Eat your way around the world
THE SCENE Ava wanted nothing to do with the hummus. She shook her head. She closed her eyes. She even yelled "No!!!!" - in case I didn't get the message. I took a deep breath and calmly said "Ok." Little did she know, I had a plan. The very next day I whipped out the food processor. "Want to help mama?" I asked, smiling big. "Okay!" she cheered, with big eyes, anticipating a fantastic treat. "Please drop the chickpeas into the food processor," I said nonchalantly. "Yes" she … [Read more...]
Dilutes up to 1 gallon Have you ever sipped on the sun? First you have to chill it, so it doesn't taste as much like a "ball of fire." The compression of all the heat particles actually makes it sour. Like lemon sunshine. Then you squeeze it and sweeten it. I've read somewhere that limes are actually cooled moonbeams. They go well with the sunshine, especially with a handful of mint. That's what's happening with Israeli juice - summer sunshine in a glass, with a hint of funky … [Read more...]
Makes 2+ cups You know how you think you know something.... Like the earth is round. Or flowers bloom. Or hummus goes into a bowl? ... only to have your vision shattered? Your dreams crushed? Yeah. Turns out not everything is as it seems. The earth is not perfectly round. It's a "bumpy spheroid" according to Scientific American. And flowers don't always bloom. Especially when it's over 100F for well over a month. My crispy garden is testament to that. And hummus doesn't go in a … [Read more...]
Say "camel" and the first word that comes to mind is hump. Please tell me I'm not alone in this. I don't even have to be in the desert - I could be standing in a pool with a large, cold drink in my hand - but just thinking about camels makes me incredibly thirsty. And jealous. A camel doesn't need to hold their drink. They don't even need to use their mouth to hydrate. They just stand there, continually refreshed by their built-in portable hydration hump. Camel humps are huge … [Read more...]
Serves 2-4 Ava's my little alarm clock. Most days we get up about 8 am (bless her). On the mornings that I wake up before Ava, I like to sit in the drowsy quiet, by the window. I'm not really asleep. I'm not really awake. I'm just glad for a few minutes to stare into the stillness and daydream. Often my thoughts turn to people in other countries. Slowly, I sip my tea and wonder ... what are they doing, right now? Are they sleeping? Awake? Are they happy? Sad? Do they Tweet? Are they … [Read more...]
When the storm clouds blot out the sun, do you say: "Hurrah - I love the way rain feels on my face." When your cup is empty, do you say: "How great to have a cup!" When all you have are a few lemons, do you ask: "Who would like to share a splash of lemonade?" Our week at the Israeli Global Table is a celebration of the delicious treats that can be made out of a surprising few ingredients. Treats fellow food optimists will love. (A Food Optimist is often found to say: Sure I can make … [Read more...]
Listen up, hipsters. While you can find snow in the mountains of Israel, you're a lot more likely to find a splash of sunshine and a heavy dose of beautiful Mediterranean summer. In short, Israel has the perfect climate for a smile - especially while floating effortlessly along the dead sea, even if your right foot looks like it is about to fall off. No judgement here, but you might want to get that thing checked out, Mr. Anonymous Newspaper-reading Man. As good as the weather is, … [Read more...]
