By April N. Baskin
I still remember the taste of the fresh cup of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice I bought from old Chasid pushing a tiny wooden cart on a chilly day in Tzfat last winter. I love the tangy flavor of fresh pomegranate and with it being the pomegranate season, there are endless opportunities to indulge.
In our September/October issue, cookbook author Joan Nathan explored the rich history of the ever-appealing pomegranate, taking special note of its presence in Persian cuisine as well as her family’s favorite ways of enjoying the treasured fruit:
“I remember my children’s delight when a Persian family taught us the technique of drinking the juice straight from the hard shell. They rolled a pomegranate along a countertop until all the crunchy sounds stopped, then pierced it with a skewer, inserted a straw into the hole and drank.”
For those of you still looking for nice seasonal additions to your Thanksgiving feast, My Persian Kitchen blog is sharing a beet and pomegranate salad as part of its pomegranate recipe marathon. This recipe comes from The Book of New Israeli Food by the Latvian-born Israeli food writer Janna Gur.
Pomegranate fever is going strong at Moment as well. For Joan Nathan’s recipes for Khoreshteh fesenjan—a sweet and sour chicken, pomegranate and walnut stew—and more click here. Happy Thanksgiving!
