When you’re feeling discouraged, how do you brighten your mood? This is a question I’d like the answer to because I am in a funk. I feel like a child who heard the ice cream truck coming and gathered her shiny quarters so she could enjoy a treat. She imagined herself sitting in the sunlight, licking the sides of an ice cream sandwich as the cold cream melted, then munching on the soft chocolate wafer. It was going to be great. But as luck would have it, the truck pulled away just as she reached the curb - and though she ran after it, though she gave it her best shot, all she could do was watch it motor down the road.

Honey-Rose Ice Cream with Pomegranate Syrup
(View larger image here)

Normally times like this are times for baking, but since it’s Passover I decided to make ice cream instead. Honey-Rose ice cream with pomegranate syrup seemed like a good choice, and for a moment I contemplated the possible profundity of making a dessert with milk and honey during a Jewish holiday. After all, Israel is often described as “the land of milk and honey” and the pomegranate has important religious symbolism in Judaism. But then I shook my head and focused on the present, where honey, cream and sweet comfort food were the matter at hand. I added homemade candied rose petals to the mix for sparkle and an extra bit of flavor.

My mother has often told me how, as a child growing up in a relatively poor neighborhood, she always looked forward to those rare occasions when the bee keeping farmer down the road would share pieces of honeycomb with the local children. I too have fond memories of honey. I remember a picnic set in a sun drenched valley, where I dipped apple slices in the golden syrup before snapping off a bite. I remember going ‘honey tasting’ with my husband, and laughing as we scooped spoonfuls of spun blueberry, orange blossom and wild flower honey onto bite-sized pieces of pound cake. Altogether, honey makes me feel warm, and happy - maybe that’s how things will start to turn around.

Recipes after the jump.

Honey-Rose Ice Cream
Tools: sauce pan, strainer, ice cream maker

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mild honey
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups milk (I used whole milk)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp rose water
• 1/4 cup candied rose petals (I made mine using 2 organic roses, according to the recipe found here.)
• Optional topping: Pomegranate syrup. (Instructions for making it can be found here.)

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the honey with the egg yolks until thickened and pale yellow. Set aside.

Add the rosewater to your milk, bring the mixture to a simmer in a heavy medium-sized sauce pan. Remove from the heat and slowly beat the hot liquid into the honey mixture. Briefly rinse your saucepan and rub dry with paper towel or cloth. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place over low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly. Be careful not to let the mixture boil or the eggs will scramble. Remove from the heat and pour the hot honey custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl. Allow the custard to cool slightly, about five minutes, then stir in the cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until cold (about 5 hours) or overnight.

Stir the chilled custard, then freeze in 1 or 2 batches in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add 1/4 cup candied rose petals to the machine when the cream is semi frozen. Allow the machine to mix in the flowers.When finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat. For firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for at least 3 hours.

Variation: Instead of rose water you can use orange blossom water. Instead of candied rose petals you can also use candied violet petals.

This recipe was adapted from: The Ultimate Ice Cream Book: Over 500 Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, Drinks, And More by Bruce Weinstein. The ice cream was made with a Cuisinart ICE-20 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, and Sorbet Maker.

Last night we celebrated the first night of Passover at a relative’s house, where I was asked to prepare “a meat dish to introduce guests to new things.” “Nothing too weird,” the hostess told me, “but maybe something that will add some extra culture to the dinner?” Given my penchant for history, folklore and plain ol’ good food I jumped at the chance to bring something new to the Seder. I spent about an hour browsing through my books on African and Israeli cuisine, then flipped through the more esoteric sections of my texts on Jewish cooking. In the end I selected an Ethiopian dish called “Siga Wot,” which is a fragrant beef stew spiced with cloves, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg. As soon as we arrived at M’s house I began slicing onions and dicing garlic, then added the stew meat and other ingredients to her gorgeous Le Creuset soup pot. An hour and a half later the siga wot was ready, just as the Seder ceremony was wrapping up. We served it after the matzah ball soup and I shared its cultural background while we all chatted about food and flavors and favorite dishes. I’m happy to report that both the siga wot and its story were a hit.

Ethiopian Siga Wot
(View larger image here)

What does Ethiopian cuisine have to to with Jewish cooking you might wonder? Quite a lot actually. Judaism has a long and ancient history in Ethiopia where, according to legend, the Queen of Sheba ruled during the 10th century B.C.E. In the Bible, Kings 10:1-13 tells the story of her visit to the court of King Solomon, who reigned over Israel at the time and was renowned for his great wisdom. Arriving in Jerusalem with a caravan of camels carrying spices, gold and precious stones, she apparently wanted to size the king up by testing his knowledge with difficult questions. The text tells us that “Solomon answered all her questions” then he “gave the Queen of Sheba all she desired” before she returned to her own country. This latter part of the story, the part where the queen received everything she wished, has often been interpreted as a reference to a sexual encounter. Indeed, some have maintained that the Queen of Sheba conceived a child by Solomon, and in the Middle Ages a text known as the Kebra Nagast elaborated upon this tradition, writing that the queen’s son by Solomon eventually became Menelik I, the first Emperor of Ethiopia. Other legends connecting Ethiopia and Judaism maintain that Ethiopian Jews, collectively known as “Beta Israel” (The House of Israel), are descended directly from Moses or from the Tribe of Dan. They share many of the beliefs associated with traditional Judaism, including the observance of Shabbat and the biblical holidays.

In “A World of Jewish Cooking,” author Gil Marks quotes an Ethiopian native named David Solomon as saying: “Because of poverty… many Westerners believe that Ethiopian dining is a contradiction in terms. However,” he continues, “the Beta Israel possess a simple but tasty cuisine making use of sparse resources… Ours is a peasant cuisine, simple but flavorful.” Ethiopians generally eat two meals a day - breakfast and dinner, with snacks of roasted corn kernels or seeds in between. Vegetable wots (stews) are common for breakfast, while meat, if available, is usually reserved for the evening meal. A pancake bread called injera is a popular accompaniment, though of course I couldn’t make that for Passover since it’s made with flour. Injera is made in large batches and can be up to one and a half feet in diameter. Each guest pulls off a piece of the bread, scoops wot into it, then folds it between their fingers before popping the whole thing into their mouths.

An Ethiopian woman making injera (source)

With its warm flavor and succulent texture siga wot is an easy dish to try if you’re looking for something new to do with the beef (or lamb) sitting in your refrigerator. It’s also an excellent conversation starter, which is always a desirable quality if you ask me.

Siga Wot
Adapted from “A World of Jewish Cooking” by Gil Marks.
Ingredients: Serves 6

• 5 large yellow onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger ( I used 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless beef or lamb chuck, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, fresh if possible
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a dry large skillet or a large soup pot over medium heat, cook the onions, stirring constantly, until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add the oil. When the oil begins to sputter, add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of the water. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is reduced to the consistency of heavy cream, about 8 minutes.

Add the meat, tossing until well coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 cup water, the salt, and the spices. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender, about 1 hour (I let it simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally). Add a little more water if the liquid reduces too much.

Note: Susan asked if you can also make this dish with chicken and the answer is: yes! You can also make a chicken wot, called “Doro Wot,” using the same ingredients - except for the beef, of course. Instead use 1 three to four pound chicken, cut into about 12 pieces. A few hardboiled eggs (4 or 5) are often added to chicken wots too. Add them whole, piercing numerous 1/2 inch deep holes along the sides of each egg. Place the eggs in the wot right before it is served, tossing to coat well.