May 13, 2008 Jonathan Mark: For pro-Israel voters, Obama's middle name should be the least of their concerns Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: The Leaker Shield Act JWisdom: Why You & I Never Die: A Jewish View of Immortality, Part II by Rabbi David Aaron May 12, 2008 Chosen Words: A newsletter for personal and spiritual growth gleaned from classic biblical and other sources that will help you enhance your day to day life. Likely the most constructive three minutes you will spend today Mark Steyn: Israel's 'doom' could also be Europe's JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: When Faith Meets Fate, Part One May 9, 2008 Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Reverence, Yes; Worship, No Mona Charen: Did Israel Drive Out the Arabs 60 Years Ago? JWisdom: Ultimate opportunities by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky May 8, 2008 Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Israel at 3,500+ Jonathan Tobin: Still Fighting the Same War Steven Plaut: How ‘nakba’ proves the fiction of a Palestinian Nation JWisdom: Taking Israel for Granted? by Rabbi Mordechai Becher May 7, 2008 Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Israel is irrelevant to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Dion Nissenbaum: Latest Olmert scandal could derail efforts to force Israel's compromises JWisdom: My Inner Ventriloquist by Sara Yoheved Rigler May 6, 2008 Caroline B. Glick: Anti-Zionism at 60 The Kosher Gourmet By Ethel G. Hofman: In honor of Israel's 60th anniversary, the former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with a smorgasbord featuring the taste and essence of the Jewish homeland JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Jewish Deer in Nazi Headlights May 5, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Busy work Jonathan Mark: Remarkable half-century old Mike Wallace interview with Abba Eban puts current anti-Israel sentiment into perspective May 2, 2008 Rabbi Berel Wein: Rote religiosity Caroline B. Glick: Whitewashing Hamas JWisdom: Parent trap? May 1, 2008 David Zwiebel: Faith communities can learn from Orthodox Jews in stimulating private philanthropy for religious education George Friedman and Peter Zeihan of Stratfor: The Shift Toward an Israeli-Syrian Agreement JWisdom: It's time to wake up by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis April 30, 2008 Jonathan Tobin: Pennsylvania's Democratic slugfest may leave some Jewish votes up for grabs The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: Fresh herbs, sauteed veal and tiny creamer potatoes makes a light spring dinner JWisdom: How to Build a Mentch by Rabbi Mordechai Becher April 29, 2008 Daniel Pipes: Barack Obama's Muslim Childhood Joel Brinkley: On human rights, the U.N. once again strikes out JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: When The Truth is Unbelievable April 28, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q: I'm often stuck in the doctor's waiting room for hours! Doesn't he owe me something for my wasted time? Steven Emerson: New U.S. government policy advises agencies to avoid using some of the very same words that make up terror groups' names JWisdom: Why You & I Never Die: A Jewish View of Immortality, Part I by Rabbi David Aaron April 25, 2008 Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg: Schadenfreude isn't kosher for Passover --- or at any other time Rabbi Berel Wein: The secret of how the data bank of memory is transferred from one generation to the next JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, Part III April 24, 2008 Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: The successful failure Fred Burton and Scott Stewart of Stratfor: Placing the terrorist threat to the food supply in perspective JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, Part II April 23, 2008 Connie Ogle: An intricate game of a novel Jonathan Tobin: Making Sense of the 'J Street' Jive JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen April 22, 2008 Jonathan Rosenblum: Why Israel's 'Leaven law' matters Caroline B. Glick: Obama the Savior April 18, 2008 Rabbi Harvey Belovski: Multimedia tool of antiquity Caroline B. Glick: Revealed Truths vs. revealed lies JWisdom: More than miracles by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky April 17, 2008 Rabbi Avi Shafran: Deconstructing Dayeinu Rabbi Elazar Meisels: Is innovation at the Seder a slap at tradition? JWisdom: Discovering Your Divine Mission, Part III by Rabbi David Aaron April 16, 2008 Jonathan Tobin: A Prayer for Sderot's Children Ethel G. Hofman: Sumptuous Seder JWisdom: The Divine is in the details by Rabbi Mordechai Becher April 15, 2008 Rabbi Dovid Zauderer: Let Charlton Heston Go! Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Jimma, tyranny's enabler JWisdom: Relationships: Beyond Mars & Venus, Part IV by Dr. Lisa Aiken April 14, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: The Snitching Supervisor Jonathan Tobin: Forget the Fun and Games! JWisdom: Sincerity is Valued Most by Rabbi Abraham J. 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Recently someone asked me to translate some financial documents that are clearly forged. Should I agree? Jonathan Rosenblum : Israel is unwittingly helping to fuel the international campaign of delegitimization against it JWisdom: Matzah and leaven as a life philosophy by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. April 4, 2008 Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The Mystery of Suffering Caroline B. Glick: Fear of democracy JWisdom: Dirty Jews by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky April 3, 2008 Rabbi Y. Y. Rubinstein: Parents --- and the children who would be them The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Manweiler: Tempted by restaurant dressings? Don't be. Here are recipes that can be made at home, healthier! JWisdom: The importance of retaining a 'slave mentality' by Rabbi Mordechai Becher April 2, 2008 Mitch Albom: Child abuse, disguised as faith Jonathan Tobin: Unreasonable Accommodations JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith with Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Eliminating Jewish Influence over Germans March 22, 2007 J-Rhythms with Avraham Rosenblum: JWR's cutting-edge music program showcasing performers -- singers, song writers, musicians, and bands -- who learn and live the Torah lifestyle (OUR NEWEST IGODCAST !) Oct. 29, 2003 Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review April 10, 2008 /5 Nissan 5768 The spring elegance of asparagus By Steve Petusevsky http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT) Spring produce starts to trickle into the grocery store like little bulbs sprouting daffodils after lying dormant all winter. Among the produce filling bins this month is asparagus. And they'll continue to be prevalent until June, so you have plenty of time to prepare this healthful and kitchen-friendly vegetable. Many consider asparagus to be an elegant vegetable, and it is often referred to as the queen of the produce world. My recollections of asparagus start as a little kid. They grew wild all over our property in Ulster County, N.Y., and throughout the Catskills. Much thinner than most cultivated varieties, the wild ones look very much like the pencil-thin ones I now adore. The stalks still are harvested by hand, and it takes nearly three years from seed to harvest. In today's market, asparagus is sold in grades - colossal, jumbo, large, standard and small - although the varieties are interchangeable. Some love the fat asparagus spears; others, like myself, prefer the pencil asparagus. Maybe it's because when I was a young culinary school graduate, my French chef instructor made me peel eight cases of the large stalks for a special function. A few years later while working in Germany, I was the only American in a kitchen of 70 cooks, and I was handed five cases of German white asparagus to peel. I'll stick with the thin green spears that don't require peeling. Although we favor green asparagus in the states, the milder-tasting white ones are popular in Europe. These asparagus are buried, depriving them of sunlight so they don't produce green chlorophyll. This process is called etiolation. You can use white asparagus in any recipe calling for green. When buying asparagus look for straight, bright green stalks that are not wet at the spear end or dry at the stem end. Pick packages of equally sized spears so they cook in the same amount of time. Don't wash them before refrigerating the bundles. Simply keep them in the crisper until ready for cooking. Figure a half-pound of asparagus per person as a main dish. Most asparagus bundles contain 15 to 18 medium-sized spears. After snapping 3 inches off the bottom of each stem, many chefs stand the bundles vertically in a few inches of water and cook them 8 to 10 minutes until tender. Always prepare asparagus al dente, keeping in mind that they continue to cook after they are removed from the water. If you're cooking asparagus for later use, plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process. You can cook, rinse and serve them the following day with a vinaigrette or another favorite dressing. I also cook asparagus in the microwave. Place the trimmed spears in a microwave-safe dish with 1 inch water. Cover and cook on high 5 to 7 minutes until crisp-tender. I like Asian flavors with asparagus, so I stir-fry them with aromatic spices and hoisin sauce in recipes like my Spring Sesame Ginger Asparagus Stir-Fry. SPRING SESAME GINGER ASPARAGUS STIR-FRY Steve's tip: If you add 1 pound cubed firm tofu as you stir-fry the asparagus, this becomes a protein-filled main dish. The Asian condiments can be found in supermarkets or Asian grocery stores. Serve with brown or basmati rice. Sesame Stir-Fry Sauce: 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1/4 cup water or vegetable broth 1 tablespoon minced ginger root 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 1/4 cup dry sherry 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil Stir-Fried Vegetables: 1 tablespoon peanut oil 2 bundles medium-thick asparagus, stem ends trimmed, spears cut into 2-inch-lengths on the diagonal (about 30 asparagus) 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped 8 scallions, sliced into 2-inch lengths To make sauce: Dissolve the cornstarch in the water or broth. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. To make vegetables: Heat oil over high heat in a large saute pan or wok. Add the asparagus, red peppers and scallions. Stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sauce and continue to stir-fry 4 minutes until asparagus is crisp-tender and a sauce forms and thickens in pan. Makes 4 servings. Per serving (without tofu): 133 calories, 49 percent calories from fat, 7 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat, .24 milligram cholesterol, 14 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total fiber, 7 grams total sugars, 11 grams net carbs, 4 grams protein, 291 milligrams sodium. Per serving (with tofu): 228 calories, 49 percent calories from fat, 12 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat, .24 milligram cholesterol, 17 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams total fiber, 7 grams total sugars, 12 grams net carbs, 14 grams protein, 295 milligrams sodium. Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. Steve Petusevsky is the author of "The Whole Foods Market Cookbook". (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.) To comment, please click here. © 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services