Diwali, the Festival of Lights
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Diwali, the most celebrated Indian festival, serves to remind humanity of the triumph of good over evil. The celebration has important meaning for Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains. This year, the Festival of Lights is celebrated on October 24, with festivities across five days, from October 22 to October 26.
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Diwali is marked by the lighting of lanterns, candles, and strings of lights. Gift-giving – and the making and sharing of lots of sweets (or ‘mithai’) is also important. The recipes in our Sweet Treats for Diwali collection would make excellent gifts (if you can bear to give them away.) Try Cashew Nut Barfi, aromatic with cardamom seeds, or pistachio-topped Soft Mango Fudge.
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Pictured above: Gulab Jamun from Mowgli Street Food by Nisha Katona
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Hummus, an edible symbol of the Middle East and now a staple in Western kitchens, is a dish with political and emotional, as well as gastronomic, significance. Yotam Ottolenghi has frequently written about the emotive power of hummus, its factions, and its power to unite.
In our new feature, Ramona Andrews shares her passion for hummus. Charting the origins and geography of this universally loved dish, she explores the cultural importance of a food central to Middle Eastern cuisine. The starting point is a new addition to the ckbk bookshelf, On The Hummus Route by Ariel Rosenthal, Dan Alexander, and Orly Peli-Bronshtein.
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This book brings together recipes and musings on hummus and its cultural significance from food writers including Claudia Roden and Sami Tamimi, chefs, restaurateurs, and academics. With more than 30 contributors of different backgrounds it is a boundary-crossing celebration of the ancient pulse and the world-conquering dish.
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In the words of British-Palestinian chef Joudie Kalla, hummus “isn’t just a dip, it is the king of pulses, reigning over all else” and “a symbol of the Middle East.”
Whip up a classic Hummus or experiment with one of the recipes in our Hummus: More Than Chickpeas collection, such as Black-Eyed Pea and Beetroot Hummus.
We have all you need to enjoy eating – and reading about – hummus.
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Unlike its relatives, apples and pears, quince is a fruit that takes a bit of getting to know. It’s too hard, bitter, and astringent to be eaten raw, but when carefully cooked, quince is transformed into something luscious, tender, and aromatic. It works beautifully in savory dishes, pairing well with lamb in this Quince and Lamb Stew.
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Try 6 distinctive pasta shapes
In honor of World Pasta Day on October 25, explore the huge range of pasta dishes on ckbk – search by shape to find recipes for your favorites, or try one of these six recipes, each celebrating a different shape.
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