ABOUT
Hi,
I’m Tali. I’m 47, happily married to Doron, and the very proud mother of my three amazing children: Jonathan, Tamar, and Amitai. We’ve been living in South Florida for the past 5 years, after living 5 years in Israel, preceded by 7 years in New Jersey, and 3 years in Israel, where Doron and I got married. Sounds crazy? Maybe. But in retrospect, it all adds up to a great life adventure that has taught us a lot about each other and about us as a family.
My experience with old-world culture and its natural, holistic, approach to food, health, and life in general, started in my childhood in Israel. My parents both came from families that were rooted in traditional Middle Eastern cultures. However, they decided to build their home as a modern, Western, Israeli home. So I grew up absorbing both worlds, enjoying the best each had to offer. I learned from my grandmothers, aunts, neighbors, and friends how to cook traditional, complex dishes and to treat different ailments using food and plants. My mom introduced me to many different cuisines that were not part of our family heritage, and taught me many homemade beauty and healing treatments (all natural, of course). She also taught me how to improvise in the kitchen, and how to come up with my own creations and innovate existing dishes.
I also had the opportunity to visit other countries and experience different cultures and cuisines. In my early twenties, I lived in France for 4 years, earning a BA while enjoying incredible art and culture. And of course, I took advantage of the opportunity to enjoy French cuisine at it’s best.
Living in Paris was an eye opening experience that exposed me to a sophisticated, intellectual, and artistic European world, very different from the Middle Eastern world I grew up in. And yet, there was a common thread of respect and deep connection within the modern culture of old-world traditions, whether the traditions were Eastern or Western.
Back in Israel, I discovered the field of natural medicine, which was becoming a new trend in modern Israeli society. I studied natural medicine for two years, and delved into Chinese as well as Western natural healing philosophies and methods.
Then Doron, baby Jonathan and I moved to the U.S, where we live today. The American part of my journey added some new flavors to my kitchen and colors to my life. I worked as a massage therapist, combining aromatherapy, and reflexology in my work. A few years later, following my love for baking, I opened Tali’s Artisanal, an artisan bakery specializing in gourmet gluten-free cakes and cookies.
But most of all, life here in the “fast pace” American culture had a huge impact on my worldview. Today, I’m more appreciative of the world I come from, which I took for granted for so many years. The older I grow, the more fascinated I am with the simplicity, wisdom, and the beauty of old-world culture.
This blog is a reflection of my life journey. It captures some of my life experiences and the insights that shaped the global lifestyle I’ve created at home for my family and me.