COMPILED BY ELIZABETH APPLEBAUfkj Oh, Honey, You're So Sweet T he National Honey Board recently an- nounced the winners of its 1993 recipe contest, held in conjunction with Hadassah magazine each September (which also is nation- al honey month). All 316 recipe entries came from Hadassah chapter cookbooks and used honey as the principal sweetener. More than 60 chapters entered recipes. First place went to Poppy Seed Hamantashen, submit- ted by Mid-Missouri Deborah Hadassah chapter's Re- becca Smith from the chapter cook- book, Favorite Recipes from Hadassah. She won a $2,000 donation to Hadassah in the Mid-Missouri Deborah chap- ter's name. The Northern Virginia Hadassah chapter claimed second place for baklava, sub- mitted by Susan White from the chapter cookbook, From Soup to Nosh. The winning recipes: Poppy Seed Haman- tashen 5-6 cups flour, divided 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 cup shortening 5 eggs, divided 1 cup honey poppy seed filling Mix together 5 rs` cups flour, salt and baking powder. Make a well in the center and add shortening, 4 eggs and honey. Work to- gether until dough is formed, ) adding flour as needed. Roll out thinly and cut into 4-inch circles. Place 1 Tbs. filling on each; fold up three sides and press to- gether into triangles, leav- ing tops somewhat open. Beat remaining egg and brush over dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until browned. Makes about 3 dozen. Poppy seed filling: Grind 2 1. cups poppy seeds; combine with 1 cup milk and 3/4 cup hon- ey. Cook over low heat until thickened. Add 1 Tsp. lemon peel and 112 cup raisins. Cool. Cynthia's Baklava 2 pkgs. (17 1/2 oz. each) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed 3 cups finely chopped wal- nuts or pecans, divided 1 cup honey, divided whipped cream (optional) Grease with shortening 8x8x2-inch pan. Trim 1 puff pastry sheet to 8 1 1 2 -inch square and adjust to fit pan. Top with 1 cup nuts and 114 cup honey. Repeat layers 2 times with puff pastry, nuts and honey. Top with pastry sheet. Score top into diamonds or squares. Bake at ,z4 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 min- utes, then brush top with honey. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Makes 16 servings. The Why Behind Those Binzny Yellow Jackets J Stuart Eisenstat: Kosher envoy. Kosher Kitchen Is A First W ashington — Some- thing kosher is cook- ing in Brussels. As Stuart Eisenstat takes over in that city as U.S. envoy to the European Community, his kitchen will become the first in American diplomatic history to be kosher. The former director of do- mestic policy for President Jimmy Carter, Mr. Eisenstat will pay out of his pocket for the expenses, according to a report in the Washington Jewish Week. Mr. Eisenstat now serves as honorary vice president of the American Jewish Com- mittee. Free Pamphlet On Conversion T he Suffolk, N.Y., Jew- ish Communal Plan- ning Council recently published a brochure, "How To Discuss Conversion to Ju- daism," which includes guide- lines for discussion, specific steps to take in talking about conversion and a list of books on the subject. The brochure was pre- pared by Dr. Lawrence Ep- stein, author of a forthcoming guidebook on conversion. For a free copy of the brochure, write the Suffolk Jewish Communal Planning Council at 74 Hauppauge Rd., Room 53, Commack, NY 11725, or call (516) 462-5826. ust when you thought it was safe to go out into your sukkah... Each year, thousands of Jewish fam lies through -out the country find their holiday table filled with unin- vited guests: yellow jacket bees. You've seen the fan- cy traps. You've heard the home- spun cures for getting rid of them. But the question re- mains: WHY are they there? At last, here are the facts: In late summer, a single yellow jacket female estab- lishes her nest and begins laying eggs. From her one home, usually underground or in building walls, will come an entire, massive — usual- ly in the thousands — fami- ly. The job of the first borns is securing food and guarding the nest. As they go about their work, the queen does nothing but reproduce. Yellow jackets are said to love the smell of meat, though their main course is generally small in- sects. During the late sum- mer, they can still find plenty of fare to feed the continually growing fam- ily. But by fall, those small, tasty bugs are scarce. Hun- gry yellow jackets must turn to meals in the sukkah, and other outdoor dining like picnics, in search of more food to feed the young. They're a nuisance, all right, but most yellow jack- ets are not combative. Leave them — and their nest — alone, and they probably won't bother you. Good News For Tired Parents S ome have tried taking their sweet babes in the car and driving for sev- eral hours. Others balance their bun- dles of joy on their stomachs and sing and offer cairn words of support. Whatever the cause (doc- tors are still mystified), the fact re- mains that for hundreds of years, colic has deprived its fair share of parents of a decent night's sleep. Exhausted parents, wake up to this bit of good news: A new study by the depart- ment of pediatric gastroen- terology at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva suggests that herbal teas may solve the problem. Researchers at the hospital tested colicky babies with herbal tea and a placebo. They found that 56 percent who had a daily dose of herbal tea improved, versus 26 per- cent of those receiving the placebo. But parents SHOULD NOT run out to buy just any herbal tea to soothe their colicky babies. Many herbal teas have been found to be harmful in infants. The Soro- ka. study utilized a formula specially prepared using five herbs (like licorice) proven safe for infants. Those wishing to try an herbal tea for colic should first consult their physicians.