Tag: Be’er Sheva

My TEDx Talk and a Family Recipe Blog Hop

29 Comments

Today’s post is all about one of my favorite food topics: family recipes. I recently had the honor of giving a talk at TEDxBGU at Ben Gurion University in Israel. The overarching theme of the event was communication, and I was one of nine speakers who touched on a diverse array of topics from contact improvisation to social media and revolutions, and from a sex therapist speaking about communication in relationships to a documentary filmmaker talking about a mostly deaf Bedouin community in Israel (watch all the videos from TEDxBGU here).

For me, linking food with communication was easy – as far as I’m concerned food IS communication. To quote myself, from the introduction of my talk: “I believe deeply that food itself is a form of communication. Sure, it fulfills a basic human need, but it also does much more than that. Each recipe tells a story, and the way that recipes are passed down and popularized speaks volumes about our culture and the time.”

Continue reading “My TEDx Talk and a Family Recipe Blog Hop” →

A Year in Israel, a Year of Israeli Recipes

26 Comments

Today is my anniversary. Not my wedding anniversary (that’s in July, silly). It’s my Israel anniversary. Exactly one year ago today I boarded a plane with two suitcases and moved to a country I had never before visited. It was on the plane that I realized how little I knew about Israel, how little Hebrew I knew. I had taught myself the alef bet (alphabet) and how to count to ten, but I didn’t even know how to say thank you. I was in the middle seat and the sweet old man next to me helped me put a bag overhead, moved when I needed to get out. And I couldn’t thank him. I felt suddenly helpless. Continue reading “A Year in Israel, a Year of Israeli Recipes” →

Salute Wine Festival

10 Comments

This past Wednesday and Thursday marked the fifth annual Salute Wine Festival in Be’er Sheva. Israel has no shortage of wine festivals and expos, but rarely do we get a taste in the South. With over 300 wineries in the country, Israel’s wine industry is rapidly growing both in size and international prestige and we were fortunate to have somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 wineries from around the country represented. Continue reading “Salute Wine Festival” →

Where to Shop for Food in Be’er Sheva

47 Comments

You may have heard about the tent protests going on around Israel right now. It’s being called the largest social protest in the country’s history. It all began in July when a woman named Daphne Leef pitched a tent on Tel Aviv’s upscale Rothschild Avenue in response to the lack of affordable housing. As with any successful movement these days, she started a Facebook page and people quickly joined her. Soon thousands of tents lined the street and it spread to other cities in the country. Continue reading “Where to Shop for Food in Be’er Sheva” →

Reflecting on a Year in Transition

3 Comments

I guess it’s pretty cheesy and cliche to do a post reflecting on my year, especially when this blog is only four months old. But it’s been a packed year, full of surprises and transitions. If you’d asked me a year ago if I thought I’d ever live in Israel I would have looked at you like you were nuts. Of course, I think I assumed I would still be in New York. Why would I ever leave? Continue reading “Reflecting on a Year in Transition” →

Wining and Dining in Be’er Sheva

This past Wednesday marked not only the first night of Hanukkah, but also the inaugural event of Wine and Dine B7 (B7 stands for Be’er Sheva for the uninitiated out there). Started by Boston transplant and Be’er Sheva resident Amir Katz, Wine and Dine B7 is aimed primarily at the Anglo community in Be’er Sheva. Katz is hoping to draw attention to the culinary treasures that lie in Be’er Sheva (yes, they exist) and bring people together over food and wine. Continue reading “Wining and Dining in Be’er Sheva” →

The Castle

4 Comments

Let me start off by saying that I’m not even sure this place is called The Castle. It may also be called The Fortress, The Tower, or something else entirely. The sign is in Russian and we were given no menus during our visit. Whichever the case I’m not the kind of person who can resist a restaurant that advertises good beer and looks like it was transported from the Middle Ages. It turned out to be a good impulse. Continue reading “The Castle” →

Tapas at Ahuzat Smilansky

3 Comments

When I first heard there was a tapas restaurant in Be’er Sheva I couldn’t believe my ears. Sure enough, Chef-Owner Yariv Eitani worked in kitchens in Tel Aviv and Provence before deciding to open up a place in his home town. Although the restaurant was originally French that didn’t go over as well as he’d hoped and he switched to tapas; it’s still listed in many guides and websites as being French. Continue reading “Tapas at Ahuzat Smilansky” →