It is now officially more than nine years – whichever calendar you use – since we took the plunge and headed across the seas and overland to Ma’ale Adumim – an outpost a little bit east of Yerushalayim. Some tactless person might well inquire about the extent to which I have mastered the Native Tongue. To which, I would smile and blandly suggest that my Hebrew is a little better than when I came – just don’t tell me a joke and expect me to get the punch line. Now my shopping skills, especially regarding things to eat and drink – that’s another story! Suffice to say, these days we are well provided for. If nothing else, I can say, with no false sense of modesty, that I know my way around the Mahane Yehuda shuk. I have my cheese store, my butcher, my fish monger, plenty of choice for f & v, not to mention where I can go to get the most amazing coffee, ever. If you ask me where to get the best bread, I can give you some informed suggestions. But what about challah, the special loaves for Shabbat? That’s another matter – something of some significance in our household. Continue reading →