Tag: Israel

The Trials and Tribulations of Making Brisket in Israel

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Up until now, finding familiar ingredients in Israel hasn’t been a problem. But for Thanksgiving, the most singularly American of all holidays, the ante was upped. While it would be interesting, a possible improvement even, to try to merge our new culture with our old, there is something about Thanksgiving that makes that difficult. I can see it happening over years, couscous replacing stuffing, borekas replacing rolls. But for this, our first Thanksgiving in Israel, we tried like mad to make it taste just like home. Continue reading “The Trials and Tribulations of Making Brisket in Israel” →

Through the Eyes of a Child: Reflections on Learning Hebrew

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I’ve been in Israel for nearly three weeks now and still every time someone speaks to me in Hebrew I’m like a deer in headlights. I stare at them looking like a helpless child who might burst into tears at any moment. Only recently have I been able to at least blurt out “Anee lo madaber Ivreet” – I don’t speak Hebrew. Then they either speak to me in English or we break out into an animated game of charades. Continue reading “Through the Eyes of a Child: Reflections on Learning Hebrew” →

Embracing the Flavors of my New Home

For the first two weeks I was in Israel I made the foods that were familiar to me. Beef stew, pasta and sauce, even Pad Thai. But this week I was ready to embrace the beautiful flavors and ingredients that are so readily available to me and start creating something with some Mediterranean flavor. I’m obsessed with the figs here. They’re everywhere, they’re ripe, they’re bursting with color and flavor. I knew I wanted to do something with that. Continue reading “Embracing the Flavors of my New Home” →