I recently received a question from a reader of my blog which was particularly timely. He referred to a passage from the Book of Matthew that goes something like: At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. … Read More »
Culinary Historian
The Spices of South India
I just had the tremendous good fortune of being able to spend over two weeks traveling with a friend in the South Indian state of Kerala. Among the many extraordinary experiences we had, I was particularly enthralled with the tea and spice growing mountainous region around the town of Kumily, that borders Tamil Nadu. The … Read More »
A Foraging Celebration
Yet another rainy day and we can’t believe our good fortune – this has been the wettest winter for years and the landscape is celebrating. The hills are lush and bright with wild flowers. And of course, for foragers, there is a bounty of edible wild plants to pick. We started the wild asparagus season … Read More »
This Month’s “Fun Day”
As part of the tradition that my friend Miriam and I try and uphold, which is to devote the first Tuesday of every month for a “fun day” (a practice which I highly recommend), we spent this lovely winter day exploring the Carmel Mountains. Such a day typically comprises elements of culture, shopping and eating, … Read More »
Olive Harvest Fund-Raiser
The olive harvest in the Galilee usually starts after the first serious rain, which rinses off the dust and plumps up the fruit. In the one year on, one year off cycle of olive trees, this is an off year, and the price of oil – more than $150 for a 16-liter container – reflects … Read More »