Beer with Laughing Gas, Ben & Jerry's with Matzah - Israel's Got It All

-->No laughing gas in these, sorry. But can we interest you in a nice scoop of cheese blintze ice cream with etrog sauce?

Two more reasons to make aliyah - Israeli beer that gets you drunk AND high and Israeli ice cream that contains no yeast!

In case you were tired of trolling helium balloon stands to get your daily dose of whippets, Israeli entrepreneurs reportedly have developed a beer that contains nitrous oxide or laughing gas. The beer, developed by two engineers and approved by the Health Ministry, contains fun and adorable 'laughing gas bubbles' that send sabras who drink it into giggle fits. Good news: Plans for a similar hybrid vodka are in the works!

G-d, you have to love Israel! It produces genius engineers and its Health Ministry certainly has its priorities in order.

In other wonderful gastronomic news, the jolly and portly duo known as Ben & Jerry has done a great service for Passover Loving Israelis Who Also Love Dairy (also known as PLIWALDs). The unleavened new 'Matzah Crunch' flavor, available only at the company's factory in Yavne, Israel, is a French vanilla ice cream boasting chips of chocolate-covered matzah.

I know Passover is over, peeps, but don't you want that constipated, chocolately feeling that comes from eating so much matzah all year long? Think of how delicious it would be with toppings such as wet walnuts or Magen Dovid shaped sprinkles!

A stern note: The beer (and future vodka) projects elicited censure from Israel's Anti-Drug Authority, which noted that laughing gas is a controlled substance and that beer tastes icky. No word on what the Israeli anti-gleeda federation had to say to Ben and Jerry.

When Carbs Attack: Can You Avoid Turning Into a Carbohydrate this Pesach?

-->Check out that Jewish tuchus!

This is a little late but there's still a few days left of Passover and I have to be proactive. I am so full of carbs at this point I'm ready to annoint myself Ms. Potatoe Bod. Soooo, here's some nice wisdom from About.com, one of my favorite websites, on how to cut down/deal with the foods that make you bloated, tired, lazy and I guess, happy.

(That brings me to a conundrum - do I want to be thin and annoyingly hungry or fat and happy? A question for another time.)

The main thing is though: enjoy the holiday, indulge a little and everything in moderation. Oh, and don't do drugs!

"Matzo - Try to get whole grain matzos, which have slightly less carbohydrate (19 grams instead of 22), and at least a little fiber. Also, there's no obligation to chow down on them. Have some raw vegetables on hand for munching if you're hungry before the main meal.
Charoset - Charoset is mostly really healthy, but don't load it down with sugar or honey. If you want it sweeter, you can add a little sugar substitute.
Gefilte fish - Gefilte fish does not have to be hard to make, and that way you can control the extra ingredients. Homemade is so much better than the stuff in jars! If you shop at a store with a fish counter, they will even grind the fish up for you, which speeds up the process. Jewish Food writer Joan Nathan says to think of them as dumplings and they won't seem as big a deal.

Most main dishes are fine. They can include brisket and salmon.

Of course, traditions differ in different areas and in different families - and sometimes it's fun to bend tradition and try something new.

Spring vegetables are common side dishes, especially asparagus. Passover can be a nice time to transition from the often-starchier winter vegetables to the lighter spring ones, which are usually low in carbohydrate.
Kugels made with potato are high in starch, of course. Either have just a few bites, or try a vegetable kugel with less or no potato."