One of the most felicitous outcomes of my research on the local foods of the Galilee has been the friendship that has developed between me and Balkees Abu Rabieh of Nazareth. Balkees is one of the most gifted cooks and bakers I’ve ever met and the love that she invests in each of her creations … Read More »
galilee
Farike
On the last day of Passover, which this year coincided with Easter Monday, I got the call. Friends of my friend Balkees – farmers in the village of Mashhad, just outside Nazareth – were making farike and we were invited to join. Farike – for the unfamiliar – is wheat, harvested when the kernels are … Read More »
Through the Grainfields
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 »
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 »