Category Archives: Sabbath/Shabbat

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December 20, 2022

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Chanukah, culture, food, Holidays & Feasts, Interior design, israel, MidEast, Recipes, Sabbath/Shabbat, Uncategorized

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Let the Cooking Begin! Chanukah Edition

Hanukkah. Hanukka. Chanukah. Chanuka. Chanukkah. Whatever. The holidays are upon us. And for many of my readers that means Advent, Christmas, New Years and Kwanzaa, Kwanza, Kwaanza, Whatever. Let the celebrations: the telling of the story, the decorating, the cooking, the presents and the feasting begin!

We are Americans living abroad. We celebrate American style. Always did. Always will. I love decorating the house seasonally. To make the home warm, inviting, beautiful and fun no matter the occasion is always something I enjoy. And, along with our California neighbors, decorating for Chanukah was no exception. We were not competing with Christmas. It was a festive way of spreading cheer. So when we moved to Israel and put up all the Chanukah decorations (minus the 8 foot Star of David in the front yard made of shiny silver, blue and turquoise Mylar balloons lit by white up lights), our Jewish neighbors thought we were absolutely mishuggeh. Stark raving nuts!! Wow! Those Americans! I don’t care. Now, we have several Israeli friends who stop by just to see the American decorations. I am not worried about assimilation. I know we celebrate the heroism of Mattityahu, Judah, Shimon, Yochanan and the Maccabees who valiantly fought the Greeks, the Seleucids, the Syrians. They faced certain destruction of Israel, their ancestral homeland. They faced annihilation of their religion, Judaism. They saw the defilement of their sacred Temple, yet they fought on to victory. They reclaimed the Temple and saved Judaism. The commemoration of these events are recorded in the books of the Maccabees and in the writings of Josephus. We celebrate this season of Light in the darkness for eight days. Lighting the menorah/chanukiyyah; chanting the blessings; singing great songs that just get better each year; playing games and eating fried foods to remind us of the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days in the Temple.

This year is especially great. When I was back in the States a few weeks ago, all the stores had their holiday wares out. Target had really nice kitchen towels 2/$5!!! Beautiful banners and signs. Window clings. World market had ornaments for Chanukah (OK- so I bought a ton of gorgeous fruit and veggie blown glass ornaments to hang up in the sukkah… can’t we just skip ahead to fall?). Don’t even get me started on HomeGoods, Marshalls and TJMaxx!! Sofa pillows and bathroom towels. PJs for the entire family. They even had Chanukah pet offerings, which I did not get. This time we brought back six full suitcases. Oy to the world-

This year, we’ll try to have over a just a handful of guests: our dear Russian-Israeli neighbors. They are nuts over America and I brought back several goodies for them including the candy they requested. Chanukah jelly-bellies anyone? My old Ulpan teacher and her family. We’ve stayed in touch for years and they’ve become dear friends. Then on Thursday, our son comes home. His university has been on Chanukah break, but he’s been called up for army reserves for most of it. No matter. On Friday three of his school friends are also arriving. They are international students. One is Jewish from Argentina. One is German, and the other American, both Christian. So we’ll be doing a combined Shabbat/Chanukah/Christmas weekend for all to feel included. The more the merrier. (Please, G-d, let my back hold up!!)

Anyway, before we dig into these glorious recipes – I’m just super excited this year! – let me show you some of our table settings past. I use my good blue and white china, which I especially love for the holidays. Before anyone makes any comments about blue and white being dairy plates…I’ve always had this as my good dishes. They are our meat holiday dishes. So, please…. For Chanukah I have my blue tablecloth. At least one Chanukiyyah/Menorah is out as a centerpiece. I use fairy lights, shiny dreidels and gold foil wrapped gelt/coins scattered about. This Shabbat, I’ll combine my white and gold dishes with the blue for a more festive feel.

Last week I sent John to the store to get a few things. One item on the list was fresh ginger. He returned with this:

O.K. I can’t blame him. It does look like ginger. But what the heck are these knobby things? Turns out they are Jerusalem artichokes, or what we called Sunchokes back in California. Actually here they are called tapuah Yerushalmi, or Jerusalem potatoes. They are not potatoes, and I don’t think they grow in Jerusalem, at least I’ve never seen any in the ground there, but…what to do with them???? I can’t believe I actually came up with this recipe, but it was the best, silkiest, richest, most decadent soup!!!! Please, try this one sometime this winter. You must. You won’t regret it. It’s dairy, but you can use plant-based milk if you want to keep it vegan. We always have one complete dairy day during Chanukah to commemorate the heroine, Judith. She vanquished the Seleucid army by plying their general, Holofernes, with warm milk, honey, cheese and wine until he fell into a stupor. Then she cut off his head. When the army saw her come out of his tent holding the head of their top general, they all fled. (Did you know that after the Madonna paintings this is the most widely represented piece of art in both sculpture and oil painting? Botticelli, Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Donatello, Artemesia Gentilleschi and Gustav Klimt to name but a few). Now for the recipe:

Jerusalem Artichoke & Chestnut Soup

Ingredients :

  • 1 leek, sliced thinly, white part only
  • 3 medium white or yellow carrots, peeled, cut in chunks
  • 4 cups sunchokes, peeled & cut into chunks
  • 2 cups (4 100gram pre-packaged) roasted chestnuts
  • 5 cups water or veggie broth
  • 2 veggie boullion cubes, if not using broth
  • 2 large sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 large sprig (5-7 leaves) fresh sage, plus some for garnish
  • Sea salt, pepper
  • 1 cup milk or half and half (can use Rich’s large milk or cream substitute or plant milk)

Sauté leek slices in bottom of heavy pot. When translucent, add veggie chunks and water or vegetable stock, herbs, and spices. Bring to a gentle boil, then let simmer about 30 minutes or until vegetables become tender. Blend thoroughly with an immersion blender until the consistency is silky smooth. It will be on the thick side. Add the milk or milk substitute. Serve hot with a garnish of chestnuts and a sprig or two of rosemary or sage.

Yes, I shall serve the French brisket and techineh cookies from my last blogpost on the last night of Chanukah, which is also Christmas. Hans and James, you will be well taken care of. Friday night Shabbat, we will have turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and sweet potato latkes. I’ll do regular potato latkes and applesauce on Sunday. But as an appetizer for both evenings, I shall serve these amazing Levantine meatballs with Whisky Fig Old Fashions as a cocktail. I’m calling them Levantine because they have claim not just by the Israeli, but also the Lebanese or Moroccan or Persian or Syrian. In any case, they are decidedly Middle Eastern and incredibly delicious – and easy to make. You can serve them as a main dish over rice with a green vegetable on the side. I will give each guest a small plate of four meatballs with toothpicks to enjoy before the festive meal gets underway.

Levantine Meatballs with Pomegranate Glaze

  • makes 30 ping-pong sized meatballs

Ingredients:

For the meatballs-

  • Large red/purple onion peeled and chopped fine, reserving 1/4 cup for glaze
  • 1 pound ground lamb (if you can’t find lamb, substitute beef, but seriously try to get lamb)
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander, ground
  • 1 1/2 heaping tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/2 cup bulgur wheat (burgil)

For the glaze-

  • 1/4 cup red/purple onion, reserved from above
  • 1 cup pomegranate syrup (found in MidEast stores) or pomegranate concentrate
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp baharat (mixture of allspice, cumin, black pepper, ground cloves, salt, ground cinnamon)

The first thing is to cook the glaze while all else is getting ready. In a small saucepan, add in all above ingredients for glaze. Heat over medium heat until just before a boil sets in. Then turn down heat to low and simmer while meatballs are prepared. The volume of the sauce will be reduced.

Place uncooked bulgur in a medium bowl. Pour about 1cup (or a little more) boiling water over top and let sit. In a large bowl, combine ground lamb, onion, chopped herbs, eggs and spices. When bulgur has puffed up and absorbed the liquid, drain well with a colander. Add grain to meat mixture and mush together all the ingredients with your hands. In a large skillet, heat up a bit of olive oil until hot and shimmery. Form meat into ping pong sized balls and add to skillet. Brown meatballs on all sides. Transfer to a baking dish. Pour reserved pomegranate glaze over top. Finish cooking by baking 20 minutes in a 350*F/170*C oven. To serve, pour a bit of the glaze over meatballs and garnish with pomegranate arils and mint leaves.

My last recipe can be served as a hearty lunch or as a side dish. It’s pareveh, which in Kosher talk means it’s neither meat or dairy: it’s a neutral food that can be served with everything. It, too, uses bulgur, which really is a staple food here. I figure, why leave you with an open bag of bulgur, which you might not use up, so here’s another healthy, hearty dish (served cold or at room temperature). And yes, I brought back 3 bottles of Brianna’s dressing with me. Go figure-

Harvest Bulgur Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup uncooked bulgar wheat
  • 3 cups boiling water
  • 1 medium orange sweet potato
  • 1 small red onion, peeled and chopped fine
  • 1 avocado, medium ripe, diced
  • 1/3 cup dried cherries or cranberries
  • 2 red gala apples, diced
  • 1/3 cup Brianna’s Blush Wine vinaigrette dressing (or recipe below)

Preheat oven to 400*F/200*C. Bake the sweet potato until just tender (20-30 minutes depending on size). Don’t overtake! In large bowl, pour boiling water over bulgur. Let stand about 30 minutes to puff up and absorb the water. Drain very well using a large colander. Transfer bulgur to large bowl. Peel and diced baked sweet potato. Add in chopped onion, avocado, apple and sweet potato cubes. Add in dried fruit. Mix gently just to combine. Toss with Brianna’s dressing or with dressing recipe given below.

Vinaigrette: mix well following ingredients-

  • 1/3 cup sunflower or canola (or avocado or pumpkinseed oil)
  • 1/4 cup sweet blush or white wine
  • 1/4 cup champagne or white wine or forest fruit vinegar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • juice of 1/4 onion (hack: use a garlic press to squeeze out onion juice!) and reserved pulp

Combine above ingredients. Using funnel, pour into nice bottle. Cap. Shake well before using.

And to all my readers out there in Blogland-

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March 3, 2022

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culture, food, israel, Recipes, Sabbath/Shabbat

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A Quintessential Israeli Dish- 5 Ways!

I thought I’d take us all away from the constantly dismal news cycles and do a fun food blogpost this time. I was first introduced to chicken schnitzel by my California/Israeli girlfriend, Bilha. Every Friday afternoon, my son Max and I and Bilha would go to the local retirement home and do a Shabbat liturgy for the elderly Jewish residents. We’d light the Shabbat candles, sing wonderful songs, read a part of the Torah passage for the week, tell a story and say the blessings over the wine and challah bread. It really was a highpoint of our week, something we always looked forward to and something I still miss terribly. We made beautiful friendships with Holocaust survivors and other residents. And I really miss Bilha. As we’d leave to go back to our homes each week, we’d discuss what we were making for Shabbat dinner. For me, it was invariably salmon: for Bilha, who grew up in Israel, it was usually schnitzel. She gave me her recipe. I tried it, and was hooked! It was delicious…. and really easy to prepare. And the leftovers!!!

Fast forward to our lives here in Israel. I quickly discovered the ubiquitous schnitzel. First brought over by German and Austrian immigrants, it is a staple food here. It’s very economical and easy to prepare. In the stores here, you can buy ”chicken schnitzel,” boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been pounded thin into cutlets. Or there are plenty of pre-made frozen varieties that all you have to do is pop theEm in the oven or frying pan. When my husband and I volunteered to serve in the army (warehouses) each week, we were usually served chicken schnitzel for lunch. It was at the army that I first discovered corn schnitzel patties, because 32% of the soldiers were vegetarian. And there are many fast food schnitzel and chips shops including Schnitzelina, which specializes in the tasty cutlets stuffed into a baguette sandwich.

I will begin with Bilha’s recipe, the basic schnitzel (it’s ALWAYS chicken for the meat) and then go into some easy and tasty variations. The recipe calls for a kilo (about 2 pounds) of chicken cutlets. I don’t know if they sell pounded breasts in the markets where you are, but if you buy the boneless, skinless breasts or tenders, they can be pounded to flatten to about 1/2 inch thick between two sheets of waxed paper. A kilo is about 6 half breasts for me. O.K. Let’s start

Bilha’s Chicken Schnitzel, Israeli Style

I serve this with wedges of lemon to squeeze on top (a must!!!), an Israeli salad of chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, salt, olive oil and lemon juice. Roasted or mashed potatoes are also delicious with this, but most Israelis eat this with chips or French fries. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do- oh!!!! if there are any leftovers – I ALWAYS make enough to have leftovers- they make the BEST sandwiches, cold with lettuce and tomato, mayo and Thousand Island or for me, just humus.

Ingredients:

  • 1 kilo (2.2 lbs or 6 half breasts) chicken cutlets
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 cups dried breadcrumbs
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • 3 lemons
  • lemon zest
  • salt and pepper, about 1/2 tsp each)
  • 1 tsp paprika, optional
  • 1 TBSP sesame seeds, optional
  • vegetable oil

In a flat pan, beat the eggs and add in the dijon and mayo. In another flat dish or pan, pour on the flour. In a third flat dish, the bread crumbs, grated lemon zest from one lemon, salt and pepper. (Many people here add 1 tsp paprika and 1 TBSP sesame seeds which I find adds to the deliciousness).

Rinse off the cutlets and towel dry. First dredge in the flour. Using a long tongs, coazt the floured chicken cutlet in the egg mixture. Then place in the pan of bread crumbs to cover each side. Heat the oil (canola, safflower, sunflower) in a large skillet until shimmery. I use about 4 TBSP, then add more. I don’t like the cutlets swimming in oil, but do want to have a nice crunchy outcome. Place the breadcrumb coated chicken pieces in the hot oil and let fry until they are nice and golden brown on each side. Transfer the cutlets to a wire rack with paper towels underneath the rack, but not touching the schnitzel. Serve hot with lemon wedges to squeeze over the top.

Shevvy’s Trader Joe’s Falafel Schnitzel

This is a fun recipe that I got from my friend in the States. She raves about it. The kids love it, her Israeli husband is addicted to it, and I had to bring back two boxes of falafel mix to Israel so we could enjoy it as well. It does not disappoint. Seved with a side of chips (fries), a salad or chopped Israeli salad, fluffy pita bread and humus and/ or techineh. Oh my goodness! For those of you who don’t live near a Trader Joe’s market, see if you can find a standard dry falafel mix-

Ingredients:

  • 1 kilo chicken cutlets (see notes above)
  • 1 cup panko (Japanese style bread crumbs)
  • 1 cup Trader Joe’s falafel mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup humus or techine
  • vegetable oil
  • humus or techine for dipping

In flat bowl or dish, beat the eggs. In another flat bowl, combine the panko and falafel mix. Dredge rinsed and dried chicken cutlets first in egg to coat, then in the panko falafel mix. Heat about 4 TBSP oil in a skillet until hot and shimmery. Add the cutlets, frying on each side until browned and crispy. Add more oil as needed. Transfer the cooked schnitzel pieces to a wire rack to drain and keep crunchy. Drizzle with techine or put a dollop of humus on top. We do both. Oy va voy, is is amazing!


Crunchy Seeded Schnitzel, Yotam Ottolenghi Style

I love Chef Ottolenghi’s recipes. I have all of his cookbooks and was first introduced to him here in Israel. A friend of mine who lived in Jerusalem had a cookbook club. We would pick a certIn chef each month, prepare their recipe as was written, then do a riff on the original recipe. This is my slightly modified version of his schnitzel.

Ingredients:

  • 1 kilogram schnitzel chicken cutlets
  • 6 TBSP sunflower seeds
  • 3 TBSP toasted white sesame seeds
  • 2 TBSP black sesame seeds
  • 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 TBSP mayonnaise or humus
  • 1 cup flour
  • extra virgin olive oil

Start by combining the seeds and spices in a large flat-bottomed pan. In a second flat pan, beat the eggs and mix in the mayo or humus. This helps the coating to stick to the cutlets. In a third pan, place the flour. Rinse and pat dry the pounded chicken cutlets (they may be already flat, or you can flatten the breasts between two sheets of waxed paper). Dredge the cutlets, one at a time, in the flour. Then using a tongs, transfer to the egg wash, coating both sides. Next, place each cutlet into the seed mixture. Both sides should be covered. Heat the olive oil, about 4-6 TBSP in a large skillet. When very hot, place the cutlets in the oil, frying on each side until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to drain.

Tamar’s Asian-Inspired Schnitzel Curry

I looked all over, but could not find a photo of this one. So sorry. This is a must-try, and frankly, is our favorite twist to the standard schnitzel recipe. I marinate the cutlets overnight to infuse the flavor and tenderize. Because many recipes for chicken include a milk bath, and that is not within the Kosher guidelines, I decided to try coconut milk. Infused with the curry and lemongrass, it’s heavenly! Also pretty funny, in Israel canned coconut milk must be labeled ’coconut liquid’ so people don’t get confused and think it’s a dairy product. Only in Israel! I always bring at least 6 bags of Angel-Flake coconut back from the States. We don’t have it here, and it’s just so moist and delicious. If you don’t have Angel-Flake, use the dried coconut shavings. I serve this with chutney on top and rice as the side. Add in roasted broccoli with a bit of teriyaki or soy sauce and some roasted carrots and you have a feast.

Ingredients:

  • 1 kilo chicken cutlets (see note above)
  • 1 can coconut milk (liquid)
  • 1 TBSP yellow curry powder
  • 1 4-5 inch piece of lemongrass cut in thirds
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 cup baker’s Angel Flake coconut (or desiccated coconut)
  • coconut oil
  • apricot or fruit Indian Chutney to top

In a freezer bag, or a glass baking dish, shake up and pour the can of coconut milk/liquid. Add the curry powder and the sticks of lemongrass. Add the chicken cutlets to coat. Let marinate overnight or at least six hours. (I put several bags of this in the freezer along with the coating mix in a separate freezer bag. Defrost in the fridge and assemble for a quick dinner)

In a flat pan, add the panko and the shredded coconut flakes. Mix well. Remove the marinated chicken to the breading pan and coat on both sides. Heat up about 1/4 cup coconut oil until shimmering. Add the cutlets to the hot oil and cook until golden on each side. Transfer to a wire rack for draining. This is my favorite. Please try it!

Jessica Halfin’s Vegetarian Corn Schnitzel

I’d never leave out the vegetarians! We first had these when doing our army service and they were quite tasty. Here in Israel, they are a staple on the kiddie menu. My friend, Jessica Halfin, who did Haifa Street-food Tours and who also writes for Hadassah Magazine, developed this healthy version of corn schnitzel. The recipe makes about 10 patties.

Ingredients:

  • 5 1/2 cups canned and drained or frozen corn
  • 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups breadcrumbs
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 egg
  • 1 TBSP white sesame seeds
  • vegetable oil

Process 4 cups of corn kernels in the food processor until smooth. In a large bowl, add the processed corn along with the 1 cup whole corn kernels. Mix in the egg, the flour, the spices and 1 cup of the breadcrumbs. In a flat pan, mix together the additional cup of breadcrumbs and the sesame seeds.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the wet mixture into the bread crumb pan and flatten, coating the patty with breadcrumbs on both sides. In a skillet, heat the vegetable oil until hot and shimmery. Using a spatula, transfer the corn cutlet to the skillet and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on wire rack.

Serve with ketchup and Israeli tomato-cucumber salad, pita and humus on the side.

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September 10, 2020

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culture, fall feasts, food, Holidays & Feasts, israel, Passover/Pesach, Recipes, Sabbath/Shabbat, Uncategorized

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New Recipes for the New Year

Endive & Apple Salad with Goat Brie Toasts

How many times have we heard “…in these uncertain times” or “…due to the events of this year” or “…because of the unprecedented events” in the past few months? I think the most useless purchase of 2020 will go down as the event planner/calendar. It’s impossible to make plans these days – whether for international travel or even a dinner party. Here in Israel, the places that are open for business one day are closed the next. For the most part, our airport still remains closed to international flights. We face uncertain, yet imminent, complete lockdowns once again over the fall holy days due to containment of COVID.

In past years, we have enjoyed hosting IDF Lone Soldiers for the holidays: kids who leave their home countries, their families, friends and lives, to volunteer their service in the Israeli army. We’ve had wonderful young adults from the States, the UK, Columbia, South Africa, Mexico, France, and
Australia. This year will be different. This year, we will only have one or two guests at a time spaced over several meals. No soldiers.

As is typical for this time of year, we have been having our end-of-summer one last doozy of a heat wave. For two weeks, we endured temperatures in the triple digits Fahrenheit (40-43*C) with a shift of winds blowing in the desert dust from the East. It’s finally down in the 90s, but, still – with temperatures like these, who wants to cook in a hot kitchen all day? And who can sit down to eat a heavy meal?

This year, I’m focusing on large, cooling salads that can be easily assembled with some accompanying sides. No heavy soups or roasted meats. There are a few recipes borrowed from friends of different ethnicities. Some salads, like the basil recipe, look and sound very unusual (to put it mildly). But I’m including them because they work!! The flavors all come together to create a delicious symphony in the end. So…. let’s get chopping!

LEBANESE BASIL SALAD


Lebanese Basil Salad
Serves 4 as a side salad. (Pareve)

O.K. When my friend brought this salad to the table I was…ummm…reticent to try it. This Lebanese Basil Salad just screamed WRONG!!! But, surprisingly, this works!! Gloriously! The flavors all meld together beautifully to create a total sweet, savory, crunchy, salty umami explosion. Promise me you’ll try it just once, and then write to tell me what you think.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups roughly chopped fresh basil leaves (2 large bunches)
  • 1 small can pineapple chunks, drained
  • 1/4 cup each, chopped red and yellow bell pepper
  • 1/4 tsp (or more if you like heat) chili flakes
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • juice of 1/2 large lemon
  • drizzle extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt

In a large mixing bowl, put the washed and chopped basil leaves and peppers. Gently mix in the nuts and pineapple chunks. Pour the lemon juice over the top using a fine strainer to take out the pulp and pips. Drizzle on the olive oil …. about 1/4 cup and sprinkle on the chili flakes and sea salt. Toss gently and plate. And please… I’m really curious to know how you love this refreshing dish.

ENDIVE & APPLE SALAD

Endive & Apple Salad
serves 4 as a side salad. (Pareve)

This one! Amazing! Easy! Refreshing! Restaurant-worthy! Israeli! It can be a starter, a side or an entire meal. I serve this with whole grain toasts topped with a delicious goat Brie. For us, it makes a whole meal. This recipe was given. To me by Dafna, a vegetarian, native Israeli amateur chef. Because it is traditional to serve apples and honey to Mark a sweet new year, I’ll be serving this for a late lunch the first day of Rosh HaShannah – which also happens to be a Shabbat (so no cooking).

Ingredients:

  • 8 heads of endive lettuce, roughly chopped
  • 2 large green apples, thinly sliced
  • 2 large Fuji or Gala apples
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup candied pecans or walnuts
  • Orange Honey Mustard Vinaigrette, recipe below

Wash and roughly chop the endive into a large, shallow bowl. Thinly slice the green apple around the core, leaving the peel on. Dip the slices in a little saucer of lemon juice to prevent discoloring and add to salad. Toss in nuts and mix gently. Dress lightly with the vinaigrette…recipe below. Then garnish with sliced red apple and fresh basil on top.

Orange Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

  • Zest and juice of 1 orange
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 TBSP honey
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp minced red onion or shallot
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

I make this in a Mason jar because it’s easy to add ingredients, shake, pour and refrigerate any leftover dressing all in one jar. Using a microplaner or small grater, grate the orange zest into the jar. Place a fine wire mesh strainer over the jar and squeeze in all the orange juice. Add the honey, oil, vinegar,mustard, chopped onion, salt and pepper. Cover and shake vigorously to create an emulsion. Pour lightly over salad, just to wet, not to overwhelm. Gently mix into salad before serving.

I’m still enjoying our bumper crop of tomatoes this summer! Heirloom varieties from the US plus cherry tomatoes (did you know that the cherry tomato was first developed in Israel over 4 decades ago?) and tomatoes grown from seeds I traded with a local Bedouin woman. Yes, I know I just wrote I’ve been trying to keep the house as cool as possible by not slaving over a hot stove all day. Usually I spend hours parboiling and peeling hot tomatoes to then cook all day for pasta sauce. I spend my late summers canning away foods to be enjoyed throughout the year. This year I tried something different. I cut up my tomatoes, whole, no peeling, and laid them out flat on a foil-lined baking sheet. A drizzle of EVOO and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar over the top. A generous sprinkling of sea salt, pepper and dried oregano and a tiny pinch of chili flakes and pop it all into a 200*C/400*F oven for 15 minutes.

While the tomatoes are roasting, I sterilize my quart sized jars and lids in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. After the trays of tomatoes are out of the oven and cool down about 5 minutes, I transfer them to a larger bowl and use an immersion blender to crush it all into a tasty pasta sauce. The still-hot tomato sauce is poured into the sterilized jars and zehu, that’s all!

I saved the seeds to plant next spring…

The next way we’ve been enjoying all those yummy tomatoes is a very simple tomato toast, a recipe brought to Israel from the Spanish Sephardic Jews. It’s become a family favorite, especially when paired with a salad. I even eat it in the morning for breakfast with a medium cooked/slightly runny yolked egg on the top. It tastes absolutely decadent!!!

Tomato Toasts with tons of garlic!!!!

I buy 3 long, crusty baguettes to last a day in our household. Slice each baguette in half lengthways, then cut into halves or thirds. Place in a 200*C/400*F oven for about 5 minutes or until the bread starts to brown around the edges. Remove from oven, and while still hot, rub generously with peeled, raw garlic – we like it very garlicky, so I use a clove for each slice. Halve a large, fresh tomato. Rub it all over the garlic toast, skin side down, so the bread turns pink with tomato. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with sea salt.

The next salad takes me back to my Southern California days. It’s my version of a fiesta salad. If I wasn’t trying to keep the house bearable cool (we just have one tiny AC in the master bedroom and one overworked, too-small AC in the salon, so…. if I didn’t mind using the oven so much I’d roast a sheet pan full of zucchini, onion, tomato and bell pepper to put on top. Here’s the stripped-down version. Feel free to improvise!

FIESTA SALAD

On a large platter I arrange the following (can you tell I’ve really been getting into serve-yourself platter salads? It makes for great presentation):

  • Tortilla/corn chips
  • 1 medium sized can corn,drained
  • 1 medium sized can black beans, drained
  • roasted veggies, optional
  • chopped tomato
  • chopped cilantro (cuzbara)
  • 2 chopped avocados
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds
  • 1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar

This is large and hearty enough to serve as a whole meal. I squeeze lime over the whole salad and serve little side bowls of sour cream, salsa, chopped onion and black olives. A cilantro-lime vinaigrette is also a welcome topping.
Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

  • 1 cup cilantro/cuzbara leaves
  • 1 lime
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender to make a creamy emulsion. Drizzle over salad. Keep refrigerated in a small Mason jar for about 3 weeks.


This light and creamy (dairy) salad is very Israeli, the flavors mild and very cooling. It’s a perfect accompaniment with fish or a dairy meal (I’m thinking a quiche or a cold Lukshen kugel/noodle pudding). Serve in a shallow bowl with a sprinkling of fresh rose petals (edible if organic), nasturtiums or marigold petals from the garden. I think it’s really funny that they call it Grapes Salad with a plural – because you shouldn’t be confused and think it only uses one grape, hahaha!

ISRAELI GRAPES SALAD

Israeli Grapes Salad
serves 4. (Dairy/Chalavi)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cups green grapes, halved lengthwise
  • 1 cup celery chopped thin
  • 1/4 cup chives or green onions, chopped thin
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1 cup plain yogurt, if you have goat milk yogurt, it’s amazing
  • 1 TBSP honey
  • 2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 tsp lime zest
  • 2 TBSP finely chopped fresh mint
  • sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
    Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. In Mason jar, combine the yogurt, honey, lime juice and zest, chopped mint, salt and pepper. Cover and bake well. Pour the entire jar of ‘sauce’ over the grape mixture. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

I hope you are all managing to stay cool- whether it be the heat of the Middle East or the humidity of the East Coast of the US. I understand the fires and smoke combined with the heat all up and down the West Coast of the United States has made life really unpleasant. Here’s hoping the New Year brings better things than the past.

I’ll be doing another recipe blog during the holidays. I’m already working up a few delicious surprises! Please let me know what interests YOU!!! Would you like more food-related posts? They are my most popular. Or would you like to read more about the places, people, or culture? Perhaps the politics here in the Mid East is what excites you- that’s ALWAYS an interesting topic. Or the many religions here…. and the myriad religious sub-sects within each larger religious community. Thank you for taking the time to read Israel Dreams, and let me hear from YOU!

Until next time, happy holidays and looking forward to fall!

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February 19, 2020

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culture, food, Holidays & Feasts, israel, Sabbath/Shabbat, Uncategorized

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A Bit of Judaism for the Uninformed

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Our first Shabbat table in Israel

I’ve had several of my readers ask me to explain and clarify the Jewish Sabbath and also to explain the rules of keeping Kosher. So – I will try to simply tell about both.

In the Bible, the Book of Genesis starts with G-d’s creating the world. Each of the six days of creation: of the earth, the sky, the stars, planets, flora and fauna, man and woman are beautifully described. But on Day Seven, G-d stopped all His work and rested, thus setting the pattern for Shabbat, or the Sabbath. Here, in Israel, the days of the week are translated into “Day One (Sunday)”, “Day Two (Monday),” etc. But Day Seven is the only one that is extra-ordinary and is given a name, Shabbat. Because the days technically start at sunset, Shabbat begins on Friday evening and lasts through Saturday night.

In our hectic days crammed full of busyness, running around doing errands, working, going to school, using technology, and doing, doing, doing until our heads are about to explode!! It’s delightful…. no, it’s MANDATORY… that we take one 25 hour period to unplug, to rest and to just be. The Shabbat creates a peaceful island in time. It’s a time to unwind, to enjoy family and friends, good food and conversation, reading, napping, and being in the present. More and more people, even those who are not Jewish, are catching on to this holy and healthy, time-proven ideal.

Shabbat is a gift given by G-d to us. The keeping of Shabbat is likened to a wedding between us and G-d. And a glorious feast it is! It is truly a special time. In Israel, most stores and businesses close around noon in the winter and around three in the afternoon during the summer months. That way people can go home early to prepare. The pace of life outside the home slows to a crawl and the streets grow more and more quiet. Inside the home is a different matter as the wild rush begins.

The house is cleaned. Fresh sheets are put on the beds. The laundry is all done. The floors swept and mopped. All the food for Friday and Saturday must be prepared beforehand as one does not cook at all on Shabbat. A beautiful tablecloth is laid and fresh flowers placed on the table, which has been set with the good china, silverware and wine glasses. It’s truly a festive meal that will be served Friday night, the grandest of the whole week usually consisting of several courses. We shower or bathe and dress in nice clothes. The men go to synagogue before sunset to say their prayers. The woman of the house lights the Shabbat candles and says a blessing. And just like that, the Sabbath is here. All is done. No more work is allowed.

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Even the most secular people here gather with family and friends, lighting candles and enjoying a relaxed meal together. We sing songs at the table – welcoming the Sabbath Bride and the Sabbath angels into our home. We sing songs of joy and pray for peace to descend over the Land and our world. John and I pray both the traditional prayers and extra (personal) prayers for each of our children, present or not. John (and Max) recite the Eshet Chayil, Woman of Valor, prayer over me. It’s found in Proverbs 31. Then I recite the “Blessed is the Man” prayer over John from the Psalms. It’s quite beautiful, and really cements the family with the mortar of love, forgiveness, and blessing. It’s actually my favorite part of the whole week. Next,  Max chants the Kiddush, the beautiful blessing over the wine. We wash our hands, reciting the prayers, and then John says the blessing over the two loaves of freshly-baked, sweet  challah bread. We have two loaves on the table to remind us of the time G-d provided a double portion of manna on the Sabbath during the 40 years that the Children of Israel wandered in the desert. That way they wouldn’t have to gather their food on the day of rest. Especially if guests are present, the festive meal can last for hours. Appetizers, salads, soup, sometimes multiple main courses, veggies, dessert, fruits, chocolates…

On Saturday morning, you see people walking to synagogue. Each neighborhood has several. There is no (or very little) driving in Israel on the Sabbath. There is no public transportation. It’s very quiet, except for the sound of birds – or rain these days. Unlike in the States, Shabbat morning services start quite early here: 7:30 am to about 8:30. They last about 2 1/2 hours. Then the people walk home, the men in their kappas/yarmulkes and prayer shawls, the women in their finest. We eat a fine lunch that’s been pre-prepared (crock pots are great inventions), then spend the rest of the day relaxing, visiting friends, taking a leisurely walk. No cell phones. No computers. No television or radio. Just being present in the moment and to other people. It’s glorious. Such a gift to be detached. For those that are not religious, Saturday here is the one free day to take a field trip, go to the beach, desert or mountains, to go to a movie.

After it gets dark on Saturday night, we have a beautiful home service called Havdala, or separation. It’s a special time/ceremony where we note the separation between light and dark, Sabbath and the rest of the week. We light a braided Havdala candle, smell fragrant spices, drink a sip of wine and sing lovely songs. Then, quick as all that, Shabbat is over. Sunday here is a regular workday and school day, and the hectic pace of life begins anew. But with Sunday comes the remembrance of Shabbat past and a looking forward to Shabbat to come.

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Now for the explanation of the laws of kashrut, or keeping a kosher home. In America, when most people hear the word kosher, they think of matzah ball soup, deli food, and bagels, cream cheese and lox. NOT!!!! Some others think ‘O.K. Jewish. Kosher. No pork, no shellfish. Got it.’ NOT QUITE!!! There’s much. much. much more to it than that. Actually I remembered the first day I arrived in Israel. We went grocery shopping and I asked a man where the Kosher food section was. He looked at me like I was absolutely nuts. “It’s all Kosher!”

So what exactly is Kosher? Based on the laws in Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, the Bible lists out the “clean” animals and the “unclean” animals. Any mammal that has a split food and chews it cud is Kosher – thus cows, sheep, goats, even llamas and giraffes are all Kosher. Horses (no split hoof), hogs, hippos, and hamsters are not Kosher. Any fish that has both fins and scales are clean. The rest are verboten. So – salmon, tuna, trout and tilapia are good. Eels, catfish (no scales), dolphins and squid – not Kosher. Neither are crustaceans. Most birds that have feathers and fly are good to eat. Except birds of prey. Nope to eagles, buzzards are hawks. No bugs. No cats or dogs or monkeys or bats – (no coronavirus).

The animal today that is to be the hamburger tomorrow must be slaughtered as humanely and gently as possible. Not to be frightened. A very quick slit of the jugular with a sharp knife – with compassion. All the blood must be completely drained from the meat before it is fit to be sold.

Add to this the injunction to separate meat from dairy products (from the law that a kid can not be cooked in its mother’s milk, an ancient pagan practice). So now, in a Kosher setting not only are the two not cooked together (No cheeseburgers. No beef stroganoff. No creamy chicken casserole.), but the items are never served at the same meal. On the same plates. We’ll get to that soon. Breakfast is usually dairy in Israel. Lunch and dinner can go either way. The best explanation I’ve heard for this is that it makes a clear distinction between life and death. Milk signifies life, and is not to be mixed with death. It’s profound…

I keep a Kosher home. I have separate sets of dishes and silverware for dairy and for meat. I have separate cookware. Separate sinks, Separate shelves in my cabinets and my fridge – all marked. Separate counters for preparing dairy and meat. It’s how I grew up, so it’s pretty natural for me. Vegetables, eggs, fruits, and fish can go either way. It’s called pareveh.  Dairy products are halavi and meat is basari. Kosher restaurants serve only dairy or only meat. Never are the two prepared, cooked or served together. Same with schools – and the army – and hospitals.

What else? All packaged foods that are Kosher are marked as such. In the States, there would be a little letter “U” enclosed in a circle. Look for it on the box or can the next time you go shopping. Cheeze-Its Kosher. Spam. Not Kosher. Bac-Uns. Kosher. Pop Tarts Kosher. Jif Peanut Butter Kosher. Cap’n Crunch. Not Kosher. Go figure. In Israel, most of the larger grocery stores sell only Kosher foods. The Russian and Arab grocery chains are not. All products are labeled as such – with differing levels of strict Kosherness as deemed by specific rabbis’ rulings. Very complicated here.

So, what else makes foods Kosher? If the product was produced in a factory or plant that is open on Shabbat, or the preparer works on Shabbat, the whole product line is rendered nonKosher. There are myriad other rules with varying levels of stringency that I won’t get into here. It can get very complicated.

Also, before one eats a meal, the hands must be washed ritually. There are special hand washing cups and special blessings for the washing of hands. In most Israeli restaurants, you will see specifically designated hand-washing stations from the little pizza joint down the street to the fanciest restaurant in Jerusalem.

Special blessings of thanksgiving to G-d are said both before and after eating a meal. That does nothing to change the food itself, but elevates your spirit to an attitude of gratitude and confers a special sanctity to the food.

In a nutshell, (nuts are kosher) those are the basic rules of Shabbat and Kashrut, although I’m sure I’ve left a ton out – and it will be pointed out by the most observant, this is just an Intro into Judaism 101 for the Unknowing. It’s a lot to digest (pun intended), but I’ve lived a Torah-observant life for much of my life, so for me, it’s just a lifestyle – one much more easy to keep here in the Land of Milk and Honey (both Kosher and can be eaten together!).