In this week's Torah portion, the Egyptians are afflicted with the plague of darkness. The Israelites, however, were exempt from this plague, and so were able to see freely despite being surrounded by darkness. In this week's Torah Treats, the marshmallow represents the Israelites, who shine through and maintain their light, despite being completely encompassed by the midnight chocolate cookie.

Hey there olive lovers! The recipe for these olives came from my good friend (and chef extraordinaire!) Mosh. I couldn't stop eating these -- and I'll bet you can't have just one!

Imagine you are a Jewish slave, and you are so excited about Moses’s plan to take you out of Egypt in 2 weeks! Moses explains all of the rules for the Pascal lamb sacrifice (has to be done on the 14th of Nissan, roasted whole, blood painted on the doorposts, etc.) and then he mentions that you cannot break the bones (to suck marrow or lick every inch) as you eat it. That seems very specific! Why is there such a prohibition? What would you think is the significance of that detail?

Tu B'Shvat is considered the New Year for trees! We use Tu B'Shvat as an opportunity to explore our responsibility to the planet!

Imagine that you’re feeling particularly worn down by consecutive nights of child-interrupted sleep and mornings of strapping unwilling children into car-seats. An older, more experienced parent notices that you are not your adorable, chipper self, and inquires as to your well-being. You explain in between yawns that you are being terrorized by your toddler and abused by your infant. But instead of a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, you are greeted with a smug and superior 'Oh, little children little problems, big children big problems. That’s nothing compared to what I am going through….'

As the final three plagues hit Egypt, the Jewish people get ready to leave. Although Pharaoh's heart was hardened many times, it is the final plague, the plague of the First Born,  that convinces Pharaoh to let the Jewish people go. Click the icon below to download a printer friendly version.

So I’m sitting here in a motel in Barkeyville, PA, in the middle of nowhere on Route 80. Talia, Reia and I were on our way to NJ to visit my parents and siblings over my school break. Trouble is, we hit a snowstorm. Though we just bought snow tires last night, the snow got to be a bit too much and we decided to pull over.

We're giving away two cookbooks by June Hersh, Kosher Carnivore and Recipes Remembered: A Celebration of Survival. In Kosher Carnivore, Hersch offers readers 120 all-new, innovative meat and poultry recipes. Recipes Remembered gives voice to the remarkable stories and cherished recipes of the Holocaust community. This cookbook offers a moving compilation of food memories and stories about food and families, and recipes from Holocaust survivors from Poland, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Greece.

Help the locust fly off to the Red Sea! Click the icon below to download a printer friendly version.

Recycle household materials to make this tree!