Wild chicory is unbearably bitter. But it's exactly what your liver needs in springtime, to cleanse and renew itself after the long winter struggle with reduced sunlight, and the body's tendency to go into hibernation mode (i.e.: storing fat, reducing circulation, and general stagnation). It is one of the many wild bitter herbs that pop up in early spring.

Chicory is a useful medicinal plants with several properties and uses. The leaves are mostly known for their cleansing and liver-protecting properties (either when eaten raw or cooked; or when dried and used in teas or other medicinal preparations). Leaves also can be used to redue skin inflammation and swelling.

The roots are often dried and roasted to prepare a coffee substitute, or are even added to coffee to extend its nutty flavour. It's interesting to note also, that chicory root also balances the stimulating properties of coffee.



Aside from the medicinal properties, chicory leaves provide a marvellous culinary experience for those who appreciate wildcrafted foods and the often neglected benefit of bitter flavour. Fresh leaves may be added to salads (use only the tender young leaves). Larger leaves may be steamed or sauteed and prepared similarly to kale, as a warm salad drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt. You may feel the need to balance the bitterness with a little sweet touch of Silan (date molasses), honey or coconut palm sugar, or a handful of chopped almonds and raisins.

The Arabic cuisine in the Galilee includes a fascinating pastry, in which simple flatbread layered with with a mixture of steamed chicory leaves (known as "Elt") are seasoned with red chili pepper, salt and fried onion. The dough is than rolled and baked, and served along with other mezze and dips, or as a side dish with more hearty dishes such as mujadarah or lamb stew.

Note: Cultivated types or relatives of chicory include radiccio (also extremely bitter) and endive, which is grown in the dark to keep the leaves pale and tender (and also a little less bitter).

Stinging Nettles are a magical herb. This hardy little plant grows almost everywhere - in the wild, or amidst urban decay, providing those who know its secrets with a the best of wealth: health.

In the Northern Hemisphere it will arrive during the winter or early spring, just when it's needed for its many health benefits. First of all, in a season devoid of greens* nettles provide iron which is much needed to keep our red blood cells count, and keep us strong and energetic. Tea brewed from stinging nettles (fresh or dried) also help in many other aspects, such as cleansing the urinary tract, and combating inflammation. And the best part? It gives your immune system a boost against hay fever, which is everyone's least favourite part of spring!

If stinging nettles scare you, here's the trick: once you blanch them in boiled water, they immediately lose their sting! Of course that does not solve the problem of picking them (use gardener's gloves, unless you are blessed with rough worker's hands or have developed and immunity to the stinging venom in the leaves - something that most regular pickers of nettles develop after repeated exposure). Secondly, if you get them in the farmer's market, you just need to be careful to not touch them until after you blanch them - just pour them into boiling water, like pasta, and wait till they change colour into a dark green and look limp.

If the health benefits alone don't appeal to you all that much, here are a couple of delicious tips recipes using nettles, for any meal of the day:

1) Soup Broth: If you haven't developed a taste for the steeped nettles, you can use the hot tisane in addition to the broth of any soup.
2) Smoothie: The chilled tisane can be used as a liquid in smoothies. Try it with pineapple and kiwi!
3) Fritatta: Chop up a handful of the blanched nettle leaves, and add to 3 whisked eggs. Chop up one scallion, a handful of cilantro leaves, and add a dash of dried chili pepper flakes and 1/4tsp each of turmeric and cumin, and salt to taste.
4) Lentil & Chickpea Soup: In a saucepan, sautee onions, once golden add garlic, sautee for 10 more seconds and add 1Tbs of each cumin and coriander seeds. Sautee for additional 10-20 seconds. Add 6 liters of water and 1 cup each green and red lentils, and 1-2 tsp salt. Cook until the lentils have soften, and add pre-cooked chickpeas (or canned ones). Add chopped up bunch of blanched nettles and chopped fresh cilantro leaves. Serve with lemon juice.

*Go to the local farmer's market to see how little there is of fresh green leaves in the long-nighted months: even kale is quite miserable come February and March).

This is the 2nd Family Day in British Columbia - a statutory holiday that was invented last year, but sort of began 4 years ago, when the Vancouver School District slapped an extra Pro-D-Day (professional development day) on the closest day possible to Valentine's Day weekend.

This holiday being quite devoid of content so far, it's time to build it up a bit. For example: change legislation about how many parents can go on one baby's birth certificate. I wish I could have had a choice in the matter when my then-husband (and daughter's father) took off, conveniently close to when her diagnosis process began... Oh well. Being over 16 and all, she no longer needs a single consent from her faux-father even if he was around. Time flies! The only people who really count are not those on paper, but those who are there to parent the child, when they get their fever high up, get all their front teeth pulled out, break their femur, and the daily communication with a non-verbal little person that only got a grip on language at the age of 8. I thank the daddy that did step into the picture and decided to remain there to support us even when our romantic partnership has ceased to exist.

The weather today certainly helps in creating new traditions: constant rain after several weeks of rather dry (albeit chilly) weather. Perfect time for indoor fun such as blogging, playing card games, and baking.

For those of you into baking, here's the best bread pudding recipe, which makes a perfect use of any left over white bread, challah or brioche you may have (being a small family of 2, we never manage to finish our Friday night Challah, and always have at least half left - which I freeze and collect until I feel like bread pudding again).

I learned the recipe from my dear grandmother, when I first moved out of my parent's home, and she was my baking mentors for the entire time I lived in Tel Aviv. I owe her more than I can even begin to tell you - and the baking skills only scrape the surface! She turned 90 at the end of last year, and is now the proud grandmother of 6, and great-grandmother of 6 (well, soon 7!). She's truly the rock and foundation, who held the family together for many years, as my grandfather passed away many years ago.

I wrote down all the staple recipes for her pastries which I love - cheesecake with pudding creme, poppyseed chiffon cake with chocolate icing, date cake, honey cake, and many more. Years later, my mom bought a book about Ashkenazi Jewish recipes, which featured a very similar recipe, but with a slightly different baking method: the pudding is baked, covered in foil, under very low temperatures, overnight. Put it in the oven the night before, and you won't need an alarm clock: you'll wake up to the sweet smell of cinnamon and apples baking in the oven... Surely a wonderful way to wake up in the weekend as well, straight into a pampering brunch that needs no additional preparations!

I made a couple of adaptations from Shmulik Cohen's HaMitbach HaYehudi, such as the addition of steam to the baking process, which prevents it from scorching on the bottom. So I feel like I can call this recipe my own now:

Overnight Bread Pudding
1 Challah Bread
1 Cups milk and/or sweet red wine for soaking
4 Granny Smith apples
100gr raisins
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbs Povidl (spiced plum jam) aka Pflaumenmousse
3 Eggs
1 Tbs cinnamon powder
1 Tbs pure vanilla extract
50gr butter, softened- Hand-tear the bread into small pieces
- Wet the bread with milk or wine, and squeeze out any excess moisture
- Peel, core and grate or chop the apples (grating creates a more consistent texture; while using chopped apples creates a texture more similar to an apple cake - it truly is a personal choice)
- Butter a 23x27cm pan
- Fill with the batter and flatten the top with a spoon or a spatula
- Use an aluminum foil for covering
- Place the pan inside another pan that is filled with tap water
- Bake overnight at 100c (or at least for 8hrs)
- In the morning, remove the foil, springle with some more sugar and cinnamon, and dot with butter. Bake for another hour.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. There are many ways to enjoy this simple treat: It's wonderful on its own as a breakfast affair, or with a slice or two of sharp cheese such as Cheddar or Emmenthal. Alternatively, serve as a desert a-la-mod with a scoop of real vanilla ice cream. But that's a bit of an overkill in my opinion. My personal favourite is room temperature, with homemade chocolate milk on the side.