Throughout the Western world people eat crepe suzettes.
Blintzes are the Jewish eastern European version of the French treat.
The Israeli bent on having a light meal in the evening, after a theater
performance or movie, will choose from among a number of specialty restaurants
serving this delicacy with a choice of several different fillings.
Filling
1 lb. dry cottage cheese
1 small package cream cheese
1 egg
cinnamon
2-3 tbs. sugar
raisins (optional)
Batter
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup water, soda water or milk
2 eggs
For filling: combine cheeses, sugar, and egg. Add
cinnamon and raisins.
For batter: Combine flour, water and salt. Add eggs
and beat until smooth. Spoon a little batter into a heated, greased
7-inch frying pan (crepe-size), just to coat bottom, tipping to spread
it thin. Cook on one side only then turn onto a towel. Place about 1
1/2 tbs. filling on each pancake, roll up, tucking in ends. Bake for
10 minutes at medium heat.
After its independence, Israel
discovered a new Jewish communitythe Cochin
Jews of India. Tradition has it that these Jews were exiled to India
after the destruction of the Second
Temple. Though outwardly resembling Indians, the Cochin Jews maintain
their distinctive tradition. One of their principal dishes is chicken
curry which has now been incorporated into Israeli cuisine.
2 lbs. chicken
4 large tomatoes
2 apples
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup water
3 tbs. olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 tbs. sugar
5 large onions
1-1/2 tsp. salt, pepper
2 tbs. grated coconut (optional)
1 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp. ginger, ground
1 (or more) tbs. curry powder
3 cups clear broth or coconut milk
Cut chicken into serving pieces and fry in 1 tbs.
oil until lightly browned. Add water and simmer for 20 minutes until
chicken pieces are tender. Drain and put aside. Add onions, garlic,
tomatoes, parsley and apples (all diced) to the frying pan and saut
over medium heat. Add sugar, ginger and curry powder. Sprinkle with
flour and pour in clear broth or coconut milk. Add coconut and chicken
and saute for an additional 10 minutes over medium heat. Serve hot with
rice.
Chicken is extremely popular in Israel,
because it is relatively inexpensive and can be prepared in many ways.
Chicken paprika is, of course, a Hungarian
variation. With the amount of chicken Israelis consume, it is hard to
imagine a family going without it for very long.
1 - 4 lb. pullet
3 tbs. flour
2 tbs. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 tbs. chicken fat or margarine
1-1/2 cups sliced onion
1 tbs. paprika
1 cup boiling water
Cut up chicken and season with flour, salt and pepper.
Brown chicken in the fat (or margarine). Remove chicken and brown onions
in remaining fat (or margarine). Return chicken to the pan, sprinkle
with paprika and add water. Cover and cook over low heat for 1-1/2 hours
or until chicken is tender.
A classic Middle Eastern dish. There is hardly a restaurant
in Israel which does not feature
kebob (small hamburgers) at the head of its menu.
2 lbs. ground meat (beef or lamb)
1 tsp. ground cumin
chopped parsley
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper
1 large onion
Mix meat with cumin, salt, pepper, and water. Knead
well for 5 minutes. Add chopped onion and chopped parsley. Form a big
ball and keep in refrigerator for 12 hours.
Before cooking, wet your fingers and form 3 in. x
1 in. stick-like hamburgers. Grill for 5-8 minutes. Turn from side to
side until brown. Serve with fresh vegetable salad.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
about 1 1/2 kilos of lamb, cut as for stew
2 medium onions, chopped finely
1 tsp. turmeric
3/4 tsp. pepper
salt to taste
1 cup beef stock
3/4 cup lemon juice
675 gr. spinach, chopped
the leaves of 2 bunches of celery, chopped finely
the white parts of 8 spring onions, chopped finely
1/4 kilo green olives, pitted and halved
1/2 cup dried peas, soaked in water
2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped finely
Heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil and in this brown the lamb and onions. Season with
turmeric, pepper and salt to taste and then pour over the stock and lemon
juice. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring several times.
In a heavy skillet cook the spinach, celery leaves, and spring onions over
a very low flame, without adding water, just until the vegetables begin to
soften. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and fry for 5 minutes. Add
these ingredients to the meat and then add the olives, dried peas and
dill. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the meat and beans are
tender (about 45 minutes). Serve hot.
Serves 4-6.
Originating in eastern
Europe, latkes (potato pancakes) have been a staple of the Jewish
diet for many years. Eaten especially during the festivals of Hanukah
and Passover, these light
and scrumptious treats continue to be a favorite on the Israeli
menu.
3-4 medium potatoes
2-3 tbs. of flour (or Matzo meal on Passover)
1 egg
cooking oil
salt and pepper
1 small onion (optional)
apple sauce (optional)
sour cream (optional)
Grate potatoes. Mix in egg, flour, salt and pepper.
Grated onion may be added for flavor. Form into patties and fry until
brown on both sides (about 2 minutes for each side). Serve with apple
sauce or sour cream.
Lokshen Kugel means "noodle pudding" in Yiddish. It
originated in eastern Europe where
the Jewish community spoke that language. This item falls into the category
of "grandma's dishes."
8 oz. broad noodles
1 cup pot cheese
1/2 cup raisins
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted
Cook noodles as directed on the package; drain well.
Stir in remaining ingredients and half of the melted margarine. Place
in a greased casserole and pour over the remaining melted margarine.
Bake uncovered at 350 deg F (180 deg C) for 1 hour.
Malawach is one of a number of dishes brought to Israel
by the Jews from Yemen.
The popularity of this versatile dish, which may be served with a variety
of fillings and toppings, testifies to the love for Yemenite food which
Israelis have acquired.
4 cups flour
1-1/4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick margarine
tomato sauce (optional)
sour cream (optional)
Mix flour, water, and salt until dough becomes soft.
Add more flour if dough is sticky. Cut dough into two sections. Knead
and roll each section into a 20x20 inch sheet. Spread margarine on the
sheets. Fold each sheet like an envelope with ends meeting at center.
Repeat folding process to get two layers of folds. Cover with a paper
towel, let sit for 1/2 hour. Cut each sheet into 10 parts. Form each
piece of dough to the shape of your frying pan and fry until golden
brown on both sides. Serve with tomato sauce or sour cream.
Cholent, a heavy stew, became the answer to the age-old
problem of how to have nourishing hot food on the Sabbath
without violating injunctions in Jewish traditional law. Since it is
permitted to prepare food in advance and keep it warm in an oven lit
before the Sabbath began, cholent, which it is not impaired by long,
slow cooking (indeed the process improves the flavor), was adopted as
the principal Sabbath food in eastern
Europe.
In Israel, cholent
has become exceedingly popular with every segment of the population.
There are even restaurants where one sees lines of customers standing
with pot-in-hand waiting for their turn to get "take-home" cholent.
Cholent is served only on weekends. Anyone who partakes
of this dish will understand why. It is a thick, heavy, and filling
food which induces sleep.
2 cups dried lima beans
3 lbs. brisket
3 onions, diced
2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ginger
2 tbs. flour
8 small potatoes (peeled)
1 cup pearled barley
8 eggs (uncooked)
2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. fat or margarine
Soak the beans overnight in water. Drain. Use a heavy
saucepan or Dutch oven and brown meat and onions in the fat (or margarine).
Sprinkle with salt, pepper and ginger. Add beans, barley, small potatoes
(peeled) and sprinkle with flour and paprika. Place uncooked eggs in
shells on top. Add enough boiling water to cover one inch above the
mixture. Cover tightly. Cholent may be baked for 24 hours at 250 deg
F (125 deg C) or for quicker cooking, bake at 350 deg F (180 deg C)
for 4-5 hours.
Serves 8-10.
Ingredients:
2 medium onions, peeled and grated
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 kilo lean lamb, minced very finely (can substitute beef)
salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp. pine nuts
1 1/2 Tbsp. each margarine and olive oil, melted together
chopped parsley and lemon slices for garnish
Preheat oven to 1800 Celsius.
In a mixing bowl combine the onions, egg and lamb. Season with salt and
pepper to taste and mix well. Knead the mixture vigorously by hand or in a
food processor, making sure that it is very soft and pasty.
Divide the mixture into six equal portions and flatten each on a board
into a rectangular shape. About 1 cm. from the edges of the longer sides
of each rectangle place a row of pine nuts and then roll each rectangle
into a fat sausage shape, starting from the edge lined with pine nuts.
Arrange the six rolls in an ovenproof dish just large
enough to hold all of them side by side. Brush the rolls with the melted
margarine and oil mixture, sprinkle with about 3 Tbsp. of water and
bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or longer, depending on the
thickness of the rolls. Transfer the meat rolls to a preheated serving
dish, garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices and serve hot, accompanied
by rice or sauteed potatoes.
Serves 4-6.
This can be spicy (peppery) depending on the quantity
of hot pepper and hot paprika you put in the pot.
4-5 slices fillet of fish (Nile fish, Tuna, or Halibut)
A little oil (smear a little lemon juice and salt and let sit 1/2
hour)
2-3 cleaned red peppers and cut in slices
1/2 hot pepper (pungent pepper) not chopped (for children its possible
to make without)
3 tomatoes peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic peeled and cut in half
4 tablespoons coriander chopped
Sauce:
1/4 cup oil (and put into the oil) - 1 big teaspoon paprika
For sweet - 1/2 teaspoon paprika + 1/2 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon
chicken soup powder + pinch black pepper
Mix spices well into oil
In a pot with 3-4 spoons of oil, arrange in layers
- sweet red pepper with skin down, on top of this - hot peppers (clean
out seeds in the middle) with skin down, sliced tomatoes, clove of garlic.
Put on low flame and allow the pepper and tomatoes
to produce juice and become soft. After 1/2 hour put the fish fillet
on top of the pan, washing off the salt and lemon juice mixture. Pour
the sauce on top, then one half a cup of boiling water. Seal the cover
almost entirely; leave a small opening to let out steam. After, continue
to cook for 45 minutes then add chopped coriander, and after 10 more
minutes the dish should be finished.
Moussaka is an authentic Greek
dish. With time, it found its way to Israel
via Turkey. It is a specialty of many
Greek-style restaurants which abound in Israel's cities. Each ethnic
community tends to improvise and cover the moussaka in its own favorite
way, topping it with cheese, gravy, etc. This is the standard Israeli
version.
1 lb. ground lamb
4 eggs, slightly beaten
3 chopped onions
2 tbs. flour
2 cups water or vegetable stock
1/2 cup tomato paste mixed with 1/4 cup water
2 cloves garlic, crushed or cut into small pieces
1 tbs. corn starch
2 tbs. oil
1 tsp. salt
Cut eggplants (unpeeled) into rings. Sprinkle with
salt and let stand for one hour. Wash under water and dry. Saut onions
in one tbs. oil until soft. Add garlic and meat and fry until lightly
browned. Remove from heat and add tomato paste/water mixture. Set aside.
Sprinkle flour on eggplant slices and fry in one tbs.
oil until brown. Layer fried eggplant slices in a casserole dish with
meat mixture. Repeat layering until full. Bake for 40 minutes. Mix corn
starch in stock/water, add eggs and pour on top of meat mixture. Return
to oven and bake at 325 deg F (170 deg C) until gravy begins to be absorbed.
Serve hot.
Main Ingredients:
5-6 eggplants (not peeled, cut lengthwise and fried)
1 kilo (2.2 lbs.) potatoes
The Filling:
1/2 kilo ground beef
1 chopped onion
1/2-teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dill chopped
1 big ripe tomato
1 egg
Sauce:
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cube chicken bullion
1/2 cup water
2 eggs
Pinch of salt, black pepper
Pinch sugar
1/2 tablespoon dill (chopped)
Peel and cut the potato in slices (not too thin) rinse
and dry them. Pout boiling water on the tomato, peel except for the
middle and chop thinly. In a pot, fry the onion, adding the meant, and
continue to cook until the color changes. Spice with salt and black
pepper, chopped dill and add the tomato and egg. Mix well. Drain grease
well, and arrange in layers in this order.
First layer: the potatoes
Second layer: the meat
Third layer: the eggplant
Repeat this order of layering until the ingredients
are used up.
In a bowl, melt the tomato paste and a cube of bullion
in 1/2 cup warm water.
The simple method of preparing meat on an open grill
goes back to ancient biblical times. To this day, Israelis tend to prefer
their meat prepared in this manner. Shishlik is one of the most popular
dishes requested at restaurants.
1 lb. tender meat (beef or lamb)
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbs. oil
Marinate diced meat (1 in. x 1 in.) in garlic and
oil mixture for 1/2 hour. Remove and put meat on skewers. Sprinkle on
salt and pepper. Place over charcoal or in broiler.
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped coarsely
1 clove garlic, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
4 St. Peter's fish, bass or trout, filleted
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. onion, chopped
In a food processor, combine the parsley and garlic with 2 Tbsp. of water
and whir until the mixture is completely smooth. Thin the mixture with an
additional 2 Tbsp. of water and mix well. Add the lemon juice and salt and
pepper to taste. Set aside, covered.
On a flat plate combine the flour with about 1/2 tsp. each of salt and
pepper and mix well. Into this dip the fillets, coating well and shaking
off whatever excess adheres. In a large, heavy skillet heat the oil and in
this fry the fish until well browned on both sides. Transfer the fish to a
preheated serving platter and set aside to keep warm.
Discard about half of the oil and in the remaining oil saute the onions
until golden brown. Add the remaining flour and over a low flame cook
until the mixture is light brown, stirring constantly. Add the parsley
mixture and cook, continuing to stir, for 2 - 3 minutes longer. Pour the
sauce over the fish and serve immediately.
Serves 4-6.