From the Sources

Eliezer comes to Betuel’s house and Betuel offers him food. Eliezer says that he won’t eat until he has explained the whole story of why he is there. This is lucky because the Midrash notices that after Eliezer speaks we do not hear from Betuel again. It therefore concludes that he must have died. It says that even though he said that he agreed to the match, Betuel really did not want Rivkah to marry Yitzchak, so he tried to prevent it by killing Eliezer by putting poison in his food. Whilst Eliezer was speaking, a Malach came and swapped the plates over. So Betuel ate his own poison and he died.

How to eat it

DO NOT POISON YOUR GUESTS!!!!!!! However, my kids made a pun and suggested we use “poison-berries” (boysenberries).

 

From the Sources

At the end of the parsha, Yitzchak marries Rivkah and Avraham marries Keturah and has six more sons. The Midrash says that Keturah is really Hagar. Hagar has done teshuva so she “smells nice”, hence her name change to “Keturah” which comes from “ketoret” meaning sweet smelling spices.

How to eat it

Well, if you were really up to it, you could make a wedding cake, or two, to symbolise the two weddings.  Traditional wedding fruit cakes even include sweet spices which can be a reminder of Hagar’s name change to Keturah.

Or you could make a nice fruit compote with cinnamon sticks and other spices.