Some particularly obstreperous radishes found their way into our fridge recently. I love those little red roundies, but sometimes they get out of hand and get too peppery for raw consumption. When that happens, you just have to turn on the oven and douse them in olive oil and herbs. Or Aleppo Pepper, like I just did. It may seem strange to counter over-peppery radishes with more pepper, but don't worry about it -- baking gets rid of the bad pepper and you add some good pepper. I guarantee the bad-for-good exchange will result in your benefit. Aleppo Pepper isn't easy to find unless you're near Syria, but I highly recommend it (order online here). Lezoule gave some to me during the holidays and I'm putting it on everything. Aleppo Pepper distinguishes itself from most other peppers by being sun dried, which results in a sweet, oily, and somewhat smoky character. Almost like Burt Reynolds.

The Elephant and Butter has been on the happy lam. I dressed up as a Connecticut Santa and created a riot in some nieces and nephews. I trod upon the hills of Jerusalem. I listened to flute versions of George Michael's "Careless Whisper" in a hotel lobby in Ramallah. I was absurdly, amply fed in Nablus. I got naked at night in a mystical cold spring (mikveh) next to a graveyard in Tsfat. I read under an olive tree. I bashed and broke my oldest camera. I ate the poet's latkes. I sat next to a young man who drank two full cans of Coke and numerous cups of water and tea on a 12-hour flight, but didn't go to the bathroom ONCE. I spun around some Kandinsky at the Guggenheim. I made yet another pilgrimage to Kitchen Arts and Letters. And now, felled by some sort of viral malaise, I pause and give you some Israeli graffiti: