Growing up in West Roger’s Park
Chicago I felt I was really blessed to have the Bnei Akiva Lishkah* two blocks
away. The Lishkah building was the
gathering place for Zionistic, Modern Orthodox grade school kids, teenagers and
young adults. It was the hub of
everything fun, interesting, and “cool” going on for Jewish Modern Orthodox
kids in the region. Every Shabbat
morning there was a Minyan at the Lishkah with beautiful singing, but somehow
we managed to daven* fast enough that the services never seemed too long and we
always finished before the traditional shuls!
I have always said the Bnei Akiva here in Chicago really helped to shape
who I am today. I have a great love for the
State of Israel, and a strong connection to my Judaism.
Every Simchat Torah there would
be energetic (and that does not even begin to describe it) dancing in
the Beit Knesset* on the second floor of the Lishkah. You could actually feel the floor vibrating
from the dancing, the girls danced in the women’s section too, and we were
seriously afraid that the entire second floor would collapse! After the hakafot* there was always an
organized oneg* at a nearby house where the teenagers would gather in a safe
but fun environment – often at my house!
We’d empty out the basement to make space for the crowd, and the foods
of choice were Spaghetti with Meat and Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings. Considering the volume of people, we made a lot
of food, and it was all nearly gone by the time everyone left.
Sadly the Lishkah left West
Rogers Park (where we still live) before my kids were born and moved to
Skokie. We really feel its loss as our
kids are growing up. We, however, have
continued the custom of Spaghetti with Meat and Sweet & Sour Chicken
Wings on Simchat Torah in our house.
Some traditions are just too good to give up.
Recently I bought a few
wedeal.com (similar to groupon) vouchers for Garden Fresh Market in Northbrook
(a suburb of Chicago) where they have a lot of kosher foods and even a kosher
pizza shop in the store. When I got
there they had the most gorgeous looking chicken wings I had ever seen. I know that to some of you that might sound
incredibly ridiculous – gorgeous chicken wings? Gorgeous? Really?
YES! I have often bought chicken
wings that looked like they were about to fly away as soon as they came out of
the package – ugh! It meant a lot
of time cleaning the darn feathers off of the wings for a few moments of
chicken wing nirvana. The Garden Fresh
ones were clean and beautiful!!! I know that you know that when things are
really crazy you need all the help you can get, and I was not going to
buy chicken wings that needed lots of prep time – voucher or no voucher. Before Shabbat I pulled out my huge wok,
sautéed some delicious white onions and garlic in a little canola oil then
tossed in the wings, tomato sauce, duck sauce, and white pepper. I let the wings cook for a long time until
the sauce had really cooked down and was thick and gooey. YUM!!!
They were a huge success (as always).
It occurred to me that these
wings would also be awesome for the current football season for your huge
football parties – the perfect sticky finger food for the guys (and gals) who
are glued to the TV for the season. You
could stir fry all the ingredients in a large wok or skillet in the late
morning and let it simmer until game time.
Your guests and family will not only be super-fans of football but you
as well!!
Although we miss the Lishkah a
lot, we have tried to instill the values that the Lishkah represented into our
own children. We have tried to make our home
into a Lishkah of sorts, where kids come and go and always feel welcome,
continuously instilling the values that were learned in the Lishkah and serving
great food too!
Glossary
Lishkah:
Literally translated as office. The Bnei
Akiva Lishkah in West Rogers Park was an old two story building that was the
hub of Jewish youth activity in the neighborhood.
Daven: Pray
Beit Knesset: Synagogue
Hakafot: On the holiday of Simchat Torah we celebrate the completion of a
whole year of reading the entire Torah.
We celebrate by doing “hakafot” – dancing and singing around the
synagogue seven times with all the Torah’s in the synagogue.
Oneg: A gathering where people hang out on Shabbat or a Holiday.
Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings
·
5 pounds chicken wings,
cleaned
·
2 cups finely diced white
onions (fine dice blade on the Hindy Chopper)
·
6 cloves crushed garlic, or
6 frozen cubes
·
2 tablespoons canola oil
·
30 ounces tomato sauce
·
40 ounces (1 jar) sweet and
sour sauce (duck sauce)
·
½ teaspoon white pepper
In a large wok or skillet, heat
the canola oil. Sauté the garlic and
onions until soft. Add the chicken wings, tomato sauce, sweet and sour sauce
and white pepper. Heat on medium-high until hot and bubbling, stirring
constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low
and simmer uncovered for at least 1 ½ hours until the sauce has reduced
considerably and is very thick. Serve
hot with crusty bread and lots of napkins!
Check out these gorgeous wings!!!
Don't forget the white pepper...
Use the Hindy Chopper for around 2 cups of
finely diced onions.
Sauté the garlic and onions until soft...
Add the gorgeous chicken wings...
Then add the rest of the ingredients...
Stir to combine....
It's BUBBLING!!!
Cook until significantly reduced...
These are making me SO hungry!!
Your fans will love them!
(and you too!!)
Kosher
Everyday is dedicated to the memory of my father
Dr.
Theodore Saltzberg - Tuvia Ben Nachum Z”L
May
his memory be for a blessing - Yihi zichro baruch.
Look for additional information about Edible Experience
Kosher Everyday at www.koshereveryday.com,
aish.com, Mishpacha Magazine’s Kosher Inspired Magazine,
The Chicago Tribune Syndication,
or on Facebook at Edible
Experience by Sharon
These
recipes are for sole, personal use of visitors to Sharon Matten -Edible
Experience Kosher Everyday. Edible Experience Kosher Everyday recipes are
for your enjoyment but are not to be posted or reprinted without express
permission from Sharon Matten. Thank you!!
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