That’s Lifestyle: Food for thought

Lifestyle Editor wraps up this week’s stories: Natalie Portman’s marriage raises (Jewish) eyebrows.

Caramel sauce 370 (photo credit: gourmetkoshercooking.com)
Caramel sauce 370
(photo credit: gourmetkoshercooking.com)
Even though Tu Be'av is behind us, love lingered in the air for Hollywood superstar Natalie Portman this week when she married Black Swan choreographer Benjamin Millepied in a Jewish ceremony. The happy occasion stirred up quite the discussion among talkbackers, many of whom were upset that the American-Israeli Oscar winner married a non-Jew on Shabbat.
Natalie Portman married Benjamin Millepied (DANNY MOLOSHOK / REUTERS)
Natalie Portman married Benjamin Millepied (DANNY MOLOSHOK / REUTERS)
Leaving the world of love behind, Tanya Powell-Jones returned with another of her insightful Jewish heritage tours, this time with tips on how to best spend a day in Prague.
A little closer to home, Wayne Stiles took us on a tour of the often overlooked Nebi Samwil in Jerusalem.
Travelling around can be fun but after a hard day of sightseeing it's important to have a good meal. For those who enjoy dining out, some of our restaurant critics gave their verdicts on a range of different places. First off there was the kosher Tel Aviv restaurant Huberman, then the more informal Ha’achim and lastly the trendy Charlotte.
While dining out can be fun there is also something to be said for a home-cooked meal. There were a whole host of different recipes to cater for every taste. As the sun continues to beat down, it makes sense that many of the recipes had a summer theme. Ice cream is a firm summer favorite and the team at gourmetkoshercooking.com offered up a range of sauces to cover even the plainest frozen delights. For those who don’t have such a sweet tooth, chef Laura Frankel  was on hand with a recipe for chilled summer soup.
Food and travel are always popular so when columnist Gayle Squires combines the two it’s always a treat. In her latest column she explored the Jewish community of Panama and offered up a great recipe for ceviche.
Panamanian Ceviche (Gayle Squires)
Panamanian Ceviche (Gayle Squires)
Here at the Lifestyle Department food and travel are major focuses, however a number of new columns deal with well-being have started to change that. Shimrit Nothman’s Family Matters column delves into the world of family conflicts and how best to avoid them. Even though we’re still in the height of the summer, the High Holidays are quickly approaching and that means having the family come to stay. The latest Family Matters column dealt with tips on how to prepare for a family visit to make sure everyone gets the most out of it.
Speaking of families, the Jerusalem Gay Pride brought up the issue of marriage equality. While live tweeting from the event I took a number of photos with this one in support of gay marriage being among the most interesting and poignant.

Next week is already shaping up to be a busy one with plenty of restaurant reviews as well as easy recipes to keep you cool during the summer.