRmap embedded on this site receives more &#39;red dots&#39; from areas hit hard, my concern becomes more personal. Here in Seattle, our hearts to go out to those mourning, those injured, those suffering material loss and those suffering mental anguish. May we all find comfort during these seemingly uncertain times. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-04-28T15:48:24-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Itsdone.html">
<title><![CDATA[Passover - Done!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Itsdone.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Passover looms ahead once December rolls around. Menus, estimated numbers, and the game plan are pretty much completed by the start of the secular year. January and February plod along with their deep winter sleepy schedules. A few weeks out from Purim, the anxiousness starts to creep in and Passover begins to press harder against my consciousness. This year, just for fun, I added 2 catering events to the schedule a week before Passover. The final phase of this website is due to launch and I needed more cash to cover the programming. I&#39;ll be the first to admit that possibly, just possibly, I over did it. But, here we are on the other side of the craziness and I&#39;m alive to report the detail. Today, I finished up things in the kitchen for tomorrow&#39;s matzoh ball contest. While I was doing that, the rest of the Passover cooking equipment went back into hibernation.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-04-24T19:32:13-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/HappyPassover.html">
<title><![CDATA[Happy Passover ~ yep, 6 more days!!!]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/HappyPassover.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I can&#39;t believe I didn&#39;t send an email blast wishing everyone a happy and kosher Passover. Luckily, luckily, we here far beyond the borders of the Holy Land have SIX, count &#39;em, more days of Passover. So, I can still wish everyone who has been logging on to the site a very happy, hopefully restful remainder of the holiday. I know that many are fortunate enough not to have to work during chol hamoed. I know because I get to see about 800 of your faces for meals Thursday and Friday while I&#39;m working. I&#39;m looking forward to a fun time. Seriously, the tough days are behind me....the rest is a good time. Frank and Rabbi Aryeh (less stressed last summer) ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-04-21T01:45:38-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Springisintheair.html">
<title><![CDATA[Spring is in the Air]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Springisintheair.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Spring is in the air. I took notice the other morning when I woke with my eyes swollen, throat closed, chest and sinuses congested. It&#39;s Passover in Seattle, a little later this year than usual. This poses some significant challenges for me. Basically, I&#39;m allergic to most foods with wheat, dairy, soy and especially eggs. I don&#39;t have the discipline to stop eating such things so I get by with 24 hour allergy tablets and topical cortizone. Passover cooking and baking, especially in huge quantities, is all about eggs and at Hillel, matzoh meal....and, chocolate. I&#39;ve no problems with chocolate.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-04-11T16:06:02-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Sharonhammel.html">
<title><![CDATA[Sharon Hammel, Rest in Peace]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Sharonhammel.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Yesterday, at the start of cleaning for Passover, my sister Jeanette calls. With her &#39;hello&#39;, I can tell something is very wrong. It&#39;s a call she says she doesn&#39;t want to make but thinks I&#39;d be interested to know that her friend Sharon has died in a house fire. I&#39;m at a loss of what to think. Sometimes I&#39;m tired of thinking. I hardly know what to say to my sister as I feel her pain and grief from 100 miles away. Sometimes I&#39;m tired of talking. It takes me longer to feel. With the Passover work party assembled behind me, I put aside the thoughts and feelings. I have to work, my usual escape. Until this morning.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-04-04T10:36:26-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/CleaningforPassoverOlympics.html">
<title><![CDATA[Cleaning for Passover Olympics]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/CleaningforPassoverOlympics.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Like all extreme sports, Passover Cleaning requires years of practice to get the maximum result with the least amount of energy spent. This is our 7th year catering the Passover Seder and community lunches at Hillel UW. The Karen Meyers Gamoran Center for Jewish Life gets a workout this time of year. Every corner of the building is used; for cooking, eating, working and storage. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-04-04T01:34:27-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Chometzmobile.html">
<title><![CDATA[The Chometz-mobile]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Chometzmobile.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I start thinking about Passover around Thanksgiving; wondering if I should buy lottery tickets or get on JDate in hopes of getting out of cooking for Passover for the community. I don&#39;t like the feeling of losing or being out of control....so, I don&#39;t buy tickets or renew my subscription to JDate. By December, the vendors are looking for orders for kosher for Passover ingredients. I then start bugging Kris about whether or not I&#39;m doing the Passover program at Hillel. It is actually a very fun community event. A huge first night seder followed by chol moed lunches. Depending on how the holiday falls out, the number of lunches varies. This year is like last year, fairly easy. Only 1100 meals. By January, all the menus are done.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-03-29T22:55:09-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/AnotherWar.html">
<title><![CDATA[Seriously, another WAR?]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/AnotherWar.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I don&#39;t know. After a long day today, I get home and open the fridge. It&#39;s 9:00 pm, what is there around here to eat? Ah, foil containers of &#39;catering overruns&#39; from the Purim seudah I catered on Sunday. What day is it today?Nuking the teriyaki chicken and fried rice, I turn on cable news. I&#39;m eating leftovers from the day after the LATEST war started. Brother. Got an email today from my anti-war protesting buddy, Sky. He did a roadtrip from Iowa to DC last weekend to join other Vets protesting the TWO wars that were going on. Add another. Brother.This is actually the Woman&#39;s March on Washington, 2004 I spent a lot of time protesting the wars in the early 2000&#39;s. Lot of good it did.Don&#39;t make me go back to DC!]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-03-24T00:54:11-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/NotMakingHamentachen.html">
<title><![CDATA[Not Making Hamentachen]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/NotMakingHamentachen.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Last month, struggling with jet lag, I review my workload and conclude that I can&#39;t make hamentachen this year. I feel badly for my regular customers. Last year we make "Hamentachen for Haiti", joining forces with the Stroum Jewish Community Center. With their huge role as a community gathering center they serve as point of sale. Assessing the retail potential, I know we can sell our usual 13,000 hamentachen over the week of Purim. I employ my old Nordstrom buyer skills for merchandising: stack it deep and sell them (not so) cheap. With the help of the community, we make our goal. But, with Passover on our heels, we never adequately acknowledge everyone for purchasing so much hamentachen. After covering expenses, we donate $3600 to earthquake relief by sending a check to the Chabad of the Dominican Republic to purchase supplies to truck to Haiti. I want to thank everyone now for their purchase and contribution to the cause.I can&#39;t believe that there is another huge earthquake/tsunami/nuclear reactor disaster in Japan. I wish I had the time to do another fundraiser this Purim. I can only make what I need for my events.....I am not making hamentachen this year, only 2,000 of them. But, with or without hamentachen, I know the community is generous and supportive of those who have lost so much.Wishing everyone a happy, fun and grateful Purim. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-03-18T01:08:14-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/StatusUpdate.html">
<title><![CDATA[Status Update]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/StatusUpdate.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Status update: I haven&#39;t forgotten all of you this week and I appreciate your patience! The situation in Japan has my attention and I find the usual spring in my step somewhat lacking. So much devastation to comprehend. Juggling many balls as we roll into Purim and then Passover, lots of great recipes are coming your way. All my menus for Hillel are organized and I&#39;ll be sharing those ideas with you. We are also tying up the final section of the website. Wowzers ~ stay tuned!]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-03-17T08:48:39-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/AlmostPurim.html">
<title><![CDATA[Almost Purim]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/AlmostPurim.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[My oldest daughter, Rebekah, is with two of her friends from junior high school. This picture is actually taken at Halloween as they were going to a party. Bekah was born before my conversion so she isn&#39;t Jewish. Her friend on the right, Allison is Jewish and now works for the State Department in Panama. These 3 girls will be tourists for 2 weeks starting this weekend. My motherly instincts are to be worried for their safety. Looking at this selection of costumes, maybe not......Have fun Bekah, I love you!]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-03-14T00:32:44-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/TheEndofanEra.html">
<title><![CDATA[The End of an Era]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/TheEndofanEra.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Thursday night, after getting a dinner party out the door, I come home and drop onto the couch. MSNBC rotates through the nightly line up as I doze. I catch the breaking news interruption and can&#39;t believe my eyes. An earthquake has hit Japan. A helicopter is chasing a tsunami as it rolls towards the coast. This is real time, not the replays. Holding my breath, the tsunami overtakes the beach and with its miles wide energy rips over, through and around everything in sight. Vehicles moving along the roads are gobbled up by the rushing water. This isn&#39;t a Tom Cruise end of the world B flick; this is real. This is horrifying.Daniel in kimono, Asami (in cardboard stand with face cut-outs) ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-03-13T22:07:30-0500</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/PopoverHassidim.html">
<title><![CDATA[Popover Hassidim]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/PopoverHassidim.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Years ago, when I was still designing outerwear, I couldn&#39;t resist making these costumes. "The Popover Hassidim", stylish and elegant, I love the hat boxes covered in faux fur. Nothing like a streimel that makes a statement. Wrap around Ray Bans, circa 1980 complete the look. How I wish I could put my sewing machine somewhere I can get to. It&#39;s in the closet now...a full sized industrial machine stuffed into the closet. Hmmm.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-03-08T01:25:30-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/bowlfullofcherries.html">
<title><![CDATA[If Life is a Bowl Full of Cherries....]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/bowlfullofcherries.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Coming home early after a 9 hour work day, I throw myself on the couch. Vacillating between guilt and indulgence, I convince myself that anyone who makes lunch for 50 people can be tired and deserve a nap. Anyone who has a Coke, lemon bar and rhubarb shortbread for breakfast, and lunch, should feel a sugar crash. Anyone who stands in line at the supermarket and catches a glimpse of &#39;celebrity cellulite&#39; ought to feel depressed. I close my eyes...just for a few minutes.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-03-08T00:10:55-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/PurimFun.html">
<title><![CDATA[Purim Fun]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/PurimFun.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Going through some old photos I came across snapshots of Purims past.  ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-03-01T22:16:33-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Illrememberyou.html">
<title><![CDATA[I'll Remember You]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Illrememberyou.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I&#39;m not always sure what a blog is for or what it is supposed to be about. I&#39;ve often been told I should write a book but it isn&#39;t easy to find the beginning, end or middle of a story; especially the story of a life of epically mediocre proportions. I can&#39;t predict what I&#39;ll write.I feel the need to organize my emotions. There is Purim, hamentachen and the anniversary of my father&#39;s passing ~ may his memory be for a smile and a chuckle. He loved to tell stories. In 1998, my sister Jeanette and I finish the last of the hamentachen orders. It is March 10th, the day before Purim starts. My sister stayed with my father when in Seattle from Friday Harbor. He lived about a mile from where I was living with my family. This particular day, she takes my daughter Rebekah to my dad&#39;s and finds him in bed not breathing. He&#39;d been ill for years with lung issues but we hadn&#39;t expected him to pass any time soon. She calls to tell me.  ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-03-01T02:58:50-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ProsperityCorner.html">
<title><![CDATA[Prosperity Corner - Where are you?]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ProsperityCorner.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[February is gone. I spent half of it in Bali and the other half jet lagged. I only catered one event this month, this past Shabbat and now February is over. In between flopping from bed to sofa, I did manage to sound upbeat on the phone to potential clients, "Sure, send me an email with the details and I&#39;ll get right back to you!" Yesterday, after uploading the hamentachen recipe, I decide that I should print all those emails and review the details. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-02-28T18:37:29-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Whatsfordinner.html">
<title><![CDATA[Whats for dinner?]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Whatsfordinner.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[My 16 year old, Aviva, calls at 6:45 pm and wants to know when I&#39;m coming home from work. Her girlfriend has gone home sooner than I expected, I need to be mom. I tell her that I&#39;m finishing up the THREE HUNDRED blintzes for the Kiddush lunch this Shabbat and I&#39;ll be home by 7:30. She wants to know what&#39;s for dinner? ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-02-25T00:09:31-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Hermolis.html">
<title><![CDATA[Hermolis Kosher Airline Food]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Hermolis.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Clearing stacks of recipes and papers from various tables, I came across a mini brochure from Hermolis. They provided 5 of 6 kosher airline meals served on my flights to and from Bali. I have to give them a shout out for outstanding food. Flying Cathay Pacific is always a treat, even in coach. The Hermolis meals, especially when the entree was heated enough, were a welcome break from the tuna, rice crackers, almonds, fruit...and chocolate covered raisins I&#39;d been eating for days. Apparently, one can order Hermolis meals for hotels, etc. I&#39;m going to keep that in mind. www.Hermolis.comOn the way from Bali to Hong Kong, I was lucky to have not only an empty seat next to me, but also a young woman from Canada on the aisle. At 28, she is my daughter&#39;s age. Jewish, we had a chance to talk about her external travels through Indonesia and her spiritual journey inward. Feeling a need to settle down, her Jewish identity was asking some tough questions of her. Coming from a small town, there isn&#39;t a community to support a rich Jewish lifestyle. As a foodie, "ninja princess" has many dietary restrictions for health and social issues. My kosher meal gave us the opportunity to talk about how kosher was another way to raise our consciousness about food and our connection to Judaism. "Ninja Princess" is a very cool young woman and I want to find a nice Jewish young man for her. Smart, attractive, well traveled, willling to relocate and settle down...and cooks like a ninja! Let me know if you think of anyone.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-02-21T22:40:59-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/WhyDidtheChickenCrosstheRoad.html">
<title><![CDATA[Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/WhyDidtheChickenCrosstheRoad.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Jet lag combined with a desire for my vacation to never end left me able to only accomplish the necessary this past week. Finalizing Passover at Hillel, I realize we are eight weeks out from the holiday. There is a spectrum across the Jewish world of how this holiday is observed; some being far more stringent than others. Living in a Chabad community during my conversion, I adopted some of the traditions of this group. After I married, gebrokts (any wet matzoh) was avoided until the last day of the holiday, the 8th day. Doing the Hillel community project for the past 7 years, I&#39;ve gotten used to using matzoh meal and such during the first 7 days. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-02-20T02:39:44-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/jetlagreflections.html">
<title><![CDATA[Jet Lag Reflections]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/jetlagreflections.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[My sister and brother in law spared me a 10 hour layover in Vancouver and picked me up there last night. Dropping me home in Seattle, my sister then drove back north an hour to her home. Thank you, thank you! I was able to unpack and rustle around until about 2:00 am. However, I was unable to get up until after 2:00 pm today, my body resisting the notion that a person can travel 1/2 the world in a day. Now I&#39;m up late, my piles of work organized for the week ahead. I&#39;m putting Bali behind me as events, Purim, Passover and further development of this site loom.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-02-15T03:59:50-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/HomewardBound.html">
<title><![CDATA[Homeward Bound]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/HomewardBound.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Our group toured to Ubud, a popular tourist destination touted to be a bit more artistic than the local beach scene. I don&#39;t know...at first glance I thought Park City, Utah or Lahaina, Hawaii - but, it really was just another mass of tourists fighting broken narrow sidewalks risking their lives to get to the other side of the street. I should be more positive but how much shopping can people do? There was one incredible experience to be had: a massage in the most fabulous setting. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-02-12T20:27:09-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BaliGroup.html">
<title><![CDATA[The Bali Group]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BaliGroup.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I&#39;ve been in Bali for a week and have left the hotel ONCE! This is odd but I&#39;ve been in seminar from 10:00 until 6:00 pm. I refuse to go out in the dark and since I&#39;m keeping kosher, I don&#39;t have any reason to run around looking for places to eat. Karen from AustraliaI did join the group for an all day excursion up into the center of the Island. I didn&#39;t quite have the same experience as the others as I didn&#39;t feel comfortable taking part in a blessing ritual and a dip in the &#39;mikveh&#39; followed by another blessing ritual performed by a Balinese high priest. I find that the ritual practice of Judaism is elegant and meaningful...no need for spiritual sightseeing. So, I spent considerable time wandering the small village and wandering the temple compound. Bali is a 3rd world country so, despite its mystery and intrigue, poverty is prevalent and it feels ostentatious to even walk about. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-02-08T08:51:27-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BaliMassage.html">
<title><![CDATA[Bali Massage]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BaliMassage.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Once again I&#39;m perched on the balcony overlooking the hotel lobby so I may access the Internet. It is almost 7:00 pm, dark seeps through the window and I dare not go out. A week in Bali and I can&#39;t do it. I tried it last night, venturing over to the spa for a massage. Winding my way through the grounds to the particular building housing the spa, I marvel at both the scenery and the fact that I&#39;ve been here a week and have not ventured very far. I&#39;m too afraid. This is a clearing in the jungle.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-02-07T05:20:43-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BaliStaff.html">
<title><![CDATA[Bali in Service]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BaliStaff.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[It is the rainy season in Bali, La Nina wrecks havoc on Australia and we are to the northwest catching torrential rainfall. It is fine with me as I&#39;m pretty much in a seminar room all day. Here, near the equator, the days and nights are fairly split. I&#39;m not big on going out at night in the tropics, being a particular delicacy for mosquitoes. And, as far as being a party girl, kosher caterer is about as fun as I get! ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-02-05T17:11:12-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/TheRambamMartinBuber.html">
<title><![CDATA[The Rambam and Martin Buber]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/TheRambamMartinBuber.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Entering the cholent competition last month at shul, I was asked what I would bring with me if I were stuck on a deserted island. Other contestants thought iPad and Smart Phones. Hmm, I said &#39;tongs&#39;, as it is stated in Pirkei Avot, you need tongs to make tongs. We&#39;ll if I&#39;m going to touch anything on a deserted island, I wanted tongs. Besides, I didn&#39;t even remember to bring a power adapter to Bali. ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-02-03T19:33:52-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/AheadofYourTime.html">
<title><![CDATA[Ahead of Your Time]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/AheadofYourTime.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I&#39;m in Bali ~ sitting on the balcony level of my very nice hotel overlooking the main lobby entrance. Not only is this the only place to get free wi-fi, it is prime real estate to see who else is staying here. So, the ulitmate multi-tasker that I am gets to both sight see and work.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-02-02T23:20:59-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/HappyChineseNewYear.html">
<title><![CDATA[&#26032;&#24180;&#24555;&#27138;  Gung hei faat choih]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/HappyChineseNewYear.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[My friend Sue stops by on Shabbat and mentions that Chinese New Year is celebrated this week. We grew up in an ethnically diverse neighborhood so these holidays are notable. We greet our Chinese friends with &#39;gung hei faat choih&#39; - the greeting for happiness and prosperity. Sitting at the local kosher vegan Chinese restaurant last night, I extend greetings to the loyal staff who have worked there since the Ming Dynasty. It is a big deal to the Chinese and I remember during high school the exchange of tangerines with leaves and stems intact, along with the red money envelopes...more good luck and prosperity.This morning, while lying in bed, I remember watching Rachael Maddow last year at this time. She is discussing the Chinese New Year and the travel in China as everyone rushes home for the holiday. It is an event described as the largest human migration in history. I have a 3 hour layover in Hong Kong. I&#39;ll now join the largest human migration in history. Online check-in with Cathay Pacific posts a number of travel advisories. One of them is the huge numbers of travelers at this time.Another is that Bali Ha&#39;i, which I am choosing to mean volcano, is erupting and causing flight cancellations and rerouting.In addition, the US State Department doesn&#39;t recommend travel to Bali, and if you are there, doesn&#39;t recommend the water or alcohol!Adding canned tuna, rice crackers, and chocolate covered raisins to my shopping list, I tell myself it will all be fine. "Sam seung sih sihng - Accomplish that in your heart"]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-01-31T00:21:46-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Balihai.html">
<title><![CDATA[Bali Ha'i or Bali Chai?]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Balihai.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Wow. I&#39;m leaving for Bali on Monday night to meet some friends. Feeling a bit of ticket buyer&#39;s remorse, I wonder what possessed me to think that I could possibly leave for a vacation now. Booking the reservation just prior to Rosh Hashana, I feel deserving of a break. August is intense with catering, September and October are crazy, and then the website project over-took November until today....and, tomorrow.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-01-30T01:11:35-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ChallahEpic.html">
<title><![CDATA[Challah Braiding: The HD Epic in Surround Sound]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ChallahEpic.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I&#39;m not a movie star. I don&#39;t want to be a movie star. I want to show people how to do a selection of braids for challah. That&#39;s all I want.....]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-01-26T01:30:49-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/SargentShriverVanesa.html">
<title><![CDATA[Sargent Shriver, Albert and Vanessa]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/SargentShriverVanesa.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Turning to the news of Sargent Shriver&#39;s passing, memories past mingle with new consciousness. Embarrassing as it is to acknowledge, I had no idea of his monumental contribution to the Peace Corps, Volunteers of America and other such notable service organizations. Realizing I have this bumper sticker, I dig it out of my &#39;forever box&#39; and scan it to the immortal web.]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-01-21T00:37:52-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/thechefs.html">
<title><![CDATA[WSJHS Cookbook Project]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/thechefs.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Washington State Jewish Historical Society has undertaken a very ambitious project. They are writing a cookbook based on family recipes, and the stories associated with them, of Jews in the Northwest. Titled "Yesterday&#39;s Mavens, Today&#39;s Foodies", the book will host a range of culinary traditions from the region.Photo by Dawn Lucrisia Photography]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-01-17T01:18:30-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/TuBShevat.html">
<title><![CDATA[Tu B'shevat Menu Ideas]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/TuBShevat.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[This Thursday is Tu B&#39;shevat, the day that marks the new year of the trees fruit-bearing cycle in the Holy Land. The internet has many resources for learned and detailed information on the holiday. As with all things Jewish, there are so many layers of meaning to derive from study. Reflecting on the passage "Man is like a tree of the field" (Deuteronomy 20:19), we have yet another opportunity to consider our personal tree of life. How strong are our roots, how do our branches reach toward our potential and what fruit do we bear over the seasons?]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-01-16T23:49:05-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Sister.html">
<title><![CDATA[The Supreme Lucrisia Sisters (and mom)]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/Sister.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[It is often said that time goes by faster as one gets older. No kidding! It isn&rsquo;t just that it is 2011. The hours, days and weeks pass so quickly that before I know it, I&rsquo;m spending New Year&rsquo;s Day closing my business books. This year, Shabbat saved me from celebrating in such a dismal fashion. My sister Leilani came down on Sunday and we blew through everything. Balancing the check register, W-2&rsquo;s, 1099&rsquo;s, Labor and Industries, Employment Security, 940 and 941&hellip;&hellip;NEXT!!! I even got new file folders, crisp and anal as only someone related to me could do.Saying &#39;aloha&#39; to my father, zt"l (1998) ]]></description>
<dc:date>2011-01-05T01:24:04-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BettyCrocker.html">
<title><![CDATA[Betty Crocker and Me]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BettyCrocker.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[I&rsquo;m an apartment dweller, not an unusual thing for large cities like New York, but rather odd for someone of my age in Seattle. At least, I should be in a condo, but my stunted bohemian side resists the trappings of permanence a grounded residence provides. I could use more space but three bedroom apartments are hard to find and I&rsquo;d have to bother to look. I&rsquo;m not big on housework, either. I can hardly keep up with the space I have now.]]></description>
<dc:date>2010-12-27T03:29:02-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/OhCroquembouche.html">
<title><![CDATA[Oh Croquembouche, Oh Croquembouche]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/OhCroquembouche.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The songs of the cultural majority this time of year, subliminal "buy now" Muzak, generally permeate my air space as white noise. Once in a while, Bing Cosby jolts me to recollections of December 2008, what a nightmare! The city of Seattle, under a siege of white, slips and slides into the nearest Starbuck&#39;s. No school, no work, no record breaking sales...a total economic disaster. This year, 2010, the Pineapple Express dumps buckets of rain, spirits seem dampened. I don&#39;t feel bombarded by ho-ho-ho, I sense more ho-hum. Maybe it is because I stand outside the hoopla. Maybe it is because someone was discovered living in a storage unit in the basement of the building. Things aren&#39;t that great for many people.I&#39;ve heard references to Chanakah bushes but I&#39;ve yet to see one. As a convert, jonesing for what glistens in my neighbor&#39;s window doesn&#39;t register. Mostly I just think to each his own; been there, done that. Admittedly, the dreidel thing doesn&#39;t resonate, either. One might convert one&#39;s religious perspective and ideals with soul transforming rigor. One does not, however, find scoring big on trail mix equal to Santa&#39;s haul!]]></description>
<dc:date>2010-12-21T17:34:03-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/EatanElephant.html">
<title><![CDATA[How Do You Eat an Elephant?]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/EatanElephant.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[This morning was one of those times when I first wake with my eyeballs. Hearing Aviva&#39;s alarm go off, I open my eyes like a person with &#39;locked in&#39; syndrome. My first impulse is to take stock of the basics. Who am I?]]></description>
<dc:date>2010-12-17T00:05:57-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/1stNightChanukah.html">
<title><![CDATA[1st Night of Chanukah]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/1stNightChanukah.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Happy Chanukah!              Shabbat Shalom!]]></description>
<dc:date>2010-12-03T02:50:10-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/PassoverIsComing.html">
<title><![CDATA[Are you asking me for my Passover order?]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/PassoverIsComing.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[It&#39;s the first day of Chanukah and I&#39;ve already been supplied deadlines for Passover orders. I&#39;m waiting for final confirmation that I&#39;ll be doing the Passover program at Hillel UW. This year, we have big plans for changing up the menu. I estimate that we&#39;ll be doing 1,800 meals between Hillel and private seders.Can&#39;t believe that it is time to outline the meals, develop the menus, project ingredients and place orders, schedule kitchen cleaning, Va&#39;ad mashgiach supervision and production. And, if you&#39;ve read this, you&#39;ll be happy to know that I&#39;m going to devise a handy checklist for home use to countdown to Passover.Meanwhile, time to bake Chanukah cookies and fry sufganiyot!]]></description>
<dc:date>2010-12-01T16:54:03-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/CasualItalianSupper.html">
<title><![CDATA[Casual Italian Supper]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/CasualItalianSupper.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[ The first night of Chanukah is tonight but I shift my thoughts forward to December 12th. Setting aside work for the mini pre-launch of LeahCooksKosher.com, I focus my attention on the party at hand. A very good client is hosting a casual wedding shower with both men and women in attendance.]]></description>
<dc:date>2010-12-01T13:13:16-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BenoitDaures.html">
<title><![CDATA[Benoit Daures ~ The French Guy]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/BenoitDaures.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[What can I say about Benoit and Leah&#39;s Bakery and Catering? Could it even exist without all the long hours and bickering we put into the endeavor? I owe Benoit much for all his coaching and prodding and knife sharpening and running around. His dedication and fabulous customer service made him the face of Leah&#39;s Catering. Most people still say to me, "Oh, you&#39;re Leah". ]]></description>
<dc:date>2010-11-30T14:49:55-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/JudithGamoran.html">
<title><![CDATA[Judith Gamoran ~ My Adopted Jewish Mother]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/JudithGamoran.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[The week my daughter Aviva was born, Judith Gamoran arrived in Seattle with her newly retired husband Rabbi Hillel Gamoran. I don&#39;t know which event has the biggest impact on my life; giving birth to my daughter or meeting Judith. Missing the welcome-to-town party as a guest of the University of Washington Jewish Studies contingent, I met the Gamorans for the first time at my Shabbat table. This is the beginning of the Leah&#39;s Bakery journey. Judith took a bite of my homemade challah and said, "you should sell this". ]]></description>
<dc:date>2010-11-30T11:50:23-0600</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ChamiGross.html">
<title><![CDATA[Chami Gross ~ My Foodie Rebbe]]></title>
<link>http://www.leahcookskosher.com//blogs/ChamiGross.html</link>
<description><![CDATA[Years ago I auctioned off a "Hawaiian Dinner" for a half dozen couples. My friend Chami, the original foodie in the community, made her gorgeous ice bowl.  ]]></description>
<dc:date>2010-11-08T11:55:48-0600</dc:date>
</item>
</rdf:RDF>