May 13th, 2010 by Rocky Mountain Jew
1 Comment It’s just a week away now, Shavuot, the holiday of all things dairy: cheesecake, cheese souffle, quiche, blintzes. Last year we shared a recipe for the perfect cheesecake, tried, tested, true decadence. We’re talking 24 ounces of full fat cream cheese. But for those looking for a lower-fat, yet still yummy version, we also tried out a Ricotta Cheesecake, courtesy of Joy of Baking. Originally a Sicilian dessert, this cheesecake calls for a combination of ricotta and cream cheese, resulting in a slightly more complicated flavor. Note: we didn’t try out the crust or sauce, preferring instead to bake the cake crustless in a springform pan. Even accounting for the ricotta, we found this version rich enough without the buttery graham cracker crust. [More...]
March 5th, 2010 by Shana Goldberg
1 Comment What’s the biggest difference between a Swiss and American benefit dinner?
Recently I saw an ad for an event honoring the 90th anniversary of Keren Hayesod/United Jewish Appeal. The event boasted a keynote address from Natan Sharansky and a roundtable discussion with participants such as Stuart Eizenstat. Of course I planned to attend, thinking this was a special, education-oriented event.
Question is, why did I not realize this was an annual benefit? The location should have clued me in: the Dolder Grand Hotel. Zurich’s most luxurious (read: expensive) hotel. Oh, and the ad did mention something about food being served.
So here’s the surprising thing about annual dinners in Zurich, and the answer to the question posed above: There is no plate charge. The event was completely donation-based, and there wasn’t even a suggested donation amount at that. Get this, there weren’t even donation forms on the table! These were only handed out later (although that may have been a mistake in organizational planning). [More...]
February 11th, 2010 by Shana Goldberg
1 Comment Rockies versus Alps. No, I’m not referring to the baseball team, but to two of the world’s most famous and beautiful mountain ranges. A brief excursion to the Engadine valley in southeast Switzerland got me wondering: which range is more spectacular?
This week saw me in Sils Maria, a small village close to the well-known and tourist hotspot St. Moritz but infinitely more peaceful and rejuvenating. It’s clear why Friedrich Neitzsche spent time here. For those looking for activity, Sils is also well-situated for skiing adventures and summertime hikes.
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