Malena loves candy. And travel. And both together. And thus, this site was born.
Well, I spent about 6 weeks in India and left, I’ll admit it, a little early. For one thing, they don’t really “do” candy. For another, I (sorry!) didn’t really like India. I know, I know… all travelers are supposed to have love/hate relationships with the country, eventually falling in love with the “realness” and grittiness and color and spice that is Incredible!ndia. And if you don’t fall in love with it, it’s because you didn’t stay long enough to get over the dirt and smell and shit and urine and hassle and pollution and meet the “true India.” Eh. (more…)
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I didn’t spend much time in Jordan: just a few days in Amman, Jerash, Wadi Rum, and Petra - and an afternoon bounding around at the Dead Sea! Still, Jordan has some absolutely beautiful landscapes with many of the major travelers’ spots being perfect for day hikes. I really enjoyed my time there: bushwacking through deserts, sliding down sand dunes, and exploring ancient cities. A bit expensive and the people aren’t as nice as Syria, but a very easy to visit country with a lot of photo highlights. (more…)
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Lebanon… once the “Paris of the Middle East” but more recently torn by religious and political tensions: my original trip plans didn’t include this small, French-influenced country. Then, I heard it was also the capital of Middle-Eastern sweet-making… and I thought it might be interesting to see how violence disrupts the candy industry. So, off to Lebanon I went! (more…)
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Rugelach (”creeping vine”): a traditional Yiddish pastry that I tried in Jerusalem on the recommendation of my tour guide. The popular bakery had rows and rows of these delicious, rich, chocolate filled croissant-like pastries. They’re a little more dense and oily than croissants (and I mean that in a very, very good way!) and were extremely tasty. I believe the dough had some cream cheese in it, which might explain the thicker density. I don’t have any links to purchase these, but I do have a link to a recipe: if you make it let me know how it turns out!
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