Sweet Potato and Stilton Knishes
I have a list of blogs that I typically cycle through for inspiration - recipes, travel and photography. Leading upto Purim, the interweb was flying wild with hamantaschen on every platform. I see them as basically jam cookies in a cool shape. That's it. Then Molly posted a savory potato version that caught my fancy and my hands twitching. I was inspired.
During a casual conversation with a barely Jewish friend, I realised there was a story to hamantaschen, that is named for Haman's Ears, and why it is baked for Purim. Here is the story, if you like, and expectedly, it is filled with Old Testament, love and persecution. And yet....
Sweet Potato and Kale Latkes
In the last year, I think I have learnt more about judaism and jewish-ness than in the last ten years! Last year around this time, I made my first ever visit to the contentious region of the Middle East. Starting from Israel, I then traveled to Turkey with the ability to compare the cultures across three distinct yet related religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
I just wanted to tell you what I was thinking when I made these Sweet Potato and Kale Latkes over the Hannukah period. Ironically, the coincidence was unconscious. Now, I see how my seemingly irrational mind rationally drove my actions. :)
Tel Aviv, Israel - The 'NOW' City
The pulse buzzes. The adrenalin rushes. Beauty abounds. The senses are in superlative. It is sexy. It is stylish. It is downright fascinating.
As my first exposure to Israel, Tel Aviv set the pace and tone for the time spent in the country. After spending a week in different parts of the country, I can easily say this is one place that beckons me back with the promise of more. Ostensibly, I was there to sample the cuisine and the food. But, what is food without culture and people?! Set against the interesting collage that makes the culture of Israel, food in Tel Aviv stands as an extroversion of its outlook and history.
It is without any hesitation an invigorating and entirely intriguing city. Not only does it offer the best landscape to study the congruence of diverse ethnicities, it does so with a remarkably calm composure. Given the geo-dynamics of the region, calm is hardly an adjective you would expect to connect with this experience. Yet, on the surface of this city, in the faces and lives of the people who live here, you only see a sheen of unruffled normalcy.