Why is this seder different from every other seder?

[rachelmanija]

1. It's a zeder (Zoom seder).

2. Everybody's video worked but mine.

I have no idea why that happened. My Zoom was fine the day before. We tried using different browsers, different invites, even different computers - I tried on both of mine. No matter what, Zoom said my video was working, but my camera light didn't turn on and I appeared as an audio-only black square. Very frustrating.

On the plus side, I really leveled up my cooking skills. I made matzah, matzah balls from my matzah, crisp-skinned braised duck with root vegetables, huevos haminados, and improvised charoset from what I had (pistachios, apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, red wine).

Everything came out good, and the duck and charoset came out GREAT. A+, will definitely make again. You can see pics on Instagram.

Next year in Jerusalem. Or better yet, in person.

Comments

[oyceter]

Chag sameach! All the food you made sounds delicious!

Btw, how do you want to do pandemic book club?

[rachelmanija]

It was so good. I made extra charoset today with the leftover pistachios.

I was thinking we could start the Barry book and... is it long/dense enough to be worth interim posts rather than all at once? That might be good for discussion, actually. What do you think?

I also have Spillover, which I got ages ago and haven't read yet.

[oyceter]

I think it is pretty long, and there are definitely sections. I mostly got through the description of the pandemic itself and how it might have started, and now I'm in the part where they are trying to figure out what caused it (they had diagnosed it as a bacteria for a while). Let me take a look at the chapter breakdown.

Haha, I too have Spillover, which I also started reading and never finished! I also put a hold on Gina Kolata's Flu at the library, and I think I read The Pandemic Century last year. I am very looking forward to this!

[rachelmanija]

Excellent. I'll start it tomorrow. We can figure out good points to put up posts on sections.

Maybe Spillover next, and then Flu?

[rachelmanija]

PS. I think you would really enjoy the duck recipe I linked in my post.

[rachelmanija]

Oh! Check out this interview - the guy wrote a book about social change caused by pandemics, Epidemics and Society. It looks really interesting.

https://www.vox.com/2020/4/10/21213287/coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-epidemic-society-historian-nationalism-globalization

[oyceter]

Oh, that duck looks so good! Also totally up for Spillover, Flu, then Epidemics and Society.

[rachelmanija]

It was SO GOOD. Like, ridiculously good.

Hahaha, by the time this is over we will be able to teach a course in the History of the Pandemic.