Kol Ishah

Am I world famous in Sioux Falls? Not quite that provincial, but fortunately my visage is not on any billboards - or wanted posters at the PO for that matter. Still, it is funny in the Midwest, I'll have people come up and say, "I know you from TV."Most of the time, it's pretty funny, but also strange.

Many moons ago, I used to have a semi-regular segment on the radio - although not in this country. The irony of that it was an etiquette segment - and I was giving advice in the minority language of a European country, whilst the majority of callers belonged to the much larger majority population. Again, we had a majority of male callers, if I recall correctly. Maybe it was my voice - or some rampant social anxiety among Finnish guys.

That part of being in the media is very disconcerting - that you have no control over who listens to you or their reaction. And listeners - especially those of the male persuasion -can be very odd. One particular time, I was speaking on Estonian radio about some linguistic research I was doing at the time - speaking in English - and I had two different chaps just show up at the station. Apropos nothing. Just from my voice. That was pretty creepy - like some kind of low-wattage Lorelei.

But this leads back to the kol ishah thread of this post. Had those kinds of incidents not happened to me - and it wasn't the last, unfortunately - I might have thought the whole prohibition on hearing women sing or perform (depending, as ususal, on who you ask) for men was pretty bogus. While I still think it's essentially the burden of the listener to focus on the message, not the medium or the mediator, that experience of having seemingly normal people be so entranced by a not-so-very entrancing voice made me think a bit. I mean, my voice doesn't shatter glass or make dogs howl, but it's pretty generic. Is this more of a guy thing? Do women ever stalk guys because of their voices? And why can't some guys just get a grip?

When I first started out talking on the radio in a more serious way, I had to practice making my voice lower. Not Marlene Dietrich, but huskier than my usual speaking voice. I'd forgotten just how high my voice used to be until I started realizing that my voice used to sound remarkably like my 15 y/o sister's -
almost squeaky sweet. But 20 years ago, low voices projected better on the
radio, so those with high-pitched voices had to retrain their voices or get out of the ether. To this day, I tend to modulate much lower if I am dealing with a microphone.

On the other hand, my mother was absolutely underwhelmed when she heard me on a
BBC broadcast one day. I asked her what she thought, and she was just quiet. Finally, she burst out that she was suprised that I sounded so Midwestern! This was of course the radio standard for the US, and the norm I was raised with, might I add. I guess she thought that on the BEEB I should go all RP or affect Liverpudlian. Ah, if it's not one thing, it's your mother (may she enjoy a long and healthy life!).

Hair today ... Hat Tomorrow

Architect's drawing of Helsinki synagogue, 1904,
originally uploaded by Ablevaybel

Covered on Shabbes. No, really. What do you think about hair coverings? I just learned that my husband HATES snoods. With my penchant for all things 40's, I've always had a bit of a soft spot for them. Not that I wear them all that often, but they don't morally or aesthetically offend me. My pal's husband hates them as well. Both my husband and I are good with turbans on me.

I'm basically a hat girl. Love hats but have a huge watermelon of a head, which makes buying them off the rack as slightly less likely than the small bears by the lake capturing the flag. Oy, we suffer on many levels here!

Fortunately, I know a very gifted hatmaker. Unfortuantely, she lives in Tallin, as in Estonia. Fortunately, she has made a hat form to fit my outsized noggin. Unfortunately, we can't get hold of her very often, as she is now in great demand as a designer. I am hoping my DH will get me another summer hat from her before long - my birthdays, both civil and Hebrew are coming up shortly.

One of the nice things about being married - and there are many - is wearing a hat to shul. I waited for this. Really. Like years. So, we are married and off to Helsinki for our honeymoon (wait, you didn't honeymoon in Finland? doesn't everybody?). Anyway, we schlep off to shul(the one in the above picture) and I get stopped. Hubby just breezes on in while I get the third degree. Why? Cos I've forgotten my hat at home! I'm so newly wed that I'd completely forgotten it! There's also the little problem that I don't have ID on me - which I wouldn't since it's the sabbath. So we engage in a quick round of Jewish geography - in Finland-Swedish, which you think would be SOME tip-off to the elderly, suspicious, sweet old Swedish-speaking gentleman guarding the gate like some shakey geriatric terrier. Finally, I pass muster and am allowed in, only to have to wear one of those little black doily things. I watched two of them sail down from the balcony over the heads of the men, trying to see how my husband was getting on. It was embarassing, but somehow kind of an oddly "Free Willy" moment as they fluttered on down to the main action on the sanctuary floor. Most ladies there cover their heads loosely with oblong shawls or scarves in shul. Here's the funny part, though - my Turkish friend wanted to meet us that day and was able to walk right through the gate with a scarf without so much as a by your leave!

Later, when we moved to Finland to live, a frum gentleman in the kehilla wondered why I only covered my head in shul or in Jewish contexts. BTW, most of the ladies, frum or not, in that community don't cover their heads outside of the sanctuary or for blessings, in my experience. I answered that I hadn't learned to wear my crown full-time, and that's still how I feel. But I am enjoying my new thin scarf and funky snood, especially after swimming. My non-Jewish swimming mates have remarked that I now look like I belong to the community.

London Calling

Like many folks, I woke up to the troubling news from London. I decided to ring up my good friend who lives in the north of England to see how she was doing. Fortunately the news was good: her family are all fine - her machutonim live close to one of the areas evacuated earlier and she got tenure in a position that allows her to work half-time for the next four years. That is brilliant given that she has a 7 month old at home. Mazel Tov, Shana!

As for news, I check a lot of different sources when I can. Different sites are good for different info, naturally enough. High on my list for standard international news are:

•The Beeb

• BBC Jewish News

•The CBC

•Finnish Radio - Internytt

•Corriere della Serra

•Haaretz

•Hufvudstadsbladet

•Dagens Nyheter

•Dagbladet

Your opinions probably differ, but this is what I like right now. I find the Italian site to be the best updated, interestingly enough. The BBC's Jewish news is consistenly interesting and deserves to be better known.

Sunrise, Sunset...

UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE...UPDATE

The Daylight Savings Time section has been struck from the Energy Bill by Senator Craig, pending further study. Call Senator Craig's office to let him know your feelings about his action. His office number is (202) 224-2752.

For more on a Jewish take on the DST controversy, see OrthoMom's post
on how it might affect religious Jews and others. From there, you can get to the OU site and take a stand, should you feel so inclined. Selfishly, I welcome all the light we can get, especially this far north. Children should have reflectors in their pockets and wear reflective strips on their backpacks, as is common in areas where people have gone to school in the dark for years.

This just in from the CBC - my preferred source of news in the US:

Congress to add 2 months to Daylight Savings Time

It looks like Daylight Saving Time is about to be extended, and that has child safety and fire prevention advocates riled.

Congressional leaders of both parties have signed off on a proposal, being considered in Washington this week, to start Daylight Saving Time on the first Sunday in March and end on the last Sunday of November,saying it would save energy, ostensibly by using less electricity to light homes and offices.

If the president signs the bill, which is expected, the new law would take effect immediately, extending Daylight Saving Time by one month this fall. Currently, Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April and ends at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October.

Since I don't have little kids waiting for the bus in the dark or need to be up at the crack of dawn to plough the back 40, this doesn't affect me too directly in any negative way. Frankly, living as far north as we do, I'll be happy for longer days as long as we can get them. This will throw all of our Shabbos calendars off though. Numen lumen all the way...

Daylight Savings Time used to be called "War Time" back in the day. Hope this isn't a throwback to those days. Crafty Benjamin Franklin is the slyboots to blame for bringing the whole idea up, although those trendsetting Belgians were the first to implement it - along with the Austrians - during WWI.

July 19, 1916

Mamére & Grandpa, 1950s,
originally uploaded by Ablevayble.

was my Mamére's birthday, despite what it says on her marriage certificate. She was my mother's mother, stood about 5'2" and was at least 7 feet tall in my memory. There wasn't anything she couldn't do when I was a kid - she knew all of the family stories, could cook or make most anything, knew and loved almost anything that grew in "the timber" behind their small farm and she was the absolute and unquestioned center of my mother's extended family.

She married my grandfather at 16 - he was 32 and it was scandalous even then. It was hard to reconcile the idea of a defiant, wild flapper with the kind, patient and self-controlled woman I knew as an adult, but pictures of her cutting-up with her sisters show another side to her that I couldn't appreciate fully as a girl.

Her father was killed in a very avoidable accident when she wasn't much more than 10 and her long-suffering mother had a hard time keeping her six high-spirited children in line at the same time as keeping body and soul together. Mamére wanted to have fun and to be free. That's not difficult to see from a creased photograph of the spit-curled girl with the flirty skirt, hoydenish smile and the flashing dark eyes.

To my Grand-Mamére, it must have seemed that Mamére had driven her ducks to a pretty poor market (as the family saying goes) when she picked my grandfather as her suitor. He was a tall, handsome dandy of a fellow, quick with a story and a smile. Perhaps she was looking for someone who reminded her of her father - or just someone who would get her out of the small South Dakota drycleaners where she worked long hours. More than likely, she wanted to be grown-up, with all the rights thereto pertaining.

"If you knew all the dishes you'd ever have to wash in your life, you'd put your pocketbook on your arm and walk down the road," Mamére often said about how lucky we are not to be able to know all the future has in store. They did alright, though. Mamére and Grandpa were married for 48 years, with five children to show for it. Though there was too much work, too many worries and surely their share of sorrows, there were many, many good times. This photo, taken in the late 1950's at their house in Rockford, Illinois, was clearly from one of those good times.

Happy Birthday, Mamére!

Gam zu l'Tovah - This Also is for the Good

Now, not that I'll ever be confused with Nachum Ish Gamzu (it's a good story - look it up), but at least something good comes from this heat here in the "middest of west", as a Turkish friend once called where I live. Not only does the corn love the heat, seemingly as much as I despise it, but when the mercury goes above 82/28, I truly am uninterested in eating food. Drinks, yes, most food, no.

The one healthy exception to this is salads. Tabouleh, especially made with good durum bulghur (which is a subject for a later discussion), is always good, but all kinds of salads are wonderful.

A recent favorite salad in our house - and my mother and my brothers houses - has been my adaptation of one of our rebbetzin's good salads. It's cheap and easy and fast.

Chinese Cole Slaw

1 pkg cole slaw cabbage mix
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. toasted slivered or sliced almonds (un-toasted work fine as well)

Dressing:

Equal parts of a neutral oil (corn, safflower, etc.) and rice vinegar
3 tblsp. toasted sesame seeds (both of the toasted items keep well in a glass jar)
1/2 tsp. fine sugar or sweetener
splash of soy - I prefer a dark
splash of sesame seed oil (light or dark)
white pepper and salt to taste

Mix dressing and add to salad ingredients. You can dress it right at the table or a little before if you like the dressing to soak in. Add other vegetables, if that suits your, or tofu or cheese if you are looking for more protein.

Saltade Riskor/ How to Salt Mushrooms

I met a lady a few weeks ago who asked me how to salt mushrooms. This is somewhat arcane knowledge among many young people, especially Americans. I learned how to do this from older folks in Finland and in the Baltics, but I'm not sure how widespread this method of preservation. Try it at your own risk!

The basics of the method have to do with taking somewhat bitter mushrooms and soaking them, pressing them out and then blanching them, prior to layering them with kosher salt in a wide-mouthed glass or ceramic jar. If you want the details, go to bablefish or some other translator.

As for what the mushrooms are called in English, I'm not sure. You can see pictures of what a "riska" and a "ticka" look like at the following website: http://www.myra.nu/svampar.html
HOWEVER - NEVER pick mushrooms that are unknown or unfamiliar to you. Alway show your mushrooms to a mycologist to ensure what you've picked won't make you ill or - heaven forfend - something even worse!


Saltade Riskor

Beska, något bittra svamparter, såsom riskor, fordra förvälling. Smakliga riskor fås genom att behandla dem på följande sätt:

Efter rensningen från fnas och mask nedlägges de i kallt vatten. Somliga menar att det räcker med några timmar, andra anbefaller att riskorna få ligga ett dygn och vattnet bytes några gånger under den tiden. De upptages med durkslag och förvällas, dvs, får ett uppkok i nytt vatten. Därefter kramas ut vattnet eller de få avrinna och läggas i en press. Efter denna procedur har den beska risksmaken så gott som helt försvunnit.

Saltning passar riskor och fårtickan utmärkt. After rensning eller förvälling, skäres i mindre bitar och nedlägges varvtals i kruka eller glassburk med vid mynning med kosher eller “köttsalt”, helst blandat med lite socker. 1/3 del socker ger bästa resultat. En lätt press lägges över. Vid användandet sköljes svamepen och vattlägges 16 –18 timmar. Man kan också förvälla den saltade svampen på nytt och blir då snabbare färdig för använding, men den kan också ätas som rå efter grundlig vattenläggning.

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may

Or at least trim the rosebushes while the temperature is below 90 - finally.
I hate heat. Not dislike, hate. Loathe. I am a walking advertisement for global warming. My face drips like it's going to slide off my head and I shvitz like there's no tomorrow. Which is how I feel in the heat - apocalyptic. But today it is lovely and I am taking regular breaks from my writing to go outdoors and be productive in the garden.

This leads me to write about methods of making rosewater and oil of roses. There are many traditional methods, some requiring elements which are either unwholesome or downright deadly - vitriolic acid and white lead come to mind.

To make rosewater or essence of roses, you can use the petals in either fresh or dried form, but gather them early, in the cool of the morning, while the petals are most likely still full of moisture and fragrance. Don't pick them after a rain or they will clump and not give a satisfactory product.

To make rosewater, steep at least 450g or one pound of petals in distilled water, witch hazel or pure alcohol. With distilled water, or the alcohol, put the mixture in a cool place, tightly capped and sealed in sterilized jars or bottles, for about a month. Keep stored between uses in a cool place, or the fridge. You can strain off the rose petals through gauze or muslin if you wish, but it is imperative to use sterilized containers to avoid mold.

Rosewater has traditionally been employed medicinally as a treatment for bruises and headache. It is lovely in the bath, the laundry, and as a cosmetic. The witch hazel mixture is especially good for the skin. Rosewater can also be used as flavoring in cooking. It adds a whole new dimension to pastries, sweets, jellies, cakes and fruit pies.

To make rose oil, there are two main methods. The simpler is to use a fine carrier oil such as cold-pressed almond oil, and cover 450 g or one pound of rose petals with the oil in a glass or ceramic jar. If you don't fancy the smell of almond oil, mineral oil will also work. Seal the jar carefully with an airtight lid, and place the mixture in a warm spot in your garden, along a brick wall or on a windowsill, until the petals turn brown. To make the oil stronger, you can repeat the procedure again with fresh petals, as many times as you think necessary for a strong, full bodied fragrance. Be certain to store this in a cool, dark place.

Another method, to be found in old ladies handbooks, is to take two pounds (ca. 1 kg) of rose petals and place them on a napkin tied round the edge of a basin filled with hot water. Place a dish of very cold water on the petals. Keep the bottom water hot and change the water at the top as soon as it begins to grow warm. The Mirror of the Graces from whence this recipe is taken claims that this method of distillation produces an excellent - and unadulterated - essential oil of roses.