We're excited for another week of Parsha-Inspired menus! This week I didn't riff off of any mentions of food (often a go-to source of inspiration), but I was excited to have a few ideas pop to mind. This week we read Parshat Yitro. This is the shortest of the weekly Torah portions we read on Shabbat and it reminds me of one of my favorite lines in a Shakespeare play "And though she be but little, she is fierce." (A Midsummer Night's Dream) Having often been one of the smallest kids in my class in school, I felt a strong connection to Hermia when she was described in this way.
So, Yitro may be but little, yet it is packed full of important events, including when God comes to Har Sinai (Mount Sinai) in quite the display of sounds and sights (thunder, shofar, fire, smoke, and cloud) and proceeds to share the Aseret HaDibrot (10 Commandments) directly with the Israelites. It's a significant moment in the history of the Jewish people so I felt it fitting to focus our menu items on this event.
Interestingly, since these are the same events we celebrate on the holiday of Shavuot, I found some inspiration from recipes intended for that holiday. Though many have a tradition of eating dairy on Shavuot I found that there's a traditional Libyan meat stew dish called Bazin that is eaten on Shavuot. The meat is cooked in a tomato sauce and then flour-based dough balls are placed with it. Since the dough balls kind of look like a mountain on the plate with the sauce and meat, it represents Har Sinai. I'm futzing around with a few different recipes on this one, so if it turns out well, I'll share what I concocted.
Two other items on the menu - a ten ingredient salad for the Aseret HaDibrot. You can really do any 10 items, but I'm doing romaine lettuce, butter lettuce, radicchio, avocado, mango, shredded carrot, edamame, scallions, radishes, and something crunchy (TBD). Finally, we'll finish up our meal with chocolate cupcakes (mountains) covered in green icing with flowers because of the midrash that says that the foot of Har Sinai, despite being in the desert, was fertile and covered in flowers.
Lots of yummy ways to celebrate the Revelation at Sinai!
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