Ask the Expert: Meat and Fish

Why do some people avoid eating meat and fish together?

By MyJewishLearning.com Staff

Question: I’ve been told that it’s not kosher to eat or cook fish with meat. Why not?
–Margaret, Florida

Answer: It’s always tricky answering “why” questions about kashrut, (Jewish dietary laws). The commandments in the Torah were divided into two groups by some rabbis, mishpatim, and hukkim. Mishpatim are the reasonable and self-evident laws, such as the prohibitions against murder and adultery. Hukkim represent those commandments impenetrable to reason. In theory, we do them simply because we’re told to, not because they make empirical sense to us. Kashrut is the quintessential example of one of the hukkim–it simply does not make sense.

So, for many people, the answer to most “why” questions that concern kashrut is simply that we don’t know. But the prohibition against eating fish and meat has an interesting history.

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Rhubarb Rugelach

A tangy take on the classic Jewish cookie.

By Tamar Fox for MyJewishLearning.com

Rhubarb is one of my favorite parts of spring. It shows up early in the growing season and provides a nice tart kick to so many desserts of the season. Everyone knows to put rhubarb in pies, and rhubarb cobblers and crisps are always a good bet at the end of a Shabbat or holiday meal. But this year as the beginning of rhubarb season coincided with Shavuot, I wondered if I could integrate some rhubarb into traditional Shavuot recipes.First I went with something simple. I made a traditional cheesecake (in my case vanilla with white chocolate) and then added rhubarb compote on top. The results were deemed a smashing success by my taste testers, but then I was left with quite a bit of extra rhubarb compote, and wasn’t sure what to do with it.

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Spring Bone Broth with Potato Knaidlach

by Leah Klein; This article has been reprinted with permission from InterfaithFamily

Matzoh ball soup is a staple in many Jewish homes and if you recently attended a Passover seder, you likely indulged in this comforting winter dish. It is the soup many of us crave when we’re not feeling well and the soup that has become known as Jewish penicillin. Lately (or, like, a few years ago on the West Coast), there has been a new “buzz word” in the world of soup: Bone broth.) The basic recipe for bone broth hasn’t changed from the days of our nonna, bubbe or grandmother. What has changed is that we’re talking more and more about ingredients and cooking methods. We’re going back to our roots where there wasn’t a fear of using all the parts of all our ingredients, but rather, our grandparents embraced the versatility of their ingredients and took pride in stretching them, wasting nothing.

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Sephardic Fried Eggplant with Sesame Seeds, Mint and Honey

Joanna Pruess for specialtyfood.com

While the Arabs are credited with introducing the eggplant into the Iberian Peninsula in the 8th century, it was the Sephardic Jews who embraced the fruit and used it in numerous dishes. This sweet and savory version is a favorite tapa in Seville. It can also be served as a side dish for roasted or grilled chicken, meat or fish. Honey and sesame seeds are also legacies of the Arabs.

See other related recipes in Tasty Bites of Seville.

Yield: 24 (3 slice) portions
Preparation time: about 1 hour 15 minutes including unattended soaking time
Shelf life: best in 1 day

Ingredients
4 (1-pound) purple eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices (about 18 slices per eggplant)
Salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
4 large eggs, beaten
1 quart olive oil, for frying
½ cup honey (preferably not very flowery honey), heated
½ cup sesame seeds, toasted
½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves

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