 A November pomegranate from Columbus, Ohio, USA! What better way to welcome NOVEMBER (and be sincere about it) than to remember it’s the peak of POMEGRANATE SEASON in many parts of the world? There was a time when pomegranates weren’t as easy to find, when we’d be lucky to find them in specialty shops. But now they’re appearing in supermarkets—their succulent treasure just waiting to be discovered. So, if you haven’t ventured to try them already, I invite you . . . encourage you . . . dare you to try them! I started my own quest at the supermarket weeks ago--lurking about the produce section . . . poking around the aisles . . . hungering for the splendid red orbs with the top notches. When I spotted the first ones in early October, they were measly and spotty to the casual onlooker . . . but to me, even then, they shined bright and glorious: the triumphant booty of my treasure hunt. They ushered me back to memories of Iran, those sticky-sweet moments with Mahmoud’s family: our fingers drenched with the color of rubies, our tongues being alternately piqued and quenched by squirts of sweet tanginess brighter than cranberries. There were also the jubilant crackling sounds from the expert’s hands that could open a pomegranate. I can still see Baba, my beloved father-in-law, breaking off sections and passing them out as if they were chunks of a loaf of bread. Our busy fingers, dislodging the pellets, scooped their glistening goodness straight into our mouths . . . Baba knew the secret of feasting on pomegranate: that it’s as much an event about being together as it is about the pleasures of eating it. Maybe that’s why the pomegranate was his favorite fruit! The Engineer The One who fashioned ruby Has crafted another masterpiece: He chiseled out the facets, Lined them all in silver, Wrapped them in a ball, And called it “pomegranate." [--a favorite poem of Baba's (poet unknown), translated from the Persian]  The same November pomegranate--opened! --Here's a short and easy YouTube demo on how to open a pomegranate (Note: You can also use the same technique and skip the water step altogether) --And here's an article on the health benefits of pomegranates, FINALLY
I invite you to watch my debut podcast interview with podcast host Toby Dorr (Fierce Conversations with Toby). You will find it on her website at tobydorr.com/podcast-schedule/ or on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1NcR6645Xw Hope you’ll join Toby and me there! Leslie
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AuthorDr. Leslie Ahmadi discovered her intercultural calling in her parents’ home at age four--where between the jazz, the spirituals, and the rock ‘n roll music, she heard folk songs in languages from around the world. Thirty years later she had a doctorate in foreign language and culture education--and her folk song guitar never far away. Archives
April 2025
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