 |  | | Oct. 15, 2024
I hope you're sipping on a warm beverage and eating fun-sized packages of Halloween candy as you read this. That's what I'm doing as I write the newsletter, anyway, and looking out at all the changing red and yellow leaves beyond my office window. I feel extra appreciative that I'm able to enjoy my favorite season of the year, while focusing on rest and nesting into my home. It seems especially true this year that not everyone has access to that kind of privilege. Two of the stories in this week's newsletter have a connection to life in areas of the world that are under siege.
Tetiana Yermolova and Inesa Zolotarenko are the mother-daughter duo behind eastside restaurant Touch of Ukraine. Both were living in their home of Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, before the Russian military invasion in 2022 and fled to the U.S. in the following months. Now they're finding a way to hold onto their Ukrainian culture in Madison by sharing the country's foodways with their new community.
Alia Younes is a lifelong Madisonian and a Palestinian American who discovered that her cake-baking hobby is a vessel for reconnecting with the traditions of her ancestors. Before Younes taught herself how to stitch tatreez — Palestine's version of cross-stitch embroidery — she learned to transpose the delicate patterns of the practice into cake decorating. Now she dots cakes with tatreez to feel close to the Palestinian community and the family in Lebanon she never got to meet.
Food really is comfort. It's resilience. It's a way to honor where we come from and drive appreciation for so many cultures that are beautiful and valuable in their own ways. I hope you find that to be true while reading Madison Magazine this month.
Emma Waldinger is associate editor at Madison Magazine and an award-winning food writer. She curates this biweekly newsletter for Madison Magazine. Reach her at ewaldinger@madisonmagazine.com. | |  | | Dishes, dining and food experiences that I'm fixating on | | | 🍜 Last week, I met up with some friends for dinner at the new Taigu location on Old Middleton Road. The restaurant specializes in handmade noodles and home-style Chinese food, which departs from some of the greasier American Chinese fare you might be used to. It's a great spot to order family style and try a few different dishes. We split the spicy ginger beef noodles, pork dan dan and spicy eggplant and tofu stir-fry with white rice, plus scallion pancakes and pork dumplings for appetizers.
🍜 More noodles! It's so easy to resort to getting takeout from Ahan, since that's what the restaurant has always been known for, but take this as a reminder that they have a lovely dine-in space on Williamson Street, where I recently enjoyed the red curry udon noodles.
🍜 I guess it's officially noodle season. Last week, my boyfriend and I made jap chae, a veggie-forward Korean stir-fried glass noodle dish, and incorporated the last peppers from my CSA share. We also cooked Thai red curry soup with a base of vermicelli for a cozy meal on this past windy, chilly Sunday before settling in for a horror movie. | | | | | |  | | | Ukrainian immigrants and first-time restaurateurs bring two cultures together with their Madison restaurant Touch of Ukraine. | | | | | | Alia Younes, a Palestinian American hobby baker, uses intricate cake designs to express her connection to her heritage and honor the lives lost. | | | | | | Our editors selected 13 awardees in categories that were not up for voting in the readers' poll, including best farmers' market snack, best croissant and more. | | | | | | Whether you're in the mood for a quick snack, a casual meal, or an upscale dining experience, Edina has the perfect spot for you. Enjoy beloved classics and explore new favorites. | | | | |  |  | | A curated selection of food-related events in the next two weeks | | | | | |  | Discover the evolution of Wisconsin's signature snack. From desert travelers to ancient Romans, the cheese curd has been around a lot longer than you might think. | | | | New "This is All Fabulous" team will bring "luxuriously simple fare" to pop-ups, private chef work and events throughout the Midwest. | | | | |  | | |     | | |
