Happy new year everyone! Shanah tovah! Welcome to the year 5770! May it bring you all sorts of good things.
We got invited, yet again, by my boss and his generous family for a BBQ- feast. With grandparents, three families and what seemed like a dozen kids under the age of 10, it was a loud, boisterous affair with Guitar Hero being the highlight of the kids' night. The table was piled with food and my flavour buds were happy indeed (especially since gfilte fish was thankfully not served), while everything, from research, to vaccines, to breaking an arm falling off the monkey bars, to our bad but progressing hebrew, to car seats was discussed.
I am all for the edible symbols of Rosh Hashana (literal translation: head of the year).
Apples and honey to bring you sweet things.
Pomegranates for the multiplicity of fruitfulness
Mandrake liqueur for fertility and, well, you know, X-rated things. (James informs me that the neighbors at five thirty am were vigorously and vocally feeling the effects of last night's mandrake liqueur)
At the market on Friday they were selling these giant vegetables that the veggie dude told us were "ka-rah" and with some pointing and bad Hebrew, we determined they are in the zucchini family. We decided to buy one to try and of course came home with the largest one- just for a silly picture.
The grandma, Sarah, tells me, Ka-rah too is an obscure symbol of Rosh Hashana- so obscure that she had only seen the word for the first time yesterday in a booklet about the holiday. Something, she said, about defeating enemies. All I can see is that you could probably beat your enemies over the head with it. Since I don't have many enemies here, I would prefer to eat it. Because the Israelis were pretty unfamiliar with it too, we are still stuck with a giant vegetable on the counter, don't know the English name and have no clue what to do with it.
All right you readers with all-vegetable-knowing Chinese Grandmas, I need you to help me out here. What is it and how do I cook it?
6 comments:
It looks like a winter melon, just larger (and more obscene looking). My mom likes to put it into soups and stuff.
happy new year and happy everyday! i bet that thing would go swell with shrimps and a dash of Chinese oyster sauce... hey, a picture of the inside when chopped would be helpful : )
I'm pretty sure I saw an identical one at the Farmer's Market at Nathan Phillips Square last week. I'll ask the farmer what it is and what to do with it.
i'm thinking boomarang
Guy at the farmer's market said, and I quote: "Is zucchini. You cook. Eat."
Not so helpful. I'm not sure English was his strong point.
Too funny Polly. Well, I am going to giver he a go this weekend. I will let you all know how it goes.
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