I've been home (Israel) now for a week. My trip to America wasn't for pleasure, but how can I not enjoy those special gifts that America has to offer which we don't yet have here.

Dottie, I thought of you as I sat in the quiet neighborhood of Baltimore, listening to the bird calls - I was so pleasantly shocked by the bright redness of the birds I saw there. And I thrilled when I saw fireflies (the only time I'd seen them was at Disneyland, and those were fakes!!!). This was not a home out in the country, but just an average neighborhood, yet it was so green and so very quiet - hardly any cars, and didn't seem to hear sirens at all (tho only a couple of blocks away from a main street). (and by Israeli standards I live in a quiet neighborhood, not in a city environment)

My other thrills took place every time I went to a health food store - so many greens, and oh those kabocha squashes - and berries!!!!! ah, and amasake galore, and all those different mochis - and I stared for at least a half hour at all the ice cream (so many non dairy kinds) choices (yea, me, I resisted and went for amasake instead!!!!! and cinammon mochi and kabocha for all my sweets).

And Melanie, you accompanied my best moments as finally I was able to delve into your book (my husband had ordered it and he was there all the time) - tho I cooked all my meals mostly simply, as a guest in someone's home I went for some of your recipes - and oh how we both ooh'd and ahh'd the results.

Leah, and everyone else, here's Melanie's Fresh Fruit Crumble recipe (posted with her permission). A note, I have made it again since then, and tho I didn't have access to those wonderful organic raspberries, I made it with cherries and it was still amazing.

Fresh Fruit Crumble from Melanie Brown Waxman's Eat Me Now

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2    cup corn flour

1/2    cup chopped walnuts

1/2    teaspoon sea salt

1/3    cup safflower oil

1/3    cup maple syrup or rice syrup

1       teaspoon vanilla essence

2       teaspoons baking power

Filling:

4 medium apples, washed, peeled and sliced

4 peaches pits removed and sliced

2 cups raspberries, rinsed

1 1/2 cups peach or apple juice

2 Tablespoons kuzu diluted in a little cold water

Pinch of sea salt

Preparations

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the apples, peaches and raspberries in a baking dish. Put the juice and salt in a pan. Heat on a medium flame and add the kuzu (my own note here, I would add the VERY WELL MIXED kuzu to the cold juice and then put on the flame - especially for those not acquainted with kuzu, be careful to not start with any lumps, and mix constantly!!! til thick)

Stir until thick. Pour over the fruit. Place the flours, baking powder, nuts and salt into a large bowl. (Klara here: and mix??, at least I did)

Place the oil, vanilla, and sweetener in a separate bowl and whip together with a fork. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Mix the ingredients together with your hands to form a crumble. Sprinkle over the fruit.

Cover and bake in a medium oven for about 35 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 5 minutes or until the crumble is golden and crispy.

Serve warm.

Enjoy it in good health!!.

Klara