Sweet and Savory - a blog post in two acts.

Act One

Once in a while I get a really good idea. This treat was a creation inspired by something my friend Laine made for Erin's Bachlorette PJ party we hosted. Laine used prosciutto and goat cheese to stuff in the middle of squash. I dumbed it down a bit and used Virginia ham and cream cheese. I sliced the squash and spread cream cheese on one side of each slice and then I put ham between 2 slices and dipped in egg and bread crumbs. The results were very tasty - and a great way to make squash almost look like Latkies.

Intermission............................................................................................................................................

Act Two

My favorite cookies.

My Mom is an excellent baker - her cookies are something she is actually famous for - not just with her family but also with some NBA notables. Some call her "Mama scratch" - even though I was told that had more to do with my brothers NBA nickname than the cookies she made the players and staff - I think it is a perfect nickname for her because of her amazing cooking baking ability. Anyhoo - I wouldn't even try to recreate her Oatmeal raisin - it just wouldn't be the same. I mean, think about it for a second - who likes raisin? Who likes oatmeal? Not me. No and no. But her oatmeal raisin cookies, well, I would eat them if I found them at the bottom of a dirty dumpster. So the point I am trying to make is - I don't even try. My favorite cookies that I make are real simple but always good. Hamentashen!!

There are two possible origins of the name. The most popular theory is that the name hamantash (המן־טאַש), is a reference to Haman (also known as Homen), the villain of Purim, as described in the Book of Esther. A more likely source of the name is a corruption of the Yiddish word מאן־טאשן (montashn) or the German word mohntaschen, both meaning poppyseed-filled pouches. Over time, this name was transformed to hamantashen, likely by association with Haman. In Israel, they are called אוזני המן (Oznei Haman), Hebrew for "Haman's ears" where children are taught these tasty pastries are the ears of Haman that fell off at his execution.
Some Hebrew schools teach that Hamentashen are made in the shape of Haman's hat.

(I got that from Wikipedia - because they can explain it better than I can.)

also - I cheat and use Pillsbury sugar cookie dough - but here is the most important thing - you must use the Solo brand fruit filling in the can and you must use only apricot if you want anyone to like them. You get to roll the dough out and cut shapes - which we Jewish ones miss out on during X-mas cookie season - and it feels like you have actually made something when in fact you are just assembling.

....and scene.