As we read further into the book of Devarim, we continue to hear Moshe's recounting of the history and travels of the Israelites since they left Egypt, as well as reminders of critical moments and laws to keep in mind as they enter the land of Israel and their future.
There were a few things that caught my attention in the reading this week that gave me ideas for the menu. I'll share the ideas in order of the parsha, though that does put dessert first (which is, actually, a lovely and fun way to think of a meal.) As Moshe shares the information it says "Do not add to the word which I command you, nor diminish from it, to observe the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." (Devarim 4:2) This sounds not too dissimilar from what I've been told by some people who share recipes with me.
While some cooking has lots of room for creativity, other items (particularly cakes and things where the ratios of chemical reactions are important) require precise following of the instructions, with no additions/substitutions. So, I recommend making a cake that needs careful and exacting following of a recipe as the dessert.
The Torah goes on to describe the encounter of the Israelites with Hashem at Har Sinai and there's a lot of talk about fire...the mountain is on fire
"And you approached and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire up to the midst of the heavens, with darkness, a cloud, and opaque darkness." (Devarim 4:11) Hashem speaks from the fire, etc.
To feel the fire, we'd have a side dish of blistered shishito peppers.
Finally, likely the most famous passage in parsha Va'ethchanan is the text that becomes the first paragraph of the Shema prayer. As this paragraph speaks about mezzuzot, you can make any food that rolls up. So, if you want to double-up, you can do a jelly roll cake with exacting instructions. You can make a deli roll, can make rugelach, or you can make my favorite version of a food that's rolled...the Beef Pinwheel. This is a dish made with chopped, seasoned meat that is shaped into a rectangle, then mashed potatoes cover one half, mashed (cooked) carrots cover the other half of rectangle and then the whole thing is rolled up (like a jelly roll) and cooked.
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