Fifth candle, eleven years in

You can see the neighbor across the way is starting to put up his holiday decorations.

The fifth night is the “darkest” night (as I explained in 2010). It also coincides with the new moon in the northern hemisphere (the local Ojibwe bands call it “small spirit moon”). I won’t see the new moon here as this house has no east windows. To me, that was an advantage.

I finally managed to get a jelly donut today (the closest local approximation of a sufganiya). This is an old-fashioned donut around here these days. People prefer a long filled donut, or a donut covered with nuts and bacon. We won’t see the jelly donut bloom around here until Lent rolls around again.

Local favorites, filled with raspberry jam. Nestled on one of the Iitala Taika Simes saucers I bought to reward myself from surviving the move, back in June. It was good but I miss Berlin and those Pfannkuchen with the plum butter in them.

The donuts are eaten because they are fried in oil. I remember my grandmother making these on Saturdays during the cold months when I was small. It was a smell that belonged to that house. I’ve never fried a donut myself.

I hear from New York friends that this year’s coolest sufganiya is basil-infused yuzu custard, but that the Oreo ones that were big last year are still popular. In Israel, I’ve read, the sufganiya to get is salted caramel, but sesame halvah is on the horizon and pistachio custard are also popular, as is lemon meringue (they bake the meringue right onto the top of the donut). Here are more suggestions, and you can see what the influencers are saying here and here. I wouldn’t pay $10 for one, though. Israel closed its borders due to COVID / omicron, so I imagine business will be slow this year.

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In 2012, the fifth night was the night before the Hobbit: AUJ premiere, and I was worried about my mom. In 2013, she had died, I was sad, and I was worried about my tires before making the long drive. The more things change!

~ by Servetus on December 3, 2021.