Pekudei

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The first two chapters of Parasha Pekudei read like a legal document. They combine the work of an accountant with the work of a historian, and so we’re presented with a clear understanding of what materials and cash were on hand, the sources from whence they came, and a detailed explanation of how they were used. The names of the individual crafters are recorded, as well as the specifics of what each one produced. Historically speaking, it’s an amazing account of a building project from 3500 years ago. It even includes discussions of questions that arose and the way in which they were resolved.

And how amazing the craftmanship is! Textile weavings included threads of pure gold, first hammered out into thin sheets, and then cut into slivers fine enough to be woven in among various fibers. The details do go on and on, and after a while it can start to sound like yada yada yada. But if you pay attention to exactly what’s being done, it can take your breath away.

Once all the components are complete, Moshe puts it all together, erecting the Tabernacle, hanging the fabrics, and installing every object in its proscribed place.

At last complete, every item was anointed and sanctified. The showbread was placed, the incense was lit, the menorah was kindled. Finally, the humans who were to serve in the Tabernacle, Aaron the High Priest and his sons, were immersed and purified in the mikveh, dressed in their sacred garments, and personally anointed in the service of HaShem.

And there you have it. The Tabernacle.

And here comes the miracle, the magic—The Glory of God descended and rested upon a structure made by human hands, in view of every human being of the community.

The cloud that covered the Tent of Meeting was like a traffic light—When the cloud covered the Tabernacle, the Israelites stayed put. When it lifted, it was time to pack up and move forward on their journey. There were times they’d be packing and moving so often that there was barely time to unpack. Other times, they’d be in one location for years. 

Imagine what it would be like to always know when to move forward and when to stay put, without ever having to second guess yourself!

But there are some decisions that are more easily made. Such as…

So, what shall we eat?

Clouds.

Did you know? There’s a machine that uses helium to create actual edible clouds that float in the air above your plate! How awesome would that be? But the machine costs over $400, so even with my passion for fun food, I’m going to have to pass and leave that device to upscale professional kitchens.

The last few weeks I’ve made some very elaborate Shabbat dinners, and this week I’m in the mood to keep it simple and traditional—and by traditional, I mean the Ashkenazi-style Friday night dinner traditions of my culture.

So how to keep it on the simple side, relatively speaking, and still get some symbolism here?

Well, it’s kind of built in. Have a look at the challah. I mean, after hamotzi, after you’ve sliced it. A slice of challah laid flat looks very cloud-like. While we could make a six strand, woven loaf of eggless white bread to make our bread clouds more realistic in color, we’d be sacrificing the taste of our fabulous Golden Shabbat Challah for the sake of literalism. Not happening! So, our bread clouds will be golden.

Oh, and here’s what’s great about this menu. Most of it can—and some of it should—be made a day, or even two in advance, so that you can have a nice, relaxed Friday afternoon.

Ok, moving on. Now that we’ve got clouds, let’s paint a picture. We’ll start with something green, a meadow over which our clouds can hover. Meaning, we’re going to begin with a tender kale salad.

Tender kale. Is that an oxymoron? Yes, kale can be soft and tender and lovely to eat raw. It just needs a massage. When you work the dressing into the kale leaves with your fingers, it becomes transformed. I’m going to add apples and pomegranate arils to the kale, and dress it with the same components.

There will also be gefilte fish. I’m going to use a frozen log, but instead of poaching it in it’s paper as per the directions on the package, I’ll defrost it and form it into the traditional torpedoes…except that  I’ll squeeze them a bit, leaving them somewhat amorphous, which will make them, sort of, look like clouds. Then I’ll poach them according to the box directions, adding the onions and carrots to the poaching liquid as instructed.

If you’re making a vegetarian meal, pass on the fish and just make the salad.

Matzo Ball Soup will be next, with, too obvious…egg drop clouds. You can make my Vegetarian Version if you like. To make the soup, start with the basic recipe. Crack an egg white or two (depending upon the amount of soup you’re making) into a small bowl, add a pinch of kosher salt, and beat it up a bit with a fork. Get your soup simmering. Stir it clockwise, creating a vortex, and at the same time slowly drizzle the egg white into the pot. Remove the pot from the heat. Put a couple of matzo balls into each bowl and ladle the soup over them.

 This next bit might be a stretch but….if you were raising kids in the late 70s or in the late 00s, or if you were a kid in the late 70s or late 00s, you may remember a children’s book which became a movie called…

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Somehow, my brain took a journey to that story when thinking about clouds and food.

For the entrée, I’m going to go super simple and make my mother’s sweet and sour meatballs. Sneer at me if you like—I know it’s not my usual sort of recipe—but I refuse to be embarrassed by the use of canned and jarred ingredients here. It’s how Mom cooked. And the convenience foods in the recipe don’t have anything in them that’s inherently bad. Bottom line? These meatballs are delicious, and that’s what really matters.

If you’re serving vegetarians, make the meatballs with Impossible™ or Beyond™ ground beef substitute.

By the way, these meatballs are best made a day in advance, because a ngood night’s sleep in the refrigerator gives them time to absorb the flavors from the sauce.

Wide egg noodles are the perfect accompaniment for sopping up all that tasty gravy.

A side of oven braised cabbage and carrots will be a great accompaniment. Although it requires a long, slow cooking to become sweet and tender, it takes only minutes to prepare.

And for a sweet finish, we’ll go for sunshine on a cloudy day. A sunny lemon sorbet served with crispy vanilla meringue clouds will finish the meal. You can make the meringues from scratch or pick some up at the grocery store or bakery.

Ask diners to try to identify everything on the table that is cloud-inspired.

Menu for Parasha Pekudei

Golden shabbat challah

Tender Kale Salad with Apples and Pomegranate Arils

Gefilte Fish Clouds with horseradish

(see instructions above)

Matzo Ball Soup with fluffy egg clouds

chicken or no-chicken

Marilyn’s Sweet and Sour Meatballs

meat or vegetarian

Oven Braised Cabbage and Carrots

lemon Sorbet and Meringue Clouds

shabbat shalom!