If there’s anything cooler than a British Classics professor with a mean sense of humor, it’s a vegetarian British Classics professor with a mean sense of humor. Today I was walking along in the hot afternoon sun, and who should I happen upon, but Raish! “Sarah! Just the person was looking for,” says he, and proceeds to ask what this lignan is that’s in his flax. I tell him it’s a fiber that causes ground flax to gelatinize, making a good egg replacement in baked goods. It’s also an antioxidant. “I knew you would have the answer,” he said, and I walked on with a big smile on my face.
Another reason to smile is Passover. I’m not Jewish, but one of my good friends here is. Becky showed me how to make charoset, an apple and walnut topping for matzo, and we feasted on this as well as carrots, and dates and dried apricots from Istanbul, all while watching Die Hard 4. But the biggest success of our seder was the pomegranate truffles. These were the easiest thing in the world to make, and they turned out perfectly divine. Becky and I were reeling with success, and new ideas are tumbling out of our heads: orange-juice truffles rolled in candied lemon zest? Mexican truffles with cinnamon and cayenne pepper? I even have some crazy ideas involving balsamic vinegar and sea salt. We’re already planning a truffle-making marathon for May Day weekend, and after that, potential careers as chocolatiers.