Food Tourah – Vaera

January 23, 2025 in Food Tourah

Because life so often happens around food, we’re spending the year exploring the weekly parshiot and finding connections to each week’s Shabbat menu.  Sarah,a seasoned Jewish educator, brings a wealth of knowledge to our discussions, while Alison, who loves creating dishes that bring people together, are excited to explore the weekly portions in greater depth. Each week we will give a brief overview of the parsha and then suggest ways to incorporate its themes into your Shabbat menu. This is our version of Julie and Julia – the charming movie in which a blogger challenges herself to make all 524 recipes from Julia Child’s 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking in just one year.  Lucky for us, we only have to cover 54 parshiot – 40 more to go!

Vaera (I appeared) opens with God speaking to Moses and recalling his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God acknowledges the suffering of the Israelites under their bondage in Egypt and promises to lead them to freedom. God sends Moses and Aaron to speak to Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave. In response to Pharaoh’s refusal to release them, God sends a series of plagues including water turned to blood, frogs, lice, death of wild animals, boils, and hail. With each plague, Pharaoh begs for relief, but as soon as each plague relents, Pharaoh “hardens his heart,” refusing to let the Israelites go.

We have to admit, this parsha had us stumped at first, but here goes! Taking inspiration from the Nile running red, this  Red Pepper Soup is deliciously satisfying in the brutal cold of winter. With all this talk of Pharaoh hardening his heart, we got a little nervous!  So, just to be safe, how about these heart-healthy recipes: Sriracha Glazed Chicken with Paprika Butternut Squash or  Salmon with Honey-Balsamic Glaze? And finally let’s skip straight to dessert with these adorable Frog Cupcakes – use this recipe or get creative and design your own!

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.com.