There and Back Again

Having been back on US soil for a little over a day now, here are some of my "first" impression:
1.  They use ice?!  What's that?  I rarely saw ice in Israel.  On the plane from Israel, I'm pretty sure none of the drinks that I got had ice in them.  Maybe they would have put ice in the soda, but I didn't have any of that.  Then on the plane from Atlanta to Kentucky my drink was about half ice...Going to have to get used to that again.
2. Clouds!  Green!  Rain!  I was so excited to see rain yesterday when I landed.  I even went outside just to stand in it.  Pretty sure people thought I was crazy, but I haven't seen a good rain for months.  Also, the rain here is so warm.  The winter rains of Israel are not so enjoyable to dance in.
3.  No, really, it's GREEN.
4. Finally got to meet the new nephew :)
5. First "major" experience back here: dressing up like a cow so we could get free meals at Chick-fil-a.  Welcome back to America.

Nephew and I as cows.  Moo!!

6. Garage-saling this morning - I could look at people and talk to them without being afraid that they would make inappropriate comments or try really hard to make me pay too much for something I don't want.

Yes, I've missed garage saling...but look at the grass!  

7.  I can read all the signs.  At first glance.  And understand them.  

Of course, not everything is different.  I still run into the occasional, uh, camel?!

Noteworthy Days

May 27, 2010.  Hebrew Comprehensive Exam.  Passage of study: 1 Kings 22-2 Kings 4.  Passed.

June 3, 2010.  Historical Geography Comprehensive Exam.  Passed.

June 15, 2010.  Turned in Historical Geography Seminar Project (Plan for a 15 Day Tour in Israel.)  Minus the explanatory paper.

June 17, 2010.  Turned in explanatory paper.  

June 20, 2010.  Received graded project back.  Passed.  

Also, first Top Chef party.

June 25, 2010.  Turned in preliminary draft of Medicinal Use of Plants in Ancient Israel paper.

June 28, 2010.  Turned in final copy of plant paper.

Also, second Top Chef party.

Also, in a surprising twist, informal presentation of Degree Certificates and Final Transcripts.

(Yes, pending a final signature from the Chairman of the Board, I am a Master of Historical Geography...or something like that.)

July 8, 2010.  Fly out of Israel.  

(Planning to travel around a bit this summer - hoping to see people.  If you want to be one of the people I see, let me know and we'll try to work something out.)

The thing about Israel...

...is that you can live here for years and still see new things daily.  I certainly haven't come near to exhausting the supply in the two years I've lived here.  For example, the other day I saw a bus-truck.  Yes.  Here it is in all it's glory:

This is actually the second time I've seen this bus-truck, and I still can't quite imagine what it could be used for.

Oh Israel.  Never a dull moment.

Granola: Food Post #2

I started making granola my first summer as a camp cook.  My mom had always made it at home, and it seemed like a good idea at the time to add some variety to the breakfast options.  As it turns out, it was something of a screaming success, and so I continued to make it at camp for the next 4 summers.

Then I came to Israel.  It turns out that Americans are kind of unique in their tendency to eat sweet crunchy cereals for breakfast.  A typical Israeli breakfast will include things like cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, yogurt, cheese, bread, and maybe some pickled fish.  Now, I've come to rather appreciate the Israeli breakfast and even eat it by choice, but sometimes the taste-buds crave something a little more familiar.

Of course American cereals (or imitations) are fairly easy to obtain here, but the price is rather prohibitive.  Option #2: Make my own.   So I have, and do.  And since the number of house guests through this apartment has been astronomical, I've been asked to share the recipe dozens of times.  So here it is, in all it's glory, for anyone who might care.

Granola
Mix together:
6 c. Oatmeal (or around 1 kilo) - Any kind of oat seems to work okay.
1 c. Coconut flakes (I find that even people who don't like coconut often like it in the granola.)
1-2 c. nuts (any kind, chopped or whole.  I like almonds and pecans mixed.)
Add in as desired:
Quinoa
Sesame Seeds
Wheat Germ

In a sauce pan put:
1 c. oil or fat (I usually use butter or a mixture of butter and olive oil, but any kind of oil would work)
1/4 c. corn syrup or honey
1 1/2 c. brown sugar (Less can be used to make it less sweet.  White sugar could be used and there is probably a way to substitute all honey or some such thing.)
1/4 c. water

Bring mixture to a boil, boil for 1 minute.  Remove from the stove and add:
1 tsp. vanilla (or other flavors as desired - almond extract, ground cinnamon, etc.)

Pour the sugar mixture over the oat mixture.  Stir until the oat mixture is evenly coated.  Divide the cereal between 2 greased sheet pans.

Now, you basically want to dry out the cereal.  You can do this a number of different ways and acheive similar results.  You can leave it in the oven for a long time on a low temperature or for a short time on a high temperature.  I generally cook it somewhere around 250-300F (or 150C) for, oh, an hour or so.  Ideally it should be lightly browned when you take it out of the oven and quite crispy when cooled.  If it's not crispy enough, you can always put it in longer.  Take care not to burn it, though!  Some people find it helpful to take it out about half-way through the cooking time and sort of flip the granola so that the bottom dries evenly, but I rarely find this necessary.

There you have it!  And if you want to make it for 200 people, just start with 6 gallons of oatmeal and go from there.

Shabbat Challah: Food Post #1

I don't consider this a food blog of any sort, but as I do enjoy baking and cooking, I suppose a post on food every now and then is not out of order.  Specifically, I have about two recipes that I make repeatedly, and therefore, I have about two recipes that are requested repeatedly.  Since it was just Shabbat, I'll start with the traditional bread for Erev Shabbat (Friday after sunset): Challah.

After my first year in Israel, I decided that I needed to find a good recipe for Challah because, lets be honest, there aren't too many Jewish Bakeries in Montana.  If I wanted good Challah, I would have to make it myself.  So I did an internet search which netted me various and sundry results.  The one I finally decided to try can be found here.  It turned out so well that I made it every Friday at camp.  

This is a small sample of the amount of bread baked at camp.

At this point I should probably offer a disclaimer: I am not Jewish, my camp is not Jewish, and I mostly like the bread for its taste.  Still, although I don't come even close to keeping Shabbat, I do enjoy some of the tradition associated with it: the candles, the blessings, the community.  I suppose the specifics vary from family to family, but some elements remain the same.  Here, we will make a fairly simple meal, invite over a few friends (since none of us really have family in the area), say a brief liturgy over the candles, bread, and wine, and then spend the evening enjoying each other's company.

Anyway, here is the Challah recipe I use (from the website but cut in half because 3 loaves is plenty).

Mix together:
7 c. flour (I use white, but probably could use about half wheat)
1 c. sugar (less can be put in if you, but probably not more)
1 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. yeast (active, dry)

Make a well in the flour and pour in:
2 c. warm water (less than 115F)
1/3 c. oil (I often use olive oil, though the bread doesn't seem to rise as well)
1 egg

Mix together wet and dry ingredients.  (If you want, you can add the yeast to the water first to let it soften.  I don't generally see much of a difference.)  Kneed the dough until smooth and stretchy.  Cover it and let it rise until roughly doubled in size.  Ideally, this should take about an hour but may vary, depending on ambient temperature.

Once the dough has risen, allow it to deflate and begin dividing it to shape it into loaves.  I generally make three braided loaves from it which requires nine roughly equal portions of dough.  Roll each portion of dough into a "snake," probably about a foot long.  Take three dough snakes and pinch them together at one end.  Braid.  Seal off the other end.  (If you don't know how to braid...uh...find someone who does.)

Place the braided loaves on a greased sheet pan...or 2 sheet pans...or, if you want, in a loaf pan.  Let rise again, until about doubled.

Meanwhile, beat one egg.  When the loaves have risen, gently brush the egg onto the loaves, covering them.  Then sprinkle the loaves with sesame seeds.

Put in a preheated oven (roughly 375F or 190C) and bake for 20-30 minutes or until a dark golden brown.

While the bread is baking, prepare the glaze.
Glaze:
3/4 c. boiling water
1/2 c. sugar

I usually roughly estimate water and sugar amounts and throw them in the microwave until the syrup boils.  Have this ready just as the bread comes out of the oven.

Take the bread out of the oven and immediately pour the glaze over the top of the loaves, trying to hit every spot.  Drain off the excess glaze and remove the loaves to a wire cooling rack.  (If you leave them in the excess syrup too long they will get soggy.)  You're done!

Here are some friends helping me make Challah for
this last Shabbat.

Before you eat the bread, say this blessing:

Ba-ruch at-ta Adonai Elohenu me-lek ha-o-lam ha-mo-tzee le-chem min ha-a-retz.

Blessed is the Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who causes bread to come forth from the earth.

Shabbat Shalom!

Let there be Light

As mentioned in the previous post, this week is Jerusalem's Festival of Lights.  In and around the Old City this week, when twilight deepens, things start lighting up.

Acrobats in the "History of Light" show

Scenes from a projection on the northern wall of the city.  Love the snowboarder.

Probably one of my favorite places was Damascus Gate.  It was just so...diverse.  Good spacial awareness in whoever designed the program.  I have to say, though, that one of my favorite parts of the show at the gate was a couple kids fighting with strobe-light-sabers.  

Practicing for the next Star Wars Movie - set in Jerusalem.

After Damascus Gate we stopped at Zedikiah's Tunnels/Solomon's Quaries, which were lit up to imitate being underwater.

Blub, blub, blub...

The next stop was the Cardo.  Once the center of commerse in the Roman city of Aelia Capitolina, for a short week it is again inhabited by shops, shops full of artist selling their creative light fixtures.

This man demonstrates his glass-blowing skill.

A couple nights before we stopped at the city of David where they projected a brief history of Jerusalem on the stepped-stone-structure.

This is the destruction of Jerusalem, probably by the Babylonians.

Walking towards the Old City from my house gives a good glimpse of the lights and festivities at Jaffa Gate.

I believe the Festival is on for another couple days, so if you happen to be in the city, check it out.

Jerusalem Light Festival

Tonight the Jerusalem Light Festival was (apparently) kicked off by a classical music concert in the Sultans Pool.  I sat in my school's library listening to the strains of Grieg, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky floating in the open window.

Here's part of the 1812 Overture (roughly dubbed over because the sound on my camera is not so great).