Eat His Ears

Happy almost Purim. This year the annual Jewish holiday falls on Wednesday night. So why write about it on Sunday? Well, the first of the Purim carnivals is scheduled for today. And I thought I should mention something just in case you are confused by a hoard of costumed kids running around in early March.

Luckily, they are not going to come to your door and ask you for candy. If any of them do happen to show up at your house, they will likely be bringing you things to eat, not asking for something.

Did you know that the things we eat and this entire holiday have a rather savage backstory? In the spirit of cultural exchange, I’ll share the short version, and tell you more about the treats.

Once upon a time there was a kindly king named Ahasuerus, who had an evil prime minister named Haman (boo). Haman planned to kill all the Jews. But Mordechai (yay) had a counter-plan. His plan required the help of his beautiful and brave cousin Esther. She saved her people from being sent to the gallows, which instead were used for Haman’s execution.

After Haman was killed, we ate his ears.

There’s no evidence that anyone actually did that. But today we commemorate the triumph of good over evil by eating triangular cookies called hamantashen. Some have speculated these cookies were shaped in this form because of Haman’s three-cornered hat. But I always preferred the explanation that he had these odd pointy ears.

Anyhow, the cookies are delicious. A butter cookie dough is rolled thin and cut into circular forms, a dollop of something sweet is put in the center, and the sides are folded up and pinched shut. The process is so easy, a child could do it, although I’ve got to say the cookies are better when made by adults.

This is just one reason why I don’t cook with my children.

Most of the traditional fillings are not exactly up there on the list of children’s favorite things. You know, like poppy seeds. Seriously, though, the poppy seed ones are the best. A mound of sweetened poppy seeds nestled in a crispy-edged butter cookie is like heaven. But they also come in prune, the quintessential childhood treat, right?

Apricot (the third and final traditional eastern European filling) was always my favorite as a kid, but still I would have preferred chocolate. I’ve got a friend who fills the cookie with a rich fudge brownie in the middle. Those are a treat. But this year I’m just going to nibble. Maybe I’ll get to eat a poppy seed center if my kids mistakenly get one of these instead of their preferred prune filling.

I’ve got to be good and save my dietary cholesterol for a cookie tasting later this week. Oddly, I don’t think there will be any hamantashen there, but on the plus side none of the cookies will be made by children.

Speaking of children, some of them will go door do door delivering gifts in costume. Unlike at Halloween, these stops are generally to people they know. The gifts are called Mishloach Manot in Hebrew (Shlach Manos in Yiddish). It’s odd that making deliveries would go hand in hand with a holiday that can also involve heavy drinking. But I guess people used to walk more.

Now it’s time to face the clowns who are making balloon animals and have other animals painted on the kids’ faces. Wish me luck.