August 19, 2016 – Sarasota, FL

The week was long. I wasn’t sure that I could really pull off a Shabbat dinner. Please understand that I am not complaining, but my caseloads can be emotional and I simply need a little help from my friends. So I called in the Shabbat originators. I texted Sam and Tali to ask if we could do Shabbat Schneider style. They texted back, “What does that mean?” I stated, “It means at your house and Sam’s cooking, as I need a Shabbat rescue!” They both laughed via emoji icons! It was at that moment I understood how Shabbat keeps the Jews, and in this case, friendships. But there is a little bit more significance to this past Shabbat. Mia’s Bat Mitzvah is next Shabbat, so to me it seemed relevant to celebrate Shabbat with her and her family one more time before that golden moment.

I inquired as to what we could bring to their table, and Sam nonchalantly suggested that I bring fruit and dessert. So instead of the typical fruit salad and store bought dessert, I made layered fruit caprese and pies. Steve sliced fresh pineapple, kiwi and tomatoes, and I stacked them from largest to smallest. Then proceeded to combine mango, kiwi, coconut oil, salt and pepper into a mixing cup to make the topping. It was colorful, vegan, appetizing, and from Sam’s point of view, quite surprising as my culinary skills tend to be open to criticism. The meal rated as five-star. Sam prepared an exquisite delicacy for the carnivore, herbivore, omnivore and veganite:

* Mustard crusted Roast Beef in a red wine reduction sauce

* Free-range Israeli grilled Chicken

* Balsamic reduction Kataya Fish

*Steamed and baked cauliflower crusted with bread crumbs

*Syrian style potato salad with chives

*Fennel cilantro salad

*Jasmine rice steamed green beans with a touch of garlic

My cousins, Steve and Carson, also joined us and supplied the delicious Publix challah. Conversation included the Olympics, the upcoming bat-mitzvah, the rabbis, some political news, out Idaho vacation, our mothers and the healthcare difficulties, Subarus, and our young adult children, of course.

Then it was time for dessert. I warned the diners of the possible negative ramifications of my dessert prep. It was a risk. So to make sure that there was no impending palette shock, Mia decided that she and I should each taste the two different pies simultaneously. I thought that was fair. So on the count of three, she and I dug our forks into the vegan crusted peach pie and vegan crusted peach, mango, fig pie. Her expression was stunned as to how satisfying it actually tasted. I received two thumbs up and we proceeded to move to the sitting area to continue conversation and enjoy the after dinner morsels. Each person raved about the pies. I instilled hope for future gatherings. The evening progressed and Mia shared her dresses for the upcoming event, braided my hair and made us all tea. We laughed, ate, celebrated, lit candles, recited the kiddush with Chile’s Frontier Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, salted out challah, and kept the Sabbath Schneider style! Thank you guys!