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Beverage Menu Knowledge

BEER
Brewed and fermented beverage made from malted barley and flavored with hop.
Ingredient : malted grain and cereal, water sugar yeast, hops.

BEER BRANDS
1. Anchor Beer (Singapore/Malaysia)
alcohol content : 3.40%
2. Carlsberg ( Denmark)
alcohol content : 4.20%
3. Tiger (Singapore/Malaysia)
alcohol content : 4.50%
4. Heineken (Holland/Hongkong)
alcohol content : 5.00%
5. Foster's (Australia)
alcohol content : 4.90%
6. Budweiser (USA)
alcohol content : 3.90%
7. San Miguel (Philippine)
alcohol content : 5.00%
8. Asahi (Japan)
alcohol content : 5.00%
9. Guinness Stout (Ireland/Singapore)
alcohol content : 8.00%


VODKA
Neutral spirit which are distilled and filtered through and treated with charcoal or other material also as to be without distinctive character, aroma, and taste and colour.
Ingredient : rye, corn, barley, wheat, grapes and sugar canes.
BRANDS : Borzoi (UK), Absolut (Sweden), Smirnoff (USA), Stolichnaya (Russia).


TEQUILA
Mexican spirit made from fermented and distilled sap of cactus like agave plant called blue mazcal. Made in town called Tequila (Mexico).
 Brands : Sauza Gold, Camino, Mariachi.

WHISKY/WHISKEY
Spirit made from distillation of fermented mash of grain, usually barley with wheat or corn which is aged in wood but not deliberately flavored.
Whisky - Scottish / Canadian
Whiskey - America / Ireland

TYPE
Scotland - Scotch Whisky
Canadian - Rye Whisky
Ireland - Irish Whisky
American - Bourbon , Tennesse Whisky

Ingredients : malt, barley, wheat, rye

Brands : Ballantine's, Cutty Sark, Dewar's White, Johnny Walker, Glenfiddich, John Jameson, Canadian Club

BOURBON
Fermentation Technique - Sour mash
Stored in charred oak barrel, age 2 years to 4 years, 51% corn.
Examples : Maker's Mark, Wild Turkey
TENNESE
Made in Tennesse
Examples : Jack Daniels, Jim Beam.

BRANDY/COGNAC
Spirit that is obtained from the distillation of wine or fermented mash of fruit and age in wood.

COGNAC
Made in town of Cognac located in the center of region in Western France.

ALL COGNAC IS BRANDY BUT NOT ALL BRANDY IS COGNAC

 Examples : Courvosier , Hennesy, Martell, Otard, Remy Martin.

RUM
Spirit distilled from diluted sugar molasses from sugar cane.
Brands : Bacardi Light, Bacardi Gold, Lemon Hart, Captain Morgan.

GIN
Flavoring a neutral grain spirit with a variety of plant part - Angelica, Bitter Almond, Calamus Root, Caraway Seed, Cassia Bark, Cinnamon, Cariander Seed, Lemon and Orange Peel.
Brands : Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, Gordon's.

TYPES OF WINE

Here is a quick reference to wine varieties and how to pair wine with food. This page describes the different types of wine per district and variety (riesling, pinot noir, etc.). It does not describe the styles of wines by colour, sweetness, or fizz. Which wine types a cellar could hold is suggested in the buying guide.
A variety is the type of grape. It is written here with a lower-case initial. If only variety is mentioned on the bottle label, then the wine is called varietal and is named after the grape with a capital initial (Riesling, Pinot Noir, etc.). A varietal wine primarily shows the fruit: the grape variety dominates the flavour.

Types of white wine grapes

Chardonnay

Chardonnay vine

(Shar-doe-nay) Chardonnay was the most popular white grape through the 1990's. It can be made sparkling or still. Food pairings: a good choice for fish and chicken dishes.
Districts: chardonnay makes the principle white wine of Burgundy (Bourgogne, France), where it originated. Chardonnay is versatile and is grown with success in most viticultural areas under a variety of climatic conditions.
Typical taste of the different types of chardonnay: voluptuous. Chardonnay wines are often wider-bodied (and more velvety) than other types of dry whites, with rich citrus (lemon, grapefruit) flavors. Fermenting in new oak barrels adds a buttery tone (vanilla, toast, coconut, toffee). Tasting a USD 15 Californian Chardonnay should give citrus fruit flavors, hints of melon, vanilla, some toasty character and some creaminess. Burgundy whites can taste very different.

Sauvignon blanc

Sauvignon blanc

(So-veen-yawn Blah) Food pairings: a versatile food wine for seafood, poultry, and salads.
Districts: of French origin, sauvignon blanc is grown in the Bordeaux region where it is blended with semillon. The Loire valley and New Zealand produce some excellent sauvignon blanc varietals. Some Australian Sauvignon Blancs, grown in warmer areas, tends to be flat and lack fruit qualities.
Typical taste in varietal wine: sauvignon blanc normally shows a herbal character suggesting bell pepper or freshly mown grass. The dominating flavors range from sour green fruits of apples, pears and gooseberries through to tropical fruits of melon, mango and blackcurrant. Quality unoaked Sauvignon Blancs will display smokey qualities; they require bright aromas and a strong acid finish and are best grown in cool climates.

Semillon

(Say-mee-yaw)
Food pairings: Semillon goes with fish but there are many better matches. Serve dry Semillon with clams, mussels, or pasta salad.
Districts: sémillon is the major white grape in the Bordeaux region of France. Sémillon is also known as Hunter (River Riesling), boal/bual of Madeira, chevrier, columbier, malaga and blanc doux. Sémillon is also grown in Chile, Argentina, Australia, and California.
Typical taste: the wine varietal features distinct fig-like character. Sémillon is often blended with sauvignon blanc to delimit its strong berry-like flavors.
From the Bordeaux region of France come the great Sauternes and Barsac. These wines are produced from overripe sémillon grapes. They are blended with sauvignon blanc to produce a syrupy, full-bodied wine that may be world class.

Moscato

Muscat vine picture

(Mos-cato) The moscato variety belongs to the muscat family of grapes - and so do moscatel and muscat ottonel. Food pairings: Moscato shows best on its own: without food.
Districts: moscato grows in most vine-friendly climates, including Italy, the Rhône Valley (where it is called muscat blanc à petits grains) and Austria (where it is called Muskateller).
Typical taste: often sweet and always fruity, with a characteristic grapefruity and musky aroma. Moscato wines are easily recognizable to anyone who has tasted a Muscat table grape.

Pinot grigio

Picture of pinot gris

(Pee-no gree-zo) Food pairings: versatile.
Districts: pinot grigio is planted extensively in the Venezia and Alto Adige regions of Italy. Pinot grigio is also grown in the western coastal regions of the U.S.A. It is called malvoisie in the Loire Valley and pinot gris in the rest of France. In Germany and Austria pinot grigio is known as the Ruländer or Grauer Burgunder where it is used to make pleasant, young, white wines. Similar aliases are used in the german settled regions of Australia.
Typical taste: pinot gris can produce crisp, dry wines with good acid "bite". Alsace Pinot Gris shows aromatic, fruity flavors that improve with a couple of years in the bottle.

Gewürztraminer

Gewürztraminer

(Gah-vurtz-tra-meener) A very aromatic variety. Food pairings: gewürztraminer is ideal for sipping. It can fit Asian food, pork and grilled sausages.
Districts: gewürztraminer is best known in wines from Alsace, Germany, the U.S. West Coast, and New York.
Typical taste in varietal wine: fruity flavors with aromas of rose petals, peaches, lychees, and allspice. A Gewürztraminer seems generally not as refreshing as other types of dry whites.

Riesling

Old Vine of riesling

(Rees-ling) Food pairings: dry versions go well with fish, chicken and pork dishes.
Districts: the classic German grape of the Rhine and Mosel, riesling grows in all wine regions. Germany's great Rieslings are usually made slightly sweet, with steely acidity for balance. Riesling from Alsace and the Eastern U.S. is also excellent, though usually made in a different style, equally aromatic but typically drier (not sweet). California Rieslings are much less successful, usually sweet without sufficient acidity for balance.
Typical taste in varietal wine: Riesling wines are much lighter than Chardonnay wines. The aromas generally include fresh apples. The riesling variety expresses itself very differently depending on the district and the winemaking. Rieslings should taste fresh. If they do, then they might also prove tastier and tastier as they age.

Types of red wine grapes

Syrah (or Shiraz)

Syrah vine picture

(Sah-ra or Shi-raz) Shiraz or syrah are two names for the same variety. Europe vintners only use the name syrah. Food pairings: meat (steak, beef, wild game, stews, etc.)
Districts: syrah excels in California, in Australia, and in France’s Rhone Valley.
Typical taste in varietal wine: aromas and flavors of wild black fruit (such as blackcurrant), with overtones of black pepper spice and roasting meat. The abundance of fruit sensations is often complemented by warm alcohol and gripping tannins.
Toffee notes if present come not from the fruit but from the wine having rested in oak barrels.
The shiraz variety gives hearty, spicy reds. While shiraz is used to produce many average wines it can produce some of the world’s finest, deepest, and darkest reds with intense flavors and excellent longevity. You’ll discover Syrahs of value and elegance by reading my reviews of French wines.

Merlot

Merlot vine picture

(Mare-lo) Easy to drink. The softness of Merlot has made it an "introducing" wine for new red-wine drinkers. Food pairings: any will do.
Districts: a key player in the Bordeaux blend, merlot is now also grown in Italy, Romania, California, Washington State, Chile, Australia, etc.
Typical taste in varietal wine: typical scents include blackcherry, plums and herbal flavors. The texture is round but a middle palate gap is common. The Merlot type of wine is less tannic (rough) than Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cabernet sauvignon

Cabernet sauvignon

(Ca-burr-nay so-veen-yaw) Widely accepted as one of the world’s best varieties. Cabernet sauvignon is often blended with cabernet franc and merlot. It usually undergoes oak treatment. Food pairings: best with simply prepared red meat.
Districts: cabernet sauvignon is planted wherever red wine grapes grow except in the Northern fringes such as Germany. It is part of the great red Médoc wines of France, and among the finest reds in Australia, California and Chile.
Typical taste in varietal wine: full-bodied, but firm and gripping when young.
With age, polyphenols polymerize: the grip fades away. The rich currant qualities of the Cabernet Sauvignon wine change to that of pencil box. Bell pepper notes remain.
Another article deals with the health benefits of polyphenols.
Vanilla notes if present come not from the fruit but from the oak treatment. They increase review ratings but may overwhelm the varietal taste.

Malbec

Malbec vine picture

(Mal-bek) Food pairings: all types of meat-based meals.
Districts: malbec has its origins in the French Bordeaux region. It is grown as côt in the Loire Valley and auxerrois in Cahors. Malbec has also been recognized as médoc noir or pressac again in France. Malbec is widely grown in Argentina, where it is the most popular red grape variety. It is also available in Chile, in Australia, and in the cooler regions of California.
Typical taste in varietal wine: malbec’s characteristics vary greatly depending on where it is grown and how it is transformed. Generally it produces an easy-drinking style, well colored wine that tastes of plums, berries, and spice.
Malbec is often blended with other varieties such as cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and petit verdot to make Bordeaux style wines. Malbec and some such blends may present some health benefits.

Pinot noir

Pinot noir

(Pee-know na-wahr) One of the noblest red wine grapes. Pinot noir is difficult to grow, rarely blended, with no roughness. Food pairings: excellent with grilled salmon, chicken, and lamb.
Districts: makes the great reds of Burgundy (from Bourgogne, France), and good wines from Austria, California, Oregon, and New Zealand.
Typical taste in varietal wine: very unlike Cabernet Sauvignon. The structure is delicate and fresh. The tannins are very soft; this is related to the low level of polyphenols. The aromatics are very fruity (cherry, strawberry, plum), often with notes of tea-leaf, damp earth, or worn leather.
Yet pinot noir is very transparent to the place where it is grown. "The staggering range of wines produced makes it impossible and pointless to define which personality is the best expression of the variety", as Craig Camp put it.

Zinfandel

(Zin-fan-dell) Perhaps the world’s most versatile wine grape, making everything from blush wine (White Zinfandel), to rich, heavy reds. Food pairings: very much depends on the freshness/heaviness of the wine; tomato-sauce pasta, pizza, and grilled and barbecued meats.
Districts: only found in California.
Typical taste in varietal wine: often a zesty flavor with berry and pepper.

Sangiovese

Sangiovese vine

(San-gee-oh-ve-zee) Food pairings: a good choice for Italian and other Mediterranean-style cuisines.
Districts: sangiovese produces the Chiantis of Italy’s Tuscany region and, of late, good wines from California.
Typical taste in varietal wine: the primary style is medium-bodied with fresh berry and plum flavors.
 

Barbera

Barbera vine

(Bar-bear-a) Not as popular as Merlot but with similar attributes. Food pairings: barbera wines are versatile: they match many dishes, including tomato sauces.
Districts: another classic red of Italian origin. Widespread in California.
Typical taste in varietal wine: juicy black cherry and plum fruit, a silky texture and excellent acidity.

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

BEER
Fermented alcoholic beverages that are brewed from malted barley, wheat, maize, rye, rice and flavouredwith hops. Added with water, yeast, and sugar.
LAGER
Mild and smooth golden colored beer.
STOUT
Bitter, strong and dark colored beer and is highly flavored with a rich content of hope.
COCKTAIL
Mixed drink made up of based liquor, juices, aerated soft drink and coloring.
SPIRIT or LIQUOR
Alcoholic beverages obtained by distillation after fermentation of grains, fruits, vegetables and other substance which have sugar and starch base.
BRANDY
Spirit that is obtained from distillation of wine and fermented mash and age in wood.
COGNAC
Brandy that is made in town of cognac located in the center of a region in Western France.
WHISKY
Spirit made from distillation of fermented mash of grain, usually barley with wheat or corn which is aged in wood but not deliberately flavored.
RUM
Spirit distilled from diluted sugar molasses from sugar cane.
GIN
Spirit produced by the distillation of fermented grain flavored with Juniper Berries.
TEQUILA
Mexican spirit made from fermented and distilled sap of cactus like agave plant called blue mezcal.
VODKA
Spirit made from fermented mash of grains. It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and smooth.
WINE
Fermented juice of ripe grape

Palm Lounge and Bistro

PALM LOUNGE AND BISTRO

BASIC SERVICE SEQUENCE

The following is a step by step procedure of Palm Lounge & Bistro "Service Sequence" from the point when the guest enter the outlets to the point when the guest leaves.

1. Welcoming and Greeting Guest
Approach smile and greet presently.
Say : Good evening sir/madam, welcome to Palm Lounge.
Remarks : Do not show unwelcome to guest even you are busy. FIRST IMPRESSION COUNT.

2. Inquiring the Number of Guest
Smile, say : How many person of you sir/madam?
Ensure place the coaster and ashtray (if needed) accordingly.
Remarks : Always seat and offer the ladies first.

3. Presnting Menu
Present the menu to guest.
Say : Excuse me sir/madam, this is our menu.
Remarks : Ensure good condition of the menu.

4. Taking Order
Say : May I take your order?
Ensure to offer our promotion.
Ensure to repeat the order.
Remarks : Key in the orders in the Micros immediately.

5. Preparation For the Order
While waiting the order, follow uo with the preparation like glasses, ice, wine bucket, napkin, etc.
Remarks : Ensure serve the good condition of glasses, and the cleanliness of equipments.

6. Pick Up and Serving Order
Pick up the drink from the station, annouce the drink while serving.
Say : Excuse me sir/madam, this is your drinks (say the name of the drink like beer, whisky, etc). enjoy your drinks.

7. Present Bill
Pick up the bill from the cashier station.
Say: Excuse me sir/madam, this is your bill.
Present the bill and announce the amount.
Remarks : Ensure the bill with correct item and amount.
Ensure the payment send to cashier immediately.

8. Service Follow Up
Refill the guest glass with their drinks.
Refill the ice for guest.
Changing the tidy ashtray.
Remarks : Make sure no empty glass or plate on the guest table.
Always give extra service to guest.

9. Offer Second Order
Ensure offer second order to guest.
Say : Excuse me sir/madam, can I offer your another order?
Remarks : Polite, smile,with pleasure voice tone.

10.Checking guest overall satisfaction/feedback
Say : How is the drink/food, anything alright?
Remarks : For negative feedback, report to manager on duty.

One Yellow Daffodil

One Yellow Daffodil

Morris Kaplan lives in a small apartment above a busy restaurant. Every evening the muffled sounds of tables being set, music, people talking and laughing keep Morris company while he prepares and eats his dinner, and as he reads the evening newspaper. Morris often falls asleep in his chair by the window, with the open newspaper spread across his legs like a blanket. He sleeps there through the night, still dressed in his robe and slippers.
Morris wakes early each morning, even before milk and vegetables are delivered to the restaurant. He dresses carefully and has his breakfast of toast, jelly, and tea in a glass. Then Morris goes outside, starts his small pickup truck, and begins the long drive to the flower market.
This morning at the market Morris walks slowly among the large buckets filled with irises, daisies, carnations, roses, and lilies. He takes deep breaths of the fragrant air. At one stand Morris picks up a red carnation. He brushes his hand softly over its petals, examines its stem and leaves. He will select only the freshest and prettiest flowers for his shop.
Morris looks around. The buckets, stands, and walls are dull and gray. Most of the people are wearing dark suits or aprons. Only the flowers add color to the market. As he stands there, Morris remembers a time, long ago, when everything around him was dark and sad. One spring morning he saw a bright yellow flower growing in a most unlikely place. That flower gave him hope and courage. Morris believes that flower saved his life.
Morris wipes away a tear and walks to another stand. This one has buckets of roses. Morris picks up a red rose, smells it. Then he shakes it gently.
An hour later the back of Morris’s truck is filled with flowers. He drives to his shop and carries them in.
It’s still very early. Only a few people walk past the shop. Morris tears a sheet of wrapping paper from a thick roll and lays it on his desk. He places a few sprigs of baby’s breath on the
paper, then some pink and red carnations. He wraps the flowers and puts the arrangement into a bucket. Then he tears off a new sheet of wrapping paper.
When the bucket is full, Morris puts today’s arrangements and the rest of the flowers he bought at the market in the glass-doored refrigerator.
Outside, more people walk past his shop. Children pass by on their way to school. Morris stands by the door of his shop to watch them.
“Oh, Mr. Kaplan,” a boy and girl call to him. “Good morning. Good morning, Mr. Kaplan.”
Morris waves to the children. The girl runs to him. “We’re late today. We can’t stop and talk, but we’ll be back later, on our way home.”
Morris smiles. “I know,” he says. “Today is Friday. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
Morris watches them hurry off. He waits outside until he can no longer see them. Then he goes back into the shop.
Soon a woman walks in. “I want something pretty,” she says, “for my husband. It’s his birthday today.”
Morris opens the refrigerator door. He shows her the arrangements, the buckets of roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums.
“I’ll take one dozen carnations,” she says. “Can you mix reds and whites?”
The woman looks at the many vases and plants in the shop while Morris arranges the flowers. He takes out six red, six white, and six pink carnations. He tears off a sheet of wrapping paper and adds some baby’s breath.
“Oh my,” the woman says. “I only wanted a dozen flowers.”
Morris smiles. “The red and white flowers are a birthday gift from you. The pink ones are from me.”
In the early afternoon, children begin to return from school. The girl and boy Morris had spoken to earlier walk in.
“Hi, Mr. Kaplan,” the girl says.
“Hello, Ilana. Hello, Jonathan.”
“My class had a test today in math,” Ilana says, “on fractions. It was hard. And we had a spelling test. That was easy.”
Ilana takes a small purse from her knapsack. “We need some flowers,” she says. “We only have two dollars left from our allowances, so could we have some of your old flowers? They’re just for tonight and tomorrow.”
“I know,” Morris says, and smiles. “They have to look nice for the Sabbath.”
“Shabbat” Ilana says.
“Yes, Shabbat.”
Morris opens the refrigerator and takes out one of the arrangements he made this morning. He puts it on his desk and tears open the wrapping paper. He goes back to the refrigerator and takes out some red, pink, and white carnations and some chrysanthemums and adds them to the arrangement. He wraps them all in fresh paper and gives the flowers to Ilana.
“These are a lot of flowers for two dollars,” she says as she gives Morris the money.
Morris smiles. “When you buy old flowers, you get more.”
It’s December and darkness comes early. Morris stays in his shop until long after nightfall. Before he leaves he checks the flowers that remain. There are plenty for tomorrow. That’s good. Saturday is always a busy day.
Morris drives his truck home. He lives close enough to the shop to walk, but he likes to have the truck with him, just in case. In the almost forty years that Morris has lived in his apartment and worked in his flower shop, he has never had to rush off somewhere. Still, he likes to have the truck nearby.
Snow falls through Sunday night. Monday morning, on his way to the flower shop, Morris listens to radio reports about the weather, the condition of the roads, and school closings. Ilana and Jonathan’s school is open. Morris is glad. He looks forward to seeing them.
Morris makes the flower arrangements and then goes outside in time to see the children on their way to school.
The next day, in the afternoon, Jonathan and Ilana come into Morris’s shop. “We’d like to buy some flowers,” Ilana says.
“Isn’t today Tuesday?” Morris asks.
“Yes.”
“But you always buy flowers for the Sabbath. The Sabbath doesn’t begin until Friday night.”
Ilana smiles. “I know, but tonight is the first night of Hanukkah.”
Morris opens the glass refrigerator door. “Look here. See what you like.”
“We only have five dollars,” Ilana says.
“You just pick the flowers you want. When you have picked five dollars’ worth, I’ll say ‘Stop.’”
Ilana and Jonathan pick flowers for a large bouquet. Morris wraps it and gives the flowers to Ilana.
“Don’t you celebrate Hanukkah?” Jonathan asks.
“No.”
“Do you celebrate Christmas?”
“No,” Morris says softly. “I don’t celebrate either holiday. When I was a small boy in Poland, I celebrated Hanukkah, but that was many years ago.”
After the children leave the shop, Morris sits by his desk and thinks of his Hanukkahs in Poland. It was long ago that he was in school, that he studied the Talmud and other holy books. He remembers helping his father in his tailor shop, lighting candles on Hanukkah, and getting a few coins, Hanukkah gelt, as a gift. Morris thinks of his parents, his brother, and two sisters—and of what happened to them.
The next afternoon Ilana and Jonathan come into his shop again.
“Oh my,” Morris says when the children walk in. “You bought so many flowers yesterday. You can’t want more already. They didn’t wilt, did they?”
“Oh no,” Ilana says. “The flowers are fine. They’re beautiful. But Mamma said we should invite you to come to our apartment tonight to eat dinner and to light Hanukkah candles with us.”
“I can’t. I have to stay here in the shop.”
“Mamma says you can come after you close the shop.”
Morris shakes his head. “No, that would be too late. I close the shop at eight.”
“That’s fine. We wait for Pappa to come home from work, and that’s after eight.”
Before Morris can object again, Ilana writes her address and apartment number on a slip of paper and says to Morris, “We’ll wait for you, too.”
After the children leave, Morris looks around the shop. He wants to bring a gift, but the family already has flowers. Morris takes a ceramic bowl off the shelf and puts it on his desk. It’s a beautiful bowl. He looks at the bowl a long time. Then he shakes his head. “We are both the same,” he says. “Empty. I must find a nice plant for you.”
Morris puts a pot of ivy into the bowl. He ties a blue bow to the plant. He begins to write a card, “Dear Mr. and Mrs. …” But he doesn’t know the children’s family name. He takes another card and writes: “Thank you for inviting me to dinner. Morris Kaplan.”
That evening Morris closes his shop a little early. He goes home, shaves, and changes his shirt. He takes the ivy in the ceramic bowl and drives to the address on the slip of paper. Ilana and Jonathan live in apartment 2C. The name on the door is Becker. Morris knocks.
“Come in, come in,” Mrs. Becker says as she opens the door. “You must be Mr. Kaplan.”
Morris gives her the ivy. He looks around the apartment. There are flowers everywhere.
“You gave the children so many,” Mrs. Becker says. “We couldn’t possibly fit them all in one vase.”
Ilana and Jonathan are by the window. Jonathan holds a box of multicolored candles and is giving them, one by one, to Ilana.
“I want mine to be blue tonight,” he tells Ilana, and hands her three blue candles. She sets them in Jonathan’s menorah, one in each of the first two holders at the right, and one in the raised holder in the center.
“What color do you want?” Jonathan asks Morris.
“I’ll just watch.”
“We put this menorah out for you. It’s extra,” Jonathan says.
“No. I’ll just watch.”
Just as Ilana and Jonathan finish preparing the menorahs, their father arrives. He introduces himself to Morris. Then everyone gathers near the window. First Mr. Becker says the blessings and lights his candles, then Mrs. Becker, then Ilana, and then Jonathan. Together they sing “Ha-Nerut Hallalu” (These Candles) and “Ma’oz Zur” (Rock of Ages).
While the candles burn, they all play a game of dreidel. They each put a chocolate-covered raisin in the middle of the table and then take turns spinning the dreidel to see who wins the candy. When Jonathan isn’t spinning, he’s eating.
“Let’s have dinner now,” Mrs. Becker says, “before Jonathan eats every raisin in the game.”
At dinner Morris talks on and on about flowers. His favorite is the hyacinth. “I fill a glass bowl with pebbles and set a hyacinth bulb on top. I keep the pebbles wet. When the bulb blooms, I just enjoy its color, beauty, and fragrance.”
“Were you always interested in flowers?” Mrs. Becker asks.
Morris looks down at his plate and says, “No. When I was young, we didn’t have flowers at our table. My parents were too busy to think about such things, and we were too poor.”
Morris looks up. “I wanted to be a tailor, like my father. He had magic hands. They could take a drab piece of flat cloth and make from it a wedding suit. But war came, and I no longer thought of cloth and suits.”
“Were you in the army?” Jonathan asks.
“No.”
“Did you see soldiers fighting?”
“No.”
“Jonathan, don’t ask so many questions,” Mrs. Becker says.
While the children talk about school, Morris thinks about the Hanukkahs he celebrated many years ago.
After dessert Morris thanks the Beckers and leaves. At home he searches in his closet. He brings out an old box. Inside are a metal cup, a torn shirt, a child’s hat, and an old menorah. Morris holds the menorah in both hands and cries.
The next morning Morris takes the menorah with him to the flower shop. He cleans it and puts it in the window. He looks at it often during the day.
That night, after Morris closes the shop, he puts the menorah on the front seat of his truck. As he drives, he remembers the last time he used the menorah. His sister had helped him. It was just before the Nazis came to his village and took him and his family away to a ghetto. Later they were taken by train to Auschwitz.
Morris remembers the horrors of that place. He remembers when he was separated from his family.
One morning, after he had lost all hope of survival, Morris saw a small yellow flower, a daffodil, blooming just outside his barracks. The rain he had cursed because of the mud it made had nurtured the flower. Now it was reaching out for the sun. If the daffodil can survive here, Morris thought, maybe I can, too. Morris knows that luck, more than anything, saved him. But he feels the flower saved him, too.
Morris stops for a red light and realizes that he isn’t driving home. He is at the Beckers’ building. He parks the truck, takes his menorah, and goes in. He stands quietly outside apartment 2C for a while. He looks at the menorah and then knocks on the door.
“Mr. Kaplan! Come in.” Mrs. Becker greets him.
“This is the menorah I used when I was young,” Morris tells her.
Morris sits at the table and tells the Beckers about the family he lost and about the yellow daffodil.
“After the war I didn’t know where to go, so I went home,” he says. “Another family was living in our house. They were using our furniture, our pots and dishes, and wearing our clothing. They were not happy to see me, but they did give me a small box of things that they didn’t want. Our menorah was in that box.”
There are tears in Morris’s eyes. “I thought maybe I would find some of my old friends in the village, but I didn’t. I had no one.”
Mrs. Becker holds Morris’s hand in hers and says, “Now you have us.” Morris puts his menorah by the window. Jonathan gives Ilana four candles. She sets them in the menorah. The Beckers listen as Morris says the blessings and watch as he lights the Hanukkah candles.

David A. Adler
One Yellow Daffodil
Orlando, Voyager Books, 1999

Resep Kue Lumpur

BAHAN:

* 300 gram kentang
* 5 kuning telur
* 2 putih telur
* 250 gram gula pasir
* 400 ml santan, dari 1 butir kelapa
* 50 gram margarin, lelehkan
* 1/4 sdt vanili bubuk
* 1/2 sdt garam
* 175 grang tepung terigu
* 1 butir kelapa muda, keruk
* minyak goreng untuk olesan
* 50 gram kismis, rendam hingga mekar, untuk taburan
* 1/2 butir kelapa muda, keruk, untuk hiasan

CARA MEMBUAT KUE LUMPUR:

1. Kukus kentang hingga masak, angkat, kupas kulitnya selagi panas. Segera lumatkan dengan menggunakan alat penghalus kentang, sisihkan.
2. Kocok kuning telur dan putih terlur bersama gula menggunakan mikser hingga mengembang. Masukkan santan, margarin leleh, vanili, dan garam, aduk menggunakan pengocok kawat hingga rata.
3. Masukkan kentang dan tepung terigu sedikit demi sedikit sambil diaduk terus hingga menjadi adonan yang halus dan licin, kemudian saring, buang ampasnya. Masukkan kelapa muda keruk, aduk rata, sisihkan.
4. Panaskan cetakan kue lumpur di atas api sedang. Olesi dengan sedikit minyak goreng. Tuang adonan ke dalam cetakan hingga 3/4 penuh, lalu tutup cetakan, masak hingga setengah matang.
5. Buka tutup cetakan, hias bagian atas kue dengan kelapa muda keruk dan kismis. Teruskan memasak hingga matang (kurang lebih 10 menit), angkat. keluarkan kue dari cetakan.