With the second week of BarBri classes under my belt, I feel like a new woman. That is to say, I have stepped into the shoes of someone whose emotional state is constantly in flux, threatening to go from buoyant jubilation to unbridled rage in the blink of an eye. A new woman, indeed. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.
Right now, however, I am feeling quite calm and content. I attribute this to two things: 1) I left today’s bar review class feeling for the first time like I actually know something that could potentially help me pass the exam, and 2) I just had lunch. Weird, yes, but I’m finding that food preparation is a big comfort to me of late, because it is one of the few things over which I have total control, and that I can do confidently and free of judgment.
Plus, it gives me joy! I mean, look at what I got today:
This, my friends, is a vegan za’atar challah from Blacker’s Bakery in Newton. Blacker’s is a kosher, pareve bakery. According to kashrut, “pareve” refers to a category of foods that are neither dairy nor meat. Sounds like vegan food, except that in Judaism “pareve” also extends to eggs and fish. So unfortunately, though pareve baked goods may be dairy-free, they are usually loaded up with eggs. However, Blacker’s is kind enough to produce egg-free challahs alongside their traditional egg-washed counterparts, and when I found out they had an egg-free za’atar variety, I could think of little else until I procured one for myself. Today was the day. I bought this baby while it was still warm from the oven. There are few things better in life than warm freshly-baked bread, says I.
Look at that gorgeous texture! They do not skimp on the spices.
Inside, there are swirls of za’atar goodness.
For anyone who isn’t familiar with za’atar, it is a spice mixture, commonly used in the Middle East. I am personally a huge fan. I know it contains thyme and sumac and sesame seeds, but that’s about it. My brain is too full of garbage law to try to recall the other ingredients, and I am far too lazy my computer is too slow to look it up right now. You are welcome to rock a Googs if you’re curious. But do take my word that it is delicious.
My lunch was a couple of slices of this magical challah topped with Tribe Forty Spices hummus and some chopped manzanilla olives:
Salty, spicy, and satisfying. And enough to make me not feel completely homicidal about the fact that I have to do a property problem set now.
Have a wonderful weekend!
A.Cook in the Making 