Life Lessons from Fruit, in Honor of Tu B’shvat There is what to be learned from everything in Hashem’s magnificent creation, including fruit, especially the shivas haminim. Would you imagine that the delicious fruit we eat can also be inspiring? Here are some lessons we can learn when we take a deeper look at fruit. …
tu b'shvat
Rosh Chodesh Shevat–the Buds Beneath the Surface
The power of this month is believing in the things we can’t see with our own eyes. As the women of Klal Yisrael, Rosh Chodesh is a special Yom Tov for us. It’s a time when Hashem infuses the world with renewed energy, each month with its own special koach. Just as the feminine luminary,…
Outrageous Tropical Fruit Salad
You can make this one year round with fruits that you find at your corner grocery (and the freezer aisle!) I used to make a version of this salad years ago. It was my signature dish, and the funny part is, there is no cooking involved. Somehow, my guest always knew that there was a…
What Kind of Apples Should I Use?
Some are good for baking, and some for straight up eating. But there are so many varieties. How do I know what’s best? There are thousands of varieties of apples. Apple varieties span across countries from around the world. There are so many different types of apples that it can be hard to keep track…
What Does a New Year for Trees Have to Do with Me?
What should we be thinking about and davening for on this day? Tu B’shvat It’s a minor holiday, barely acknowledged, moderately celebrated. For many of us, it passes us by without us even noticing. But what is it all about? “It’s the Rosh Hashanah for the trees,” we have been taught since first grade, maybe earlier. The…
Ready for Baking? Make and Freeze This Apple Crumb Galette
The crumbs are the perfect addition to this apple version of our popular galette. One of the first recipes ever published here on BCP was this fruit galette. In the past I’ve only made this recipe using plums. I would begin making them midsummer and freeze a few raw to be baked during the fall….
Tanghulu Fruit: The Most Fun Way to Enjoy Fruit this Tu B’Shvat
What’s more fun? Making this sugar-coated fruit, or eating it? It was a Wednesday night and instead of doing homework, baths, brushing teeth… we were busy watching chefs cook interesting and unusual dishes online. “One more!” was heard after each short video, followed by either “that’s so yummmmm” or, more often than not “ewww who…
The Healthy-Ish Apple Date Crumble (That Just Happens to be Gluten Free Too)
It’s still dessert, but this apple date crumble will have you feeling good as you end the meal. Salads should be healthy. Desserts, not. I’ve learned that it’s very hard to make a completely healthy dessert that’ll give you that after-the-meal satisfaction that desserts are supposed to bring (there are some rare exceptions). Rather than…
The Mango Dessert That Everyone Has Room For
Refreshing. Light. Easy to prepare. Pretty. Can be prepared in advance. This mango coulis recipe is a keeper. Let’s face it. Yom Tov meals are heavy. Matzos are heavy. A nice refreshing dessert is always welcome. We posted our coulis recipe (see here). for Succos and it was such a huge hit we decided we…
How to Serve Chocolate Fondue for a Shabbos Dessert
We love chocolate, we love fruit and we love an easy dessert! Melted chocolate makes any fruit into dessert, and it’s literally the simplest thing you can prepare for a Friday night treat. Pour a bag of chocolate chips into a quart-size freezer Ziploc bag and seal. Place that bag into a small aluminum pan…
