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THE WEISS CHRONICLES
Chronological Account of the Weiss family with contextual remarks, some weather, sports and other news.
You can write to me at: mhw20854@yahoo.com
The people in the Weiss family are: Martin, Ann, Beth and George. I also sometimes write about other people or our pet.
Saturday, December 29, 2018
Beef Wellington for the 42nd Anniversary
We had Beef Wellington yesterday for supper. I didn't make it myself. It was made by the chef at Medina Cuisine where I serve as mashgiach sometimes (image from Gordon Ramsay's site on the internet).
First time we've had this at our home and I can only remember one other time I've had these (it was at a wedding meal).
We also had another main course at that meal (rotisserie chicken) which I didn't cook.
I did make the chili for lunch today (used a crock pot). Of course this is pretty much a dish that even incompetents can do pretty well. George liked the chili more than the Beef Wellington.
Thursday, December 27, 2018
A Minimally Stressful Consulting Dream
I still haven't had the 'can't remember my locker combination number' dream (or at least I can't remember having it) lately.
However, last night I had the first 'consulting' dream I can remember.
In the dream I was in bed awaiting a call to tell me in what room the client meeting was to be held. The phone rang and auto voice mail (I don't have this in real life, maybe I should), announced the meeting would be at the hospitality coffee stand. Then a few minutes later, the voice mail announced that it would be in a conference room. Then another announcement happened.
It didn't bother me much as, apparently, I didn't have to make the main presentation or field difficult questions.
I just had to be there and, if it came up, I could have an idea.
Back when I worked for the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), I called this mannequin duty. I would go to a meeting, frequently costing the taxpayer over a thousand dollars in air fare, lodging, etc. and the only reason I would be there was so that later the record would show that the FHWA had representation there. For some time this would bother me but then I realized it actually served a purpose and people even called me after the meeting to get information.
I was scheduled to be on a type of mannequin duty Sunday 6 January to watch people make prepared food for a homeless shelter (it was in one of the kosher kitchens in our synagogue so someone had to watch) but yesterday, someone else volunteered for this duty so I de-scheduled myself.
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
A Dark Comedy to Watch on Xmas Eve
We sort of have a custom of watching movies together in the days before our Anniversary (Dec 31).
Ann likes RomComs. I prefer action or comedy drama or dark comedy (my favorite dark comedy so far is 'Heathers').
On Dec 23 we watched 'Book Club' which is 4 RomComs in one movie (I thought it boring, although the cast had some 'A' actresses and actors).
On Dec 24 we watched 'Arizona' which is a dark comedy about a bankrupt real estate broker (woman) who is kidnapped and watches her kidnapper kill her boss and her ex husband and a few others and then kills the kidnapper ('Heathers also has several murders).
The action in the movie takes place in several developments near Phoenix that were hit by the 2008 financial crash and where many of the homes were foreclosed.
The movie was never seen in theaters as it went straight to the home video market. I thought it was pretty funny (critics mostly didn't like it, audiences were more positive ( this last is per rottentomatoes.com).
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Kosher Restaurants at Low Margins
I do mashgiach work for a number of places. One of them is Siena's. They recently moved from a site on Twinbrook Parkway to a site on Boiling Brook Parkway (a distance of about 0.5 miles).
They reused a sign they had in storage by taping over the "Twin" and that address and substituting the address of "Boiling" (also inadvertently covering the 'B' in 'Brook'.
They also taped over the word "Pizzeria" that was in the earlier sign next to the word "Vegetarian".
The second image shows the label they affix to carry out. It still has the old address and the word "Pizzeria".
Since they use eggs and fish in some dishes, it should probably be called a "Dairy Restaurant" or maybe a "Non Meat Restaurant" but that isn't a recognized type.
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Cookie Monster at Bat Mitzvah event
I was doing Mashgiach work at an event last night.
As the caterer was setting up the desserts, one of the guests came and wanted a cookie (he was about my age).
The caterer staff told him the desserts will be available in about 5 minutes. He responded, '...but I want the cookie now.'
It sounds funny but, perhaps because alcohol had been served with the hors d'oeuvres, there was an 'issue'.
Also, this is my first post on this blog with a multi GIF.
A Very Rainy Year
The year has been a wet one in the region.
On the left is a map prepared by the Capital Weather Gang. It shows the total precipitation as of early evening on Friday, 14 December.
Among the highlights is that, although DC and Baltimore have had a lot of rain (actually record annual precipitation), other areas have had even more.
A large area in Northern Maryland has had over 70" of rain and some parts of North Carolina have had over 80". A small area near the North Carolina/South Carolina border has had over 100".
The second image is of a part of Rock Creek Park as of mid day yesterday. It was taken by the local channel 5 Fox TV.
Friday, December 14, 2018
A Baker's Cyst Episode
Ann came home yesterday with her right leg swollen below the knee.
At the physical therapist today they told her it might be a clot and she should go to the emergency room.
We went there and after ultrasound the attending physician visited and said it was a ruptured Baker's cyst (image from mayo clinic website).
The fluid in the ruptured cyst leaks out into the muscles and it makes the lower leg swell.
According to the attending physician (and what I've read on the internet), the swelling goes away in a few weeks and if there is pain, you treat it with over the counter medicine.
Rupturing of the Baker's cyst is one of several conditions that are sometimes called 'water on the knee'.
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
The Romaine Empire is Back
Yesterday, I purchased a 3 head package of romaine lettuce at Safeway.
George had quite a bit of it for supper that day (not particularly cognizant of it being romaine since I didn't announce it then) and he is still alive as I post this.
So the "Fall of the Romaine Empire" was not permanent after all.
Saturday, December 08, 2018
An AntiZionistic Issue in Kashrut
Last Friday 7 December was an interesting day at one of Kosher Caterers.
The morning mashgiach (who is the regular one) received a vegetable delivery in the morning. It was accepted with the exception of some bell peppers from Israel.
I came later in the day and there was another vegetable delivery and it also had bell peppers from Israel and I also rejected them (it was from the Galilee company which, near as I can tell grows the peppers south of the Dead Sea despite the name of the company).
It probably seems odd, even incomprehensible, to most people that a kosher caterer would not be allowed to use Israeli vegetables but that's the way it is (at least if you are under Star K certification).
The reason for this is that vegetables growers in Israel are supposed to comply with the laws of tithing, i.e., the rules of Lev 27:30-34; Num 18: 21&26; and, Deut 12:5-6, 14:22, and 14: 28-29. In general the growers comply with the tithing protocols if they are selling in the domestic Israeli market but not if the vegetables are for export (since, goes the reasoning, non Jews are not bound by these sections of the Bible). So unless there is a certification of compliance, we are not to accept it at the kosher caterer.
The next Shemittah year begins in September 2021. That will also affect produce from Israel.
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We sort of have a custom of watching movies together in the days before our Anniversary (Dec 31).
It probably seems odd, even incomprehensible, to most people that a kosher caterer would not be allowed to use Israeli vegetables but that's the way it is (at least if you are under Star K certification).