Chapter 28, The Huge Haman-Taschen

 "Purim is coming soon," Leah my favorite teacher announced. "We are going to put on a play for Purim 

with the second-grade class. Now I want you to behave yourselves like an older class is supposed to."

She was so pretty. I think that I fell in love with her right from the beginning at the second grade. She was tall and slim. She had dark hair and green eyes, and she spoke so softly and nicely even when I was bad. In time, I got used to it, but at the beginning I was so in love that I couldn't concentrate in class. I daydreamed about how we would walk on the beach and how she would hold me in her arms and how...

"Wake up Haim! You are not paying attention again!" She said to me, and I looked at her with this sorry look so that she would forgive me. Sometimes she would ask, "What are you dreaming about all the time?" Now really, what can I tell her? Put yourself in my place, what would you do? "Sorry teach! I was dreaming about you and me on the beach?" Yeah sure! 

"Uh (or Aw) nothing, I don't know, nothing." this was all I could say.

 I remember how last year she took a leave when she was pregnant. Even then she was beautiful. I, Arnon, Shlomo, and Tzviya -- the girl without the underwear -- went to visit her on Shabat day. We spent hours looking for her house and when we finally found it, she was not there. She went to the hospital to deliver a baby girl. I wondered, how that girl will look when she'll grow up. I bet she'll be just as pretty. (In fact many years later she was even prettier than her mom, but unfortunately she was killed by a stupid drunk driver.)

      Anyway, it just happened that Avi, and I went to see a Purim play at the “Ester Theater” the second biggest theatre in town. It was called "The Huge Hamantaschen", and guess what, this was the play our teachers wanted to put on. 

Do you know the cliché about the ship and the two captains? How about, “the kitchen with the two chefs”? Well, that is exactly what happened. All of us were outside in front of our classrooms waiting for our parts and instructions, but it seemed that the teachers couldn't make up their minds.

"That's not how it goes," my teacher would say, "The old woman doesn't have the flour to bake..."

"Oh yes, she does," the other teacher would say, "but her husband doesn't have a job and he just..."

"No, no!" Leah would get angry, but they handled themselves pretty well. They went for advice from the expert.

"I saw the play last week," I approached them. "Maybe I can help."

"How well do you remember?" the other teacher asked.

I wanted to answer, but Leah my favorite teacher did it for me.

"He has a perfect memory. Last week he recited half of the movie he saw. I wish he'd put in the same effort remembering the stuff I teach."

Here we go again, go tell her that she is the reason I can't concentrate in class. Anyway, they listened to my advice and appointed me assistant director. I also got the part of the hero who saves the poor family and pulls the huge Hamantaschen out of the oven. Even Mom came through; she sowed for me the best soldier outfit from Dad’s old uniform. Together with the “Uzi” toy gun Dad bought that looked so real, I was the perfect hearo.

 

The play was a success. Everybody was cheering and clapping, and I had to come out many times to the stage for another bow.

"You're some artist!" said my beloved teacher.

“Well, that's what I want to be when I grow up.”

***

 

Chicken Shawarma

Shawarma is a middle eastern street fast food. It is a combination of mostly lamb, lamb fat, and chicken or turkey. layered on a spinning vertical rotisserie slowly grilling.

My recipe is utilizing an ordinary oven. I use just chicken and sometimes turkey. With the same spices. I marinate the meat overnight in brine and vinegar.

 

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breast

4 Boneless thighs

½ Onion 

1 TBSP Garlic Powder

1 tsp Turmeric

1 TBSP Cumin

½ tsp Black Pepper

Marinate:
¼ Cup Rough Salt
1 bottle Vinegar
4 Cups Water

 After marinating in the brine, layer on top of ½ onion the breasts and thighs with generous amount of Spices between each layer and bake for one hour at 400f. 

Cut to thin strips and serve in a pita, techina, and salad.

 

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