Marcy Goldman's Everybody's Jewish Apple cake and The Upshern Tzitit Cake

ב''ה

This is a Tzizit cake. At three years old there is a Jewish custom for a boy to have his first hair cut - the 'upshernish'. The boy starts wearing sidelocks and tzizit, as commanded in the Torah (bible) as the official start of his Jewish Education.

The Ez Man before:

The Ez Man after:

Ezra Raiding the cookie table.

Aleph Beit Cookies. We take the boy wrapped in a talit to the bet medrash and learn Aleph Beit with him. We put honey on the letters that he reads so that it will be sweet to him. This is called the 'arayn-fir-nisht.'

More cookies

Lovely danishes. Baking isn't about the food itself really. Its about people getting together and sharing in each others pain and joy.

Here is the batter from Marcy Goldman's Everybody's Jewish Apple Cake recipe. Very easy to make No mixer needed.

My wife's opinion is that, this cake, while not as nuanced as one of Rose's cakes, is classic, satisfying and 'homey' (in yiddesh, "heimish").

Those who buy bread instead of baking it...

 
הלוקח תבואה מן השוק למה הוא דומה? לתינוק שמתה אמו, ומחזירין אותו על פתחי מיניקות אחרות ואינו שבע. 
הלוקח פת מן השוק למה הוא דומה? כאילו חפור וקבור. 
האוכל משלו דומה לתינוק המתגדל על שדי אמו. 

Rabbi Achai the son of Yoshia says:
What do you compare someone to who buys produce from the market (instead of growing it)?

To a baby whose mother has passed on and goes around trying to nurse from others and is never satisfied.

What do you compare someone to who buys bread from the market (instead of baking his own)?

To someone dead and buried!

Rather, a person who eats from his own efforts is like a baby who is nurtured from his mother's bosom

אבות דרבי נתן - פרק שלושים



כי תבא

(סו) חייך תלואים לך
זה הלוקח תבואה מן השוק:

ולא תאמין בחייך -
זה הסומך על הפלטר:

Ki Tavo verse: 66
Your life will be hanging in front of you. (by a thread)
This refers to someone who buys produce from the market.

You will not believe in your life .
This refers to someone who buys bread from the baker

-in both cases you are dependent on someone else for life's basics so its as if your life was is hanging by a thread and you can not trust you will be alive.

However, I particularly like the Message of how people should bake their own bread. :)