In Israel, it is
not unusual for guests to drop in for a visit without prior notice.
In such cases, they are likely to get a light snack or impromptu meal.
In anticipation of such contingencies, one such prepared dish is baba
ghanouj, which can be found in virtually every Israeli refrigerator.
1 large eggplant
1 medium onion
2 tbs. lemon juice
1/2 bunch parsley
1/2 cup tehina
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp. water
1 tsp. salt
dash of cayenne pepper
Place whole unpeeled eggplant directly on a gas burner
with flame set at medium, turning as the skin chars and inside becomes
soft, or bake in a pan at 450 deg F (250 deg C) until charred and tender
(about 30 minutes). Let cool slightly, cut in half lengthwise and scoop
out eggplant pulp with wooden spoon (the wooden spoon preserves the
flavor). Chop fine in a ceramic or wooden bowl. Grate onion on largest
holes of a grater. Squeeze juice from onion. Chop parsley fine and blend
with eggplant and onion. In a separate bowl, blend tehina thoroughly
with lemon juice and garlic. Stir in small amount of water until white
in color. Add to eggplant mixture, with salt and dash of cayenne pepper.
More lemon may be added for extra flavor. Garnish with parsley. Makes
2 1/2 - 3 cups.
This is a Jewish Sephardic
dish which is quite similar to the Turkish "burak." Burekas
can be prepared with various types of dough: strudel dough (thin leaves),
rising dough or with types of prepared dough found in the market. This
is a dish served on festive occasions, but also widely sold on Israeli
street corners. To be tasty, it must be served hot and fresh.
Dough
1/2 lb. margarine
1 tsp. salt
3 cups self-rising flour
warm water
Stuffing
1/2 cup cheese (feta)
1 cup cooked spinach
3 egg yolks
Garnish
1 egg yolk
4 cups sesame seeds
Dough: Melt the margarine and mix with flour and salt.
Add warm water until able to roll dough. Roll it, cut a leaf, and cut
circles with a cup.
Stuffing: Mix all the ingredients. Put one teaspoon
of stuffing on each dough circle. Fold in half. On top, spread yolk
and sprinkle sesame seeds. Place on a well-greased cookie tray and bake
at 350 deg F (180 deg C) until golden (approx. 15-20 min.). Serve hot.
This is a typical Jewish eastern
European dish. The low cost of liver in the U.S. comes as a surprise
to Israelis, where chopped chicken
livers are considered a delicacy to be served on festive occasions.
1 lb. chicken livers
2 onions, diced
3 hard boiled eggs
2 tbs. oil
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
Wash livers and remove discolored spots. Drain. Brown
onions in a frying pan. Remove onions and saute livers in the remaining
oil for 10 minutes. Grind or chop onions, livers and eggs, into smooth
mixture. Add salt, pepper and taste for seasoning. Serve cold with crackers
as a spread or on lettuce as an appetizer. Serves 6 as an appetizer
or 12 as a spread.
Falafel is sold on street corners in every city and
town in Israel. Some call it the
"Israeli hamburger." Its popularity can be attributed in no
small part to the Yemenite
Jews who have brought a particularly tasty version onto the culinary
scene. Students living on a meager budget consume full-portion falafels
in whole pitas on the sidewalks as their noon "dinner."
1 lb. canned chick-peas (drained)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbs. finely chopped parsley
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
1/2 to 1 cup breadcrumbs or fine bulgur (crushed wheat)
1 tsp. ground coriander or cumin
1 tsp. dried hot peppers
1 tsp. garlic powder
vegetable oil (for frying)
Combine chick-peas with onion. Add parsley, lightly
beaten egg and spices. Mix in blender. Add breadcrumbs until mixture
forms a small ball without sticking to your hands. Form chick-pea mixture
into small balls about the size of a quarter (one inch in diameter).
Flatten patties slightly and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain
falafel balls on paper towels. Serve individually with toothpicks as
an hors d'oeuvre or as a sandwich filling with chopped tomato, cucumber,
radish, lettuce, onion, hummus and/or tehina inside pita bread. Makes
about 24 falafel balls.
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
125 grams kasseri cheese or other hard, salty goats' cheese
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and in this saute the garlic until it is
lightly browned. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and discard.
Cut the cheese into squares about 5 centimeters on each side and about 1
centimeter thick.
Place the slices in the hot oil and cook, turning once, until the exterior
of the cheese is almost but not fully melted.
Remove with a slotted spoon and serve hot as an appetizer, garnished with
lemon wedges.
Serves 4-6.
Like tehina,
hummus was brought to Israel by Jews
from Arab countries, though today it is everyone's favorite. It tastes
best when eaten with fresh, warm pita bread.
2 cups canned chick-peas, drained juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
3 tbs. pure tahini paste or 1 cup tehina (see above recipe)
2 garlic cloves, mashed
2-3 tbs. oil
parsley (for garnish)
Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender,
mix until chick-peas are smooth. Refrigerate hummus in a covered container.
Serve well-chilled, with chopped parsley on top. If desired, reserve
1/4 cup unmashed chick-peas and sprinkle on top. More garlic may be
added, if desired. If pita is not available, crackers or thick slices
of French or Italian bread may be used.
1/4 kg. lentils, well washed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 Tbs. fresh coriander, chopped
300gr. spinach leaves, well picked over and chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup lemon juice (or more, to taste)
Place the lentils in a saucepan and cover with water.
Bring to the boil, cover and let cook for about 20 minutes. Heat the
oil in a large casserole and brown the onion. Add the garlic and coriander,
stir well and then add the spinach. Saute for 5-6 minutes, stirring
frequently. Add the potatoes, lentils and enough of the lentil cooking
liquor to cover. Season to taste with salt and pepper, bring to the
boil, lower the flame and simmer until the mixture is thick and soupy
(about 1 hour). Stir in the lemon juice. Serve hot or lukewarm.
1 kilogram flour (2.2 lbs.)
1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
Water
Frying oil (not olive oil)
Make all of the ingredients together with water according
to what is necessary. The dough should be a texture a little bit softer
than dough for bread.
Add to the dough, 4 tablespoons oil in order to not
stick to the bowl.
Section the dough in big pieces, about the size of
1/2 egg, and put it on a well-greased baking pan. Heat a little oil
in a frying pan.
Grease the working surface. Put down a ball of dough
and roll it with both hands. Pull it in every direction. The Mufleta
must become very thin. Place the Mufleta on a frying pan and meanwhile
roll out another piece of dough. Put next one in top of the one in the
frying pan. Turn them, so that each time only one side is being fried.
Continue with this process until you have around 15 Mufletas. Serve
immediately with melted butter and honey.
3/4 cup creme fraiche (see note at end of recipe)
16-20 whole heads of garlic
1/2 cup butter
pepper to taste
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 kilo semi-hard goats' cheese
6 spring onions, trimmed and chopped finely
16-20 slices country style bread
olive oil (optional)
With the point of a knife make an incision in each garlic bulb about 4 cm.
from the top. Remove the first layer of skin from the tops so that the
points of the cloves are showing.
Grease a baking dish and arrange the bulbs in the dish. Dot the bulbs with
the butter, using 1/2 Tbsp. of butter for each bulb. Sprinkle with pepper.
Pour the wine and stock into the baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and
bake in an oven that has been preheated to 180 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes longer. The cloves will be done when some of the garlic comes off on the tip of a sharp knife that is inserted into the cloves. Remove from the oven.
Place all but 3 Tbsp. of the creme fralche in a bowl and to this add the
cheese, mashing together with a fork. Add the remaining creme fralche if
necessary and continue beating with a fork until the mixture has the
texture of a thick puree. Add the chopped spring onions and mix well.
To serve, place 1 slice of bread and 1 garlic bulb on each plate, and
place the remaining garlic on a serving plate in the center of the table.
Pass the cheese mixture separately. Guests should spread the cheese on the
bread; then, using a fork, they should press the garlic flesh out of each
clove and spread it on top. The garlic may then be sprinkled with olive
oil if desired. Serve with dry red wine as an appetizer. (Serves 8 or
more).
Note: Most dairies outside of France do not make creme fraiche, but it can
be made easily at home. To make your own creme fraiche, simply mix 3/4 cup
of sweet cream with 1 1/2 Tbsp. of buttermilk in a bowl, cover with
plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature overnight. Cover tightly
and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to thicken the cream even more. The
cream may then be used immediately or stored for several days. In addition
to using it in this recipe, creme fraiche may be served with fresh fruit
and used in sauces and salad dressings that call for sour cream.
A typical dish of the Orient brought to Israel
by Jewish refugees from the Arab countries. Tehina is a thick dip with
sesame seeds as its base. It is often used as a topping for falafel
and other dishes.
1 cup pure tahini (sesame paste)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup water
dash of hot pepper (red)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 bunch chopped parsley
juice from 2 lemons
pickles
3 tbs. olive oil
Mix tahini, garlic, water, pepper, salt and lemon juice
until you get smooth paste. Add water if tehina is too thick. Serve
as a thin layer on a small plate, with a drop or two of olive oil, garnish
with pickles. Sprinkle with parsley or mix the parsley with the dip.
This is a typical Israeli
recipe for eggplant. A popular Arab proverb in the Middle East claims:
"A woman who does not know how to prepare eggplant 101 different
ways is not yet prepared for marriage."
1 medium eggplant
1 onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
chopped mint to taste
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup cooked rice
3 tbs. oil
3 tbs. white wine
juice of 1 lemon
Cut eggplant in half, scoop out pulp, cube and fry
with onion. Add tomatoes and rice, salt, pepper, cinnamon and mint.
Fill in shells and steam in a covered pot adding a little oil. Add wine
and lemon juice. Cool and serve.
The idea of salad for breakfast is probably a little
strange to North Americans. But this trademark Mediterranean salad is
enjoyed by Israelis three times a
daybreakfast, lunch, and supperregardless of whether they are from Russia,
Morocco, Yemen,
or the United States.
1/2 head lettuce
1/4 head cabbage
4 medium tomatoes
2 medium cucumbers
2 medium carrots
5-10 radishes
green onion
2 hard boiled eggs
2 tbs. parsley
Dressing
2-3 tbs. lemon juice
2-3 tbs. oil
Cut vegetables (except carrots) into small cubes. Grate
carrot and egg. Garnish with parsley. Combine lemon juice and oil, add
to salad before serving and mix well.