On the latest Sis & Tell Podcast episode "The Russian Bikini Waxer" Alison and I chat about waxing versus shaving, how a trip to Disney World in the 1980s prepared us for the Pandemic and how one person's trash is another's Halloween costume. In this video clip, you get a glimpse of my experience with the Russian bikini waxer. Listen to the full episode at Sisandtell.com or wherever you get your podcasts.
Even though my big sister (and Sis & Tell Podcast co-host) Alison and I are separated by 7 years and 120 miles, we tend to live parallel lives in peculiar ways. Last week our families both experienced a series of phone and internet scams from Social Security fraud to Publisher’s Clearing House imposters, we have heard it all. Check out our latest Sis & Tell Podcast episode “The Craigslist Puppy Scam” to get the lowdown on the dupery.
You can listen to our weekly comedy podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Amazon, Google Podcasts or pretty much anywhere you listen or by visiting sisandtell.com. Come be a part of the Goldstein Fam! We are the southern Jewish sisters you didn’t realize you’re missing.
If you’ve listened to the Sis & Tell Podcast then you know Alison (my sister/co-host) and I have strong opinions about all sorts of oddities. We’ve provided comedic commentary on how to’s ranging from measuring belly buttons to breaking up with your “COVID bubble.” Sometimes we disagree. Other times we agree to disagree. But there’s a certain subject where no arbitration is needed. In fact, we are so “same page” that we could co-author an RBG-style Dissent to support our suppositions. And that’s how to eat a Little Debbie Swiss Cake Roll.
There’s a special way to eat Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls. If you didn’t know that it’s because you’ve either never had one or quite simply you’re eating it wrong. Along with cream cheese and green olive sandwiches, the Goldstein Family grew up eating Swiss Cake Rolls as a school lunch staple. Even though Alison and I are seven years a part, we have the same deconstruction strategy for eating these nostalgic snack cakes. Check out the video below for How to Eat a Little Debbie Swiss Cake Roll and listen to the entire Sis & Tell Podcast episode about this “Time Magazine’s 2006 Person of the Year.”
My sister (and Sis & Tell Podcast co-host) Alison turned 50 this year and all she wanted was for me to make her a half-baked egg bagel from Browdy’s, a family-owned deli based out of Birmingham, Alabama that closed about 11 years ago. The Goldstein fam has nicknamed this delicacy the Birmingham Bagel and every week, my dad would take Alison to pick up a dozen Birmingham Bagels and then they’d share the bonus 13th bagel on the way home.
In the Sis & Tell Podcast episode “It’s a Chagel,” we go in depth into the search for the original recipe from Browdy’s and my attempt to recreate it by modifying other recipes. I had the revelation that perhaps the bagel wasn’t a bagel at all, but actually made out of challah dough. We will share Alison’s very easy and delicious challah recipe in another blog post, but in the mean time I wanted to share another recipe I found in the Cook & Tell Cookbook for egg bagels. Cook & Tell (no relation to our podcast) was a cookbook created by the Sisterhood organization of Temple Beth-el in Birmingham and is probably my most used collection of recipes. Bagels are much easier to cook than you’d think.
Check out the recipe below and while things are cooking you can listen to the Sis & Tell Podcast episode “It’s a Chagel.”
Cook & Tell’s Egg Bagel Recipe
Ingredients
4-4 1/4 cups flour (I used King Arthur Bread Flour)
1 evelope of active dry yeast
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS oil
2 TBS sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups very warm water (120 to 130 degrees)
1 TBS barley malt syrup (I use Eden) — also I added this step
1 egg white beaten with 1 TBS water
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375
In a large bowl of electric mixer, stir together 1 1/2 cups of King Arthur’s bread flour, sugar, yeast and salt
Gradually beat in water, then eggs and oil
Beat at a medium speed for 2 minutes
Add 1/2 cup of King Arthur’s bread flour at high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
Stir in 2 or 2 1/4 cups of King Arthur’s bread flour
Turn out on lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic for about 10 minutes (dough should be firm). Alternatively, I used my Kitchen Aid mixer dough attachment to do this and you may need to alter time as it’s quicker.
Place in uncreased bowl and let stand in warm place away from draft for 20 minutes or until dough begins to rise.
Punch down, divide in half and let stand 10 minutes.
Roll each half in 8” squares
Cut each in eight 1-inch strips and pinch ends together to form rings. Alternatively, I instead of strips I made a ball and then poked a hole in the middle with my thumb.
DO NOT LET RISE
In large kettle or deep skillet bring 2” to 4” of water to boil. This is where I added in the tablespoon of Eden barley malt syrup because my friend and incredible chef Joel Silverman told me to.
Simmer 3-4 bagels at a time two minutes on each side (4 minutes total). DO NOT over simmer, so if you want to play it safe just do 90 seconds on each side
Drain well on a clean towel
Remove and place on a lined cookie sheet (you can use parchment paper or a Silpat but would do not grease).
Brush tops of bagels with egg white mixture
Bake 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until well browned and crisp.
This recipe yields about 8 egg bagels.
Once you' try out the egg bagel recipe, we’d love to know what you think! AND if you’re looking for a funny podcast don’t forget to subscribe to the Sis & Tell Podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pandora, iHeart Radio and by visiting SisandTell.com
Like Seinfeld is a sitcom about nothing (and everything), so is Sis & Tell Podcast. My sister Alison and I talk about everything from growing up Jewish in Alabama to parenting teenage boys. There is little to no planning before we hit the record button and the subject matter can shift by the second. Our fans often remark that it feels like you’re listening in one of our conversations and that’s because you literally are. We are the Jewish sisters you didn’t realize you were missing. So come on and hang out with our funny fam every Friday (that’s when new episodes drop). Hopefully, you’ll find us comedic and endearing and just the amount of escapism you need.
Our latest, podcast episode, “A Porsche or a Pulpit”, we come up with some COVID-inspired career changes as Alison considers going to online rabbinical school, while I try to convince her that I can use my rapping skills to accompany her as a comedic cantor.
Sis & Tell, an award-winning comedy podcast, is hosted by Jewish sisters Alison Goldstein Lebovitz from PBS' The A List and stand-up comedian Amanda Goldstein Marks and is best described by its tagline “A Whole Lotta Talk about a Whole Lotta Nothin’.”
Listen to the latest Sis & Tell Podcast episode: “A Porsche or a Pulpit”
My sister Alison and I may be crafty with our words, but not so much with our abilities to DIY things like face masks. Life has been a series of Pinterest fails and Etsy wannabe fumbles. But fortunately, we discovered a little life hack on how to make a face mask using a kippah, which is a Jewish ritual head covering (also known as a yarmulke in Yiddish). Sounds not so kosher, eh? At least, we’re not using them to DIY a bikini top? That would be ridiculous, because I don’t even wear bikinis!
Check out our rabbi-approved video on how to turn a kippah into a face mask below. You can also listen to our full podcast episode, where we chat about discovering this DIY skill in the Sis & Tell Podcast episode “Corona Kosher”.
First here are the materials you’ll need to gather in order to make your own yarmulke face mask:
A kippah (the thinner material ones are better)
A stapler
Two pony tail holders
Your adorable face
Next steps: Watch this video tutorial on “How to Make a DIY Yarmulke (Kippah) Face Mask”
If Alison and I live by any mantra, it’s the KISS method: Keep It Simple Stupid. Whether that comes to prepping for our podcasting or parenting policies, we believe the most straightforward approach is often the most efficient and logical choice. So when it comes to cooking, we like to keep things uncomplicated. If you listen to our Sis & Tell Podcast, you’ll know about Alison’s obsession with the air-fryer, because of its ability to serve up perfection even when meal time prep is procrastinated.
In our recent episode, “Pandemic Pole Dancing” Alison talks about her recipe for air-fried artichoke hearts and Buffalo wing Brussels sprouts. Check out this video for a quick tutorial and listen to the full episode HERE.
Air Fried Crispy Artichoke Hearts Recipe
Ingredients:
1 can of whole, baby or sliced artichoke hearts or small jar of marinated artichoke hearts
Instructions:
Set air fryer to the highest setting around 390/400. Pre-heat for 3 minutes.
Drain artichoke hearts and place on air fryer tray. (If using UNmarinated artichoke hearts, you’ll need to spray them and air fryer with cooking spray.)
Cook for 10 minutes or until desired crispiness.
Serve. Toss on a salad. Or alternatively don’t tell your family you made them and eat them by yourself.
On this week’s Sis & Tell Podcast episode “Pandemic Pole Dancing”, I give Alison the details on my experience taking a pole dancing class at Vertical Joe’s in downtown Atlanta with my friend Tiffany Anderson, a fellow stand-up comedian. If you’re a reality TV fan, you may recognize Vertical Joe’s from a Real Housewives of Atlanta episode. On the particular day that Tiffany and I took the class, we shared the space with two members of the cast from TLC’s The 7 Little Johnston’s as they were recording an episode for their show. With some Bumps, bruises and embarrassing moments aside, I had an extremely fun time ‘working the pole’.
Listen to the full Sis & Tell Podcast episode “Pandemic Pole Dancing” wherever you get your podcasts or visit Sisandtell.com for additional links!
