Food Tourah – Vayera

November 12, 2024 in Food Tourah

Parshat Vayera – 4 parshiot down, only 50 more to go!

Vayera is full of dramatic events. The parsha begins as Sarah and Abraham warmly welcome 3 visitors who reveal that Sarah will soon have a son.  Given their advanced age, Sarah laughs at this news. Also in Vayera is the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah despite Abraham’s efforts on their behalf, and the story of Lot’s wife turning into a pillar of salt. The parsha ends with the binding of Isaac, yet another display of Abraham’s faith in God. (We will leave parsing of this challenging text to someone else!)

With hospitality as a theme in Vayera, here are a couple appetizer recipes for when Shabbat dinner seems to be running behind! Start with an easy Hummus Recipe and add another for Puffed Pastry Shakshuka Cups (you can leave out the feta if you’re serving meat!). Another element in this parsha is laughter – the laughter inspired by Sarah’s delight when she learns she will have a son. Isaac’s name literally means “laughter” or “he laughs” in Hebrew.  As a nod to this unexpected joy, we suggest a fizzy moscato that matches the elation in Sarah’s laughter! And what could be more fitting for this moment than Funny Cake?  Finally we’ll share a bonus dessert –  Salted Dark Chocolate Tahini Brownie Cookies inspired by Lot’s wife and the pillar of salt.

B’tayavon and Shabbat Shalom,
Alison (Baraf) & Sarah (Roark)

To read past installments of Food Tourah – Click Here.

For a more in-depth look at this week’s parsha, visit Sefaria.org