Sam I am

Passover is this week. I generally do not keep kosher for most of the year, but I do keep somewhat kosher for Passover. By that, I mean that I do not eat wheat, spelt, barley, oats, and rye unless they are served as matzoh. Many people are confused by the term kosher. Quite simply, kosher means is food that is prepared according to Jewish dietary laws. (Kosher is similar to Hallal in Islam; one translation for kosher is “legal”.) Kosher does not mean blessed by a rabbi, foods like bagels and corned beef, or sacred. (I have heard all of these statements in general conversation.) There are many website where you can get more information about kosher food.

Some typical rules regarding kosher food include a prohibition on eating milk with meat and not eating pork (pigs do not have cloven hooves and chew their own cud). I do not typically follow these rules. However, the rules for Passover are slightly different. Passover is meant to commemorate the freedom of the Hebrews from slavery. As they were fleeing from Egypt, there was no time to let bread rise. Matzoh is meant to remind us of this journel from Egypt. It is also known as the bread of affliction. The only ingredients in matzoh are flour and water.

There are many other rules regarding keeping kosher for Passover; I do not necessarily follow them. Rules regarding “kitniyot” seem especially unnecessary. These rules pertain to the eating of grains like corn and rice. Although other grains like quinoa are okay. As I said, some of the rules seem a bit unnecessary. I also do not get rid of all food with leavening.

I keep kosher because I think it is important to remember that to enslave another human being is wrong. Or, as it is written in most haggadahs, “Once we were slaves in Egypt.” (The haggadah is the book that accompanies the seder feast; the seder feast describes meals that begin Passover.) I don’t think it is such a silly thing to commemorate. You can read more about Passover at Wikipedia; Utah Hillel also has a great writeup about Passover.

Some foods I like but don’t eat during Passover:

• Beer
• Pizza
• Bread (including Nan)
• Pancakes
• French Toast
• Sandwiches
• Pasta
• Foods fried in batter (French fries are okay)

I’m thinking of switching from Blogger to WordPress as a tool to publish my web pages. Anyone have opinions? Email me a note. Thanks!

I went to Serendipity 3 with a friend of mine of the weekend. We had a really good time. We both hadn’t eaten dinner yet, and by the time we finished our meals, we were both too full for dessert. Next time, I will get the Frozen Hot Chocolate. (I had a cheese burger with a side of chili. Decent burger and decent chili.)

Serendipity 3 is decorated with stained glass and Tiffany lamps.

Last night, I returned from St. Louis where Sports Illustrated was covering the Men’s Final Four, the Division I College Basketball tournament. I was pleasantly surprised by St. Louis. I didn’t think I would have a very good time, and I was delighted to say that it was quite nice. My opinion may be colored by the fact that I was in a nice hotel and that our handling of the event went really well. My favorite meal in St. Louis was at 1111 Mississippi. It had a great wine list, nice relaxed service, a casual atmosphere and delicious food.

The arch in St. Louis was much more impressive than I thought it would be. It soars high into the sky, and the surface looks really great.

I went to the park with Geoff on Saturday afternoon. We wanted to go to the Botanical Garden, but we received incorrect directions from the Concierge. We ended up taking the Metro to the wrong station. When we got out, no one could give us directions on the bus, and very few of the bus signs had any indication of the bus that stopped there. Apparently, in St. Louis, only poor people take the bus. We saw this duck in the park. James and I both think it is a muscovy duck. Birders, any opinions? It was around twice the side of the mallard ducks nearby.

I met Rich Clarkson a few years ago in the Sports Illustrated offices. He is a very experienced sports and news photographer. This was his 50th time shooting the Final Four. Dave Klutho, one of the photographers at SI, threw a party for him at his house. Dave lives in a suburb of St. Louis. Rich has a ton of great stories–from stories that every photographer experiences to stories that only a few people in the world have experienced. For example, he has a couple of great stories from when he was a wire photographer at the trial in Holcomb, Kansas that Truman Capote covered in his book In Cold Blood. The party was great, and I think Rich had a great time.