Kindness of Strangers (part - wow - III)

So I posted last night about the saintly neighbor woman who brought over salad and fish for dinner last night, yes?

Well, today, she brought over this:



The Turkish name is - and forgive my spelling - aşure, or wheat pudding. It's the dish that Noah and his family, according to legend first ate after emerging from the Ark (remember how I talked about the Koran and Old Testament being fundamentally the same? I wasn't kidding). It's a wheat base, with beans and fruit cooked in. Hardcore applesauce meets fruit cocktail. As I understand it, cooking is rather labor-intensive, as every ingredient must be cooked separately before they are combined the end. The one the neighbor brought over was liberally topped with cinnamon, walnuts, and pine nuts.

Legend says that because Noah ate the dish in celebration of the convenant with God, it's a dish of thanksgiving. And yes, I am giving thanks.

I just put a lemon cake in the oven. It's officially hers.