The feeling is being born anew, a homecoming and return to the place that speaks to my heart, from a cultural, physical, and spiritual centre deep within. The base of some of my most strong food sense memories, and a land and people that truly touch me in ways that no place on earth ever will. 

Touching down in Israel, aboard El Al Israel Airlines, is an experience like no other, as is the flight. Unique, is the best word to use, and a word that my boss used quite often in my 6+ years with EL AL as Sales and Marketing Manager for Canada. Touching down you hear gasps of delight, and a round of applause. Sometimes, if there is a big group travelling together, you might even hear people break out in a rendition of Hatikvah, the Israeli anthem. As I said, unique. 

Israel is beautiful in so many ways, its land, food, and especially its people. What has been carved out of the dessert is a paradise, and a land that is one of the most advanced on the planet in many ways including agriculture and technology. One of the highest per-capita in terms of post-degree education, and almost more importantly, the #2 on the planet per-capita sushi restaurants per-inhabitant. The night scene in Tel Aviv is arguably one of the hottest on the planet, and it is a multi-cultural mecca. There is also much more to this country from the desert in the south, to the lush areas of the north,  Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, and all points in between..

Pudding and yogurt that makes the North American stuff taste like water

You wake up and it is cloudy, there is construction all over the city, and no one really wants to do anything. What to do? Make soup. 

Thankfully, motivation is not hard for me when I need to create something in my kitchen, and with the basic skills I have been afforded growing up, I seem to be able to easily concoct soups that make people happy and coming back for more. While I am not a tremendous lover and eater of soups, I do enjoy the process of creating and sharing them.

Saturday at the market, my friend Vicky asked if I had ever tried cucumber soup. “Of course, I love cucumber soup" was the obvious reply. "Do you want to make some?" She then handed me some lovely cucumbers and Swiss mint from her farm, which of course I accepted. "I can't say no to you", was my thanks, and she gave me that country girl smile and replied "that’s just what I like to hear". 

The same morning, my friend Sarah (@jo_jo_ba) showed up to the market with some goodies from her back yard, where they have quite the mini-farm of their own up in north Oshawa. In the bag were some gorgeous horseradish greens that remind me of a mix between Swiss Chard and Dinosaur Kale. A quick peek in my fridge and freezer when I got home qualified my belief that I had the makings of something quite tasty. 

2 soups, coming up!

I got some great shots on a chilly(ish) morning at Brickworks. Random people came and went. Hugs, smiles, and goodies were traded. along with some great conversation. Apple fritters, Buddha Dogs, and tacos enjoyed. Truly a crossroads on a Saturday morning for good folks in the city. 

My life changed last November when, with some of my new found Twitter friends, I first paid a visit to The Black Hoof around the time of my 36th birthday. I will remember the 27th of November, 2009 very fondly, with memories of making new connections and finding new friends. Many of these new friends would form the core of a group that strengthens every day, and where people feel like friendships have spanned decades. Like-mindedness is hard to find late in life, some may argue, but I can prove them wrong.

Recently, I was contemplating what to do with some beets that ended up sitting in my fridge a day too long due to a busy week. What do we do in this case? We turn to Twitter, of course, and see what our friends can offer up. 

So the story goes: Once upon a time there was a chef who went by the moniker @DaLocalChef. This man was a wizard in the kitchen, and when at the helm of a restaurant on The Danforth, cooked many a magical meal. The city was depressing and draining, and he craved a more simple existence, and more time to spend with his fiance and their growing family. He was whisked away to the wilds of King City, and now I long for his food. I know, I know, poor me. Steve Wilson is not only a fantastic human, but an inspiring chef, so when he suggested the following recipe I knew it would be a----mazing! 

Beets and Dill

In my quest to figure out different things to do with the lemon balm I got from Vicki's Veggies at Brickworks I came up with these perfect little summer burgers. Fresh Ontario lamb is great right now, just the right amount of fat and flavour for burgers. Do yourself a favour and don't get the imported, the local tastes so much better. I cooked them rare, using my cast iron grill pan but they would obviously be excellent on a BBQ. 

Use:

• 1 package of ground Ontario lamb
• 3-4 cups of chopped lemon balm
• A generous sprinkling of smoked salt (or kosher salt)