About

About me and this blog:

My name is Sarah and I am an American living in Israel. I studied plant biology and worked in the biotech industry for several years before turning my attention to my family and the kitchen.  Living in Israel has introduced me to a tremendous variety of food cultures from all over the world, especially that of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. I am interested not only in the recipes but how they are part of a culture and a history. I want to understand the similarities and differences in regional cuisines and try to understand the factors that shape food preferences. Food is an indispensible part of each person’s identity, be it national or religious and I see it a as a bridge, connecting people together around a single table.

I am also a stay at home mom of three wild and crazy boys, Alon (11), Uri (8) and Elad (3.5) and this blog is my creative outlet, in writing, photography and food research. I write about my daily life in Israel, my hiking and outdoor adventures, and the recipes I find along the way.

I am well aware that simply writing about Middle Eastern food, especially from Israel can be a sensitive subject. I have plenty of political opinions but try to keep them out of my blog because there is enough of that in this world; my goal is to illustrate the connections between cultures and people and to create an island of understanding. With that and my husband’s relentless editing of my lively language (“You can’t write that!”) I hope this blog will still be interesting to read.  

Questions and Answers

How can I contact you:

My email is Sarah.Melamed@Gmaildotcom.

Where do you get your recipes from?

I get my recipes from many sources such as the internet, books, TV and most importantly the people who are part of my life. One of the reasons I started this blog was to preserve my family’s culinary heritage, especially that of my grandmother Zarifa who is a great inspiration to me both in the kitchen and in life and who I call whenever I have a question about Kurdish cooking. I obtain recipes from the women waiting on line at the butchers, from taxi drivers who are always happy for a conversation and neighbors who pop in for coffee. Israeli’s are a gregarious bunch and they are almost always happy to share a recipe and talk about food (except for owners of falafel stands).

I try to collect as many versions of a recipe as I can to create a picture of its evolution from one area to the next. The cuisine throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean is interconnected by thousands of recipes and store a tremendous amount of history and culture within them. I also highly value when my readers share their family recipes and preferences on this blog.

I try to find the most conserved and authentic recipes and make note of regional variations. I occasionally add my own recipes, usually inspired by the aromas of the Middle East.

Who takes the pictures on your site?

Except where otherwise stated, I take the food pictures on this site. Some of the hiking and people pictures may have been taken by other members of my immediate family. Lately both my older boys have taken an affinity to photography. I am teaching myself photography and this is the reason why some of my pictures are over exposed and unfocused. I bought Lou Manna’s Digital Food Photography book and will be buying a tripod to help improve my pictures in the future.

What Camera do you use?

A digital SLR, Nikon D80 with a AF-S Nikkor 18-135mm lens. I am embarrassed to say I was using this camera on auto for the longest time before I finally got around to reading the manual. There are still several buttons I have no idea how to use.

Can I use a picture from your blog?

Please don’t use any pictures without first asking for permission. It’s not nice.

What platform is your site on?

My blog runs on Wordpress using the thesis theme. It is self hosted.

Who designed your blog?

I still have a lot to learn about designing my blog and layout but my husband bought me a CSS book and I am trying to implement it. I have noticed that my design doesn’t work in all the browsers. I am using Google Chrome and if my site does not run well on your browser please let me know.

How can I find a specific recipe on your site?

There is a search box which can be used. If you still have problems you can leave a comment here.

Are your recipes Kosher (or halal)?

Most of my recipes are kosher (actually all of them so far) and in the future will mark the ones which may not be. Some of the recipes have wine which would not qualify them as Halal.