Skinny Pasta

I discovered this food item only last month, before the Passover holiday.   The 200 gr pack was lying on a shelf in the health store. It made me curious as it boasted  9 calories per 100 gr, no glutten, no sugar, no salt, no stabilizers - no additives whatsoever - only fiber .  Almost too good to be true (it even had a label with 'kosher le Pesach'  on it). The pasta comes in various forms: noodles, rice, couscous. I chose the noodles package for trial.

They say the product in our health store is not the original, but a local version - and a much better one - a version  that  got rid of an initial bad (fishy) smell that comes from the konjac plant upon which this product is based. 

instructions on the back of package

Well, after opening the pack, removing the water and giving the pasta  a good rinse, I divided it in two parts, and left the second half in the fridge for next day consumption. I warmed the stuff in a pan; next,  threw it into a small pot with 1 and a half  glass of boiling water and  a 1/2 flat teaspoon of organic veggie soup powder (Holland 'naturfood' powder is the only brand I use in my kitchen)- and, voila, a little soup with noodles for only 9 calories.

It was  delicious. Really. One warning though: drink much water after that as these noodles tend to absorb the liquids in the stomach and this might cause problems for certain people. I heard there were consummers complaining of nausea following the eating of a skinny pasta dish. Me, I wasn't  familiar with the water warning, and yet I felt nothing wrong. 

There are suggestions to combine this pasta with various sauces and veggies to improve its taste and texture. It's possible, of course, and it could work very nicely,  but there's no need to, and I wouldn't recommend that to those who want it as a tool in their weightloss process -   'the less, the better'.

front and back of package

Anyway, I shall definitely try it again  (pity it's a bit pricey in our parts) and then decide whether to include it in my regular menu . I  intend to eat the pasta soup in the evening, because it's a light meal and because it gives a sense of fullness that'll, hopefully, keep me well away from food until next day.

Je T'aime... Exhibition at The Design Museum

To understand what this exhibition is about, one has to come with some prior knowledge of the basic background, otherwise all one sees is three dark spaces (galleries) with a bunch of personal clothes& accessories, and noisy sound from video screens placed all around.

clothes (upper gallery)

The exhibition is dedicated to movie actress and filmaker, Ronit Elkabetz (its full name  is "Je t'aime, Ronit Elkabetz).
She was born in Israel, the daughter of moroccan immigrants from Mogador (Morocco); achieved her fame as movie actress both in Israel and in France, died untimely leaving two 4-year old twins, and a husband (a well-known israeli architect). 

on famous magazine covers (at the entrance of lower gallery)

photos of R.E. at various ages (lower gallery)

more photos of the actress  (lower gallery)

Her personality was a combination and a dialogue of East (moroccan roots) and West (french culture), Periferie (born in israeli desert town Beer-Sheba, childhood  and adolescence  in northern small town Kiryat Yam) and Center (Tel Aviv, Paris, ), Fashion ( model, in the beginning) and Movie making.

The exhibition, so we're told, started with a research of her wardrobe.Her clothes and accessories  collected over four decades were donated to the museum by her husband , her parents, and the rest of the family.

video screen and outfits (upper gallery)

As mentioned in the catalogue of the exhibition, behind every item there was a story or memory of some kind, and the item was accompanied by a little written note on that. She believed garments had a soul and showed respect to them by way of wearing and folding them with care and love. Clothes were for her a tool and a language for self-expression.

necklace (intermediate gallery)

shoes (intermediate gallery)

yellow, phantasy dress (lower gallery)

black, long gown (lower gallery)

She had dramatic looks: black hair, pale skin, dark eyes, and she often wore black outfits; some of her roles in the movies she played ,also had a certain dark aura about them (she always reminded me of Maria Calas, the greek, dramatic opera singer). And now, the dark spaces at the exhibition - perhaps signifying a state of mourning and loss for her untimely departure.

black, elegant dresses (upper gallery)

white outfit with dots (upper gallery)

coats (upper gallery)

mirror reflection (upper gallery)

The screens along the gallery displayed fragments from her movies, and from attendance at various cultural events.

video screen, one of many.

As a graduate of the fashion section in her high scool - fashion making,  was her dream, but Fate wanted something else for her. She became an actress by chance. And then she tried directing and screen writing and was quite successful (she won prizes and awards).

It was probably all too good to be true...and she left the scene, her family, this world at only 52 years of age following a battle with cancer.  RIP ,Ronit Elkabetz!

The Design Museum - Holon

April 2018 is the last month of the current exhibition, "Je t'aime.." at the Design Museum in the city of Holon (they usually change exhibitions every few months).
So, soon after  Passover holiday , I rushed to the museum 'to catch'  the above mentioned exhibition which had stirred up my curiosity.

exhibition Sign from the  direction of the parking lot

The exhibition is dedicated to Ronit Elkabetz, actress and filmaker in Israel and in France. She died two years ago at the age of 52 in battle with cancer. Her untimely death came as a surprise as very few knew she was ill. 

Her younger brother, Shlomi Elkabetz, is the art director of this exhibition which focuses on art and fashion connection as seen in the world of his late sister and co-worker. 


Outside the museum, several posters let people know about the exhibition and its subject.

poster regarding exhibition on the facade of the Cinematheque

 name of exhibition and face of the actress in the inner courtyard

The building of the museum (architect Ron Arad) in itself, is definitely worth a visit. It is considered as one of the most original architectonic achievements of the early 21st  century. The outer structure, the 'envelope', is just mind- blowing.

outer structure - five steel bands arranged in a wavy format

inside video with the architect's words on the process

Five bands of corten steel that surround most of the museum's facades are arranged in an undulating way, and change color (shades of red, brown, orange) .The inside is compact and modest. It comprises two main exhibition halls, one upstairs , one downstairs, a staircase linking between the two (there's a lift too), and an entrance floor with offices and two additional spaces for exhibits.
There's a sort of inner courtyard, partly covered, leading to the entrance. The museum also hosts an archive of design materials opened to the public.

color shades

to the entrance

The museum (opened in 2010) is located in a culture area, named Mediatheque, that includes a central library, a youth theater center, a cinematheque, and nearby , the design faculty of the Holon Institute of Technology. The museum is next to road, across from a shopping mall and some residential areas.

adjacent Mediateque

Mall with tower clock across the museum

On the exhibition "Je T'aime...", hopefully, in my next post.