Daniel Rogov

Mention goat's meat and some people will swoon for pleasure while others will show vague or not-so-vague signs of repulsion. Valued in Spain, Italy, the south of France, many of the Caribbean Islands, the mountain and island folk of Turkey and Greece as well as by many Bedouin and other traditionally wandering peoples, the meat of young male and female goats can be extremely appealing and is as nutritive as the meat of sheep and lambs. The problem comes about because most goats are bred and raised for the milk they will yield. This in turn means that those creatures that eventually make their way to the table are far too mature and tough. And there is no question but that the meat of older goats, especially the males, has a smell that is considered "high" and disagreeable to many. The only trick necessary for those not accustomed to this treat is to realize that those who most value the flavors of goat's meat know that male goats should be eaten only when very young (from about 6 weeks until about 4 months of age), and that of the female up to about one year. Goat or kid meat will always be a bit "tougher" than that of lamb or mutton, but many, including this writer, find that as the cheese of goat milk has its special charms, so does the meat. Following are several recipes that I believe will please even the most sensitive of palates. Roast Kid A traditional Turkish recipe 3 1/2 lb (1 1/4 kilo) kid, with bones 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered 6 cloves garlic 4 tsp. parsley, chopped 3 large onions, peeled and quartered 1 tsp. each salt, black pepper and rosemary Place the potatoes and onions in a large saucepan with the garlic and parsley. Add water to cover and cook over a medium flame to cover for 30 minutes. Place the kid in a deep baking dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. Cover the meat with the vegetables and 2 cups of the liquids in which they were boiled. Place in a medium oven until the meat is done (about 2 hours), basting occasionally with the fluids. Remove the meat and vegetables from whatever liquids remain and serve hot. (Serves 4). Goat Stew A dish known in Montserrat as "Goat Water" 2 1/4 lb (1 kilo) goat meat, cut into bite-sized pieces 2 large onions, sliced 2 tomatoes, sliced thickly 2 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely 3 whole cloves 2 Tbsp. each butter and chili sauce 1 Tbsp. flour salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce to taste boiled rice for serving In a heavy saucepan melt the butter and in this saute the onions until just translucent. Add the meat, raise the flame and brown quickly. Add the cloves, tomato, garlic, salt, pepper and Tabasco. Pour over just enough water to cover, bring to the boil, reduce the flame and simmer slowly for 2 hours, skimming periodically. Fifteen minutes before the end of cooking, pour off enough of the liquids to make a paste with the flour. To the paste add the chili sauce and more Tabasco if desired. Stir this paste into the stew and continue cooking, stirring constantly, over a low flame, until the stew thickens. Correct the seasoning and serve hot with boiled rice. (Serves 4). Goat Meat Curry A recipe from the island of Grenada 1 1/2 lb (675 gr.) goat meat, cut into 1/2" (1 cm) cubes 1 1/2 lb (675 gr.) boiled rice, boiled with 6 cloves 2 cups coconut milk 2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped 2 green chili peppers, seeded and chopped coarsely 2 stalks celery, sliced thinly 4 spring onions, chopped coarsely 4 cloves garlic, chopped finely 2 Tbsp. black pepper 2 Tbsp. oil 1 Tbsp. coriander, ground 2 tsp. powdered ginger 1 tsp. saffron strands fruit chutney for serving In a large heavy saucepan heat the oil. To this add the spring onions, chilis, tomatoes, coriander, saffron, ginger, garlic, celery and pepper and mix well. Add the meat and pour over 5 cups of water. Bring to the boil, reduce the flame and cook uncovered until the meat is tender (about 1 hour), and the water is absorbed. Add the coconut milk, stir and cook again for 3 - 4 minutes. To serve arrange the rice, which should be warm, around the edge of a preheated serving dish and pour the curry into the center. Serve with chutney. (Serves 6).

Irish Girl, Hello... If I am reading you correctly, you are implying even though you have "made it" most women would be less appropriate in any role that takes a great deal of time and devotion. Tht would of course then rule women out from considertion as medical doctors, hospital administrators, senior business executives, airline pilots, university professors, attorneys-at-law, journalists, film-makers and a host of other professions. With no attempt whatever at political correctness, may I simply disagree with that.

Melissa, Hi.... The two tips above for the Scheurebe (Gotham Wines and Wine.Is) are good ones. Keep in mind as well the possibility of the Heightswine from the Golan Heights Winery. My tasting notes for the various vintages of this wine follow. Best, Rogov Yarden, Heightswine, 2003: As always, a tantalizing dessert wine, light to medium-bodied with delicate honeyed apricot and peach aromas and flavors, good balancing acidity and an elegantly lingering finish. Drink now–2008. Score 90. K Yarden, Heightswine, 2002: Light golden in color, medium-bodied, and with excellent balance. Plenty of natural acidity to back up the sweetness and keep it lively while allowing the peach, apricot, and quince fruits to make themselves nicely felt. Honeyed and floral, generous and round. Drink now-2008. Score 90. K Yarden, Heightswine, 2001: Well balanced, generous and elegant, this honeyed dessert wine is made entirely from Gewurztraminer grapes treated to sub-freezing temperatures at the winery. It has a lively golden color and offers up a generous array of yellow peaches, apricots, melon, orange marmalade and quince, all on a floral and just spicy enough background. Drink now–2008. Score 91. K Yarden, Heightswine, 2000: Well chilled, this delicious sweet wine reveals honeyed flavors of pears and quince. Let it warm in the glass and you will feel ripe apricots and white peaches. Let it linger on the palate and you will sense kiwi, pineapple and other tropical fruits. Made entirely from Gewurztraminer grapes, the wine is well balanced by plenty of natural acidity. Drink now–2008. Score 92. K Yarden, Heightswine, 1999: Unlike German or Canadian ice wines, in which grapes are allowed to freeze on the vine, the Gewurztraminer grapes used in this wine were frozen at the winery. The result is a sweet, almost thick mineral-rich dessert wine packed with aromas of peaches, apples, mangoes and pineapple that sit very comfortably on the palate. Drink now–2006. Score 88. K Yarden, Heightswine, 1998: Showing 40% sugar content to the pressed grape juice, this pleasingly sweet dessert wine offers up aromas and flavors of ripe peaches, apricots and tropical fruits. Drink now–2006. Score 88. K

As to "the truth" about mannah, following is a piece I wrote some years ago: Of all the events described in the Bible, there are few that inspire more awe than the miracle of manna. The Sinai Dessert is an especially harsh environment, but for forty years as the Hebrews wandered through the dessert in search of the Promised Land, they had no problem in finding their daily food. Every morning, shortly after dawn, the Hebrews were graced with as much of this wafer-like delicacy as they could consume during the day. Delivered directly from the heavens, one had to do no more than gather his or her share, eat as much as they liked and then look forward to the next day's crop. There is of course, another, somewhat more caustic view about manna. Even though the Old Testament and tradition concur that manna contained the ingredients of every delicious food and suited the taste of all who partook of it, some speculate that forty years of manna made for a fairly monotonous diet. So unhappy were the Israelites that at one point they actually complained to Moses that "...we have naught save this manna to look to". With neither a bowl of chicken soup or a good pate de foie gras in sight, life might have been fairly difficult. While the fine flavor of manna remains unquestioned, many have devoted their thoughts to the issues of just what it was and from whence it came. Rashi and other Jewish commentators observe that while manna was not a true bread, it settled to the ground shortly after the first dew had fallen and then was covered again with a second coating of dew. In Exodus we learn that it was "white and sweet, looked like coriander seed but tasted like wafers made with honey". Later, in the Book of Numbers, we find that it could be "ground, pounded like meal, boiled and made into cakes". From other Biblical writings we also know that it had the appearance of bedellium (a gum resin similar to myrrh obtained from various trees) and then when cooked it had the taste of cake baked with oil. Some etymologists suggest that the Israelites, puzzled over the mysterious substance, called it man, the name of a sweet with which they had become familiar when in Egypt. Even today this sticky, honey-like juice exudes in heavy drops in May and June from certain shrubs found in Sinai. In the Rashbam commentaries, however, it is noted that while this may account for the naming of the miraculous provender, it cannot account for the feeding of so many people, for man is found only in minuscule quantities. Others suggest that the name simply reflects the confusion of the people who could not identify the substance and comes from ma-nah, a word combining a Hebrew root with an Egyptian stem and meaning "what is this?" Since the 4th century, scholars and monks at Saint Catherine's monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai have held that manna originated from the secretions of the scale insects that made their homes on the tamarisk shrubs that are common to the Sinai. Modern scientists concur with this as a possibility and speculate that a massive swarm of Trabutina mannipara had invaded the Sinai during this time, thus allowing for large quantities of their secretions to be "harvested" each morning. Although gathering manna was not a difficult task for the Israelites, modern men are sometimes confused by the fact that each member of the family was expected to harvest and consume an omer of manna each day. Those interested will be pleased to know that an omer is "the tenth part of an ephah". In more modern terms that comes to about 2 liters. For better or worse, the original recipe for manna has been misplaced. To capture at least the basic flavors of manna, one might care to try the following pancakes. 225 gr. cake quality matzo flour, sifted 2 tsp. dried coriander leaves (gad in Hebrew, cusbara in Arabic), ground extremely finely 1 Tbsp. sesame oil about 2 Tbs. honey Resift the flour together with the ground coriander. Place the flour in a bowl and in the center make a well. Into this pour 1/2 cup of boiling water and the oil. Mix into a dough and then knead on a well floured board until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll out a portion of the dough into a 10 cm. circle and brush with the sesame oil. Roll a second portion and with this cover the first. Roll the combined circles to make a 15 cm. pancake sandwich. Continue the process until all of the dough has been used and 6 pancakes sandwiches are ready. Heat a heavy skillet, without oil, and in this one at a time fry the sandwiched pancakes, turning once so that both sides are cooked. The skillet should be kept moving constantly to prevent the pancakes from sticking, and cooking should be done over a moderate flame. When all of the pancakes have been cooked, separate the sandwiched pancakes. Spread one side of each pancake lightly with honey and fold each single pancake in half and then in half again. Serve at once or cover with a lightly dampened cloth and set aside to keep warm until ready to serve. Yields 12 pancakes.

Following is an email/press release that I received. Forgive a bit of self-promotion but in truth, I couldn't resist posting it. I agree - no "big deal" but at least a "mini big deal" for me. From: "nina glimvall" <nina.glimvall@destinationgrythyttan.se> To: drogov@cheerful.com CC: Subject: Israel - Press Release GOURMAND Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2005 10:18:20 +0100 Israel – Press Release February 12, 2005 A Toast for Peace! The “ 10th Gourmand World Cookbook Awards” took place on February 11 in Sweden, with over 320 attendees from 29 countries. At the Awards Ceremony followed by a Gala Banquet : “The Arab-Israeli Cookbook” received the Special Award of the “Taste for Peace” Association, from the hands of its founder Pepa Aymami, from Barcelona. The “Arab-Israeli Cookbook” was written by Robin Soans, with a foreword by Claudia Roden, and published by Aurora Metro Publications in Great Britain. Then the “Rogov’s Guide to Israeli Wines”, by Daniel Rogov, was announced as one of the three best wine guide in the world this year. It is very important for Israeli wines to be better known around the world, and Daniel Rogov is the world expert on the subject. About the “Gourmand World Cookbook Awards” The awards are the “Oscars” of the food and wine world. They were created at the Frankfurt Book Fair 10 years ago to reward those who “cook and drink with words”, and promote the international food book business. There are now 24.000 cookbooks published every year, which is the double of 1994. Growth has been steady ever the past 10 years, pulled by the numerous new television food shows around the world. In contrast, the general book market has been stagnant with very small growth. The founder and president of the awards Edouard Cointreau was born in the families of Cointreau liqueur, and Remy Martin and Frapin cognacs. His family has had vineyards since 1270, and the famous french writer of the 16th century, Rabelais, son of a Frapin, is an ancestor. The “Gourmand World Cookbook Awards” now receive approximately 5000 books from 67 countries for the competition each year. There are 34 categories for “Best in the World” cookbooks, and 14 for “Best in the World” wine books. ...

Well...it has happened. The end of the world MUST be nearng rather rapidly - McDonald's has added McShwarma to its menus in Israel. As much as I try to avoid McDonald's my critic's conscience took me there to sample this new fare. Here is the review I wrote and which appeared in HaAretz (Hebrew) on 10 Feb 05 and in the International Herald Tribune on 11 Feb 05 Food, Politics and Mediocre Shwarma For many years a growing number of people have came to dislike McDonalds not only because of the quality of the food served there but because together with Coca Cola the company had come to represent the process of globalization or, if one prefers, the introduction and imposition of American foods to the entire world. One can hardly say that McDonalds has seen the error of their ways but in a move to maximize profits while simultaneously pacifying various local populations, this now huge multinational corporation has given us a new word on which to ponder – "glocalization"- a play on words combining "global" and "local" in which although McDonalds remains the king, local tastes are being pandered to on a rather regular basis. In Finland, for example, where black and fiber rich rye bread is often the bread of choice, McDonalds has introduced McRuis , a burger served on a dark rye roll. In India, where the consumption of beef is anathema to many, instead of the Big Mac the company has introduced the Maharaja Mac in which the meat involved is mutton, and in the Netherlands we now have the McKroket, in which the burger patties are made of beef ragout that is pressed together than then oated with bread crumbs. Well, we Israelis must be coming up in the world for not too long ago, with what one must admit were television adds that made almost everyone smile, the local branches of McDonalds have given us McShwarma. I could think of no place more appropriate to try McShwarma than at Dizengoff Center and once I had made my way there, like the well-behaved adult I pride myself on being, I took my place on a rather long line and when my turn came ordered and paid for my McShwarma, chips and Coke. Rather than being tucked into a pita, the shwarma meat had been folded into a flat, rather tough pita-like bread together with sliced tomatoes, pickles a bit of lettuce, something said to be tchina, and what I was told was to be a hot sauce. As hard as I tried, I could see no vertical spit on which the shwarma was cooking and was informed that at McDonalds the meat is brought to the branches partly precooked, fully sliced and frozen to be reheated by frying. If that was not enough to make me sigh, the meat used (I should have guessed this in advance) was neither lamb as is the case with the finest shwarmas, but turkey meat. To my palate the shwarma was not really all that bad. In fact, it was at just about the same level of the pre-packaged shwarma meat that you can buy frozen in supermarkets. Unfortunately, I do not consider such frozen items treats, the fried, re-heated meat never as succulent,crisp or fatty as meat that has been grilled and sliced with a long sharp knife just before making its way to your sandwich. Going a bit further, the pita bread was rather tough, the tchina was so diluted that it might easily have been mistaken for mayonnaise, there were too many tomatoes on the sandwich and the hot sauce had far more in common with the cuisine of the state of Louisiana and not of the Middle-East. In a phrase, not my cup of shwarma. To McDonalds' credit, however, the chips were fresh, crisp and delicious with nothing more than salt sprinkled over. As to the Coke, what can one say. It was a Coke. I adore fine shwarma. The next time I am in the mood for that treat it will most definitely not be to McDonalds that I go. McDonalds: on the top level of Dizengoff Center, Tel Aviv and in dozens of other branches throughout the country.

May I remind us that we often tend to use the word "criticism" only in its negative sense that is to say the act of finding fault or expressing censure or disapproval. That is, however, not the role of the professional critic. It his his/her obligation to be a critic in the sense of making judgements,both positive and negative, and analyzing the comparative worth of whatever it is that is being judged. Keep in mind that the true "boss" of the critic is not his/her editor or publisher. It is the public, and it is entirely to that public that the critic owes his/her fidelity. It should be obvious to all critics that neighborhood eateries are not to be judged on the same basis as prestigious restaurants. The critic who does not do that is, simply stated, an ass. On the other hand, even the simplest of eateries must meet certain standards and it is those standards on which all criticism should be based. It should be equally obvoius to all that critics are no-one's enemies. Nor are they trying to sell newspapers. They are simply trying to present the world as they perceive it. Hopefully, the critic in question is well enough trained, experienced and informed to accomplish that with fairness.

One hates to contradict popular wisdom, but I am quite convinced that on the seventh day, God did not rest. On the seventh day, God devoted him/herself to the creation of butter. And he/she saw that it was damned good indeed!! Just two small points about what goes well with butter. (a) Many French men and women are privileged to the great truth that before placing a bit of pate de foie gras on toast, the toast should be generously buttered (b) Nearly all French and Italian people above the age of four know that no cheese tray should be served unaccompanied by butter. In fact, isn't that against the law in at least four EU countries? I exaggerate. I know that. But believe me ...just a little.

Elie, Hi... Both of the recipes come from the first incarnation of Jerusalem restaurant "Eucalyptus"... back in the good old days (were there really such days?) during which they were located not on a stylish restaurant-filled street but in a small industrial area in the city.

And I, for my part, stand quite comfortably with my overall rave review of Raphael! 'Nuff said!

Mallow did indeed originatedin Egypt but this is one of the most popular of the "free foods" found in Jersualem today. Sometimes known as poor man's bread, mallow is an herb with dark green leaves, showy flours and a disk-shaped fruits. Because it thrives in even the poorest or most rocky soils, this is one of the oldest inhabitants of the Middle- East and for 3,000 years the children of the city have enjoyed eating its fruits just for fun. Most modern day Jerusalemites refer to mallow by its Arabic or Latin names - hubeza or malva, as opposed to the more modern Hebrew name, helmonit. Even though no-one has ever ranked mallow with the true culinary treats of the world, no one has ever scoffed at it. For centuries, the poor have used the leaves in salads and some medical people and healers continue, even today, to use mallow-flowers in poultices and infusions of mallow leaves to relieve chestpains. More importantly, modern cooks have realized that the young leaves of the mallow plant can be delightful when served in salads, that the buds of the flowers can be sauteed gently in oil, seasoned with allspice and used as a garnish with meat and fish dishes and that the mature leaves can be used in making a large variety of recipes. In each of the following recipes, if mallow is not available you can substitute either spinach or Swiss chard. Mallow Pie 2 lb. (900 gr) mallow leaves, washed well 1/2 cup butter, melted 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 lb. (115 gr.) Gruyere cheese, grated 3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated 1 cup spring onions, chopped 3 oz. (85 gr.) philo pastry leaves (strudle-leaf pastry) salt and pepper to taste Shake off as much water from the mallow as possible. In a heavy skillet heat 2 Tbsp. of the butter and the olive oil and in this saute the mallow, covered, over a high flame, until steam appears. Reduce the flame and simmer until the mallow is tender (5 - 6 minutes). With a slotted spoon remove the mallow from the skillet and chop coarsely. Return to the skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper. In a small mixing bowl combine the cheeses, spring onions and salt and pepper to taste. Add this mixture to the mallow and mix well. Butter a square casserole dish or cake tin and in the bottom place 6 leaves of the philo dough. Brush the top of each leaf with butter before covering with the next leaf. Over these spread the prepared mallow and cheese mixture. Cover this with 6 more leaves of the dough, again buttering the leaves and also buttering the top. Be sure that the edges of the pastry are well buttered and bake in a medium oven for 30 - 40 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and invert on a baking dish. Return to the oven until the top is crisp and golden-brown (about 10 minutes). Serve hot or at room temperature. (Serves 4 - 6). Mallow Soup 1 lb. (450 gr.) mallow leaves 3 Tbsp. butter 3 eggs juice of 1 large lemon or more to taste salt and pepper to taste 6 cup chicken stock, hot 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, rated 1 cup toasted bread croutons Remove the heavy stems from the mallow and wash well under running water. Dry the leaves on paper towelling. In a heavy skillet melt the butter and in this saute the mallow leaves until just tender. In a small mixing bowl beat together the eggs, lemon juice, salt and peper. Add 3 Tbsp. of the hot stock and beat well. Add this mixture to the hot chicken stock and then add the mallow. Mix briskly, garnish with the cheese and croutons and serve hot. (Serves 6 - 8).

It is clear that without exception, every human act has political ramifications. I have, however, in recent years grown so weary about reading about the dangers that face us on one side and the potential benefits on the other that I have decided to take a rather humorous (and yes, even that is political) stance on the issue. With regard to humane treatment of animals, with regard to genetically modified foods and even with regard to the French paradox, let me simply post an excerpt from an article I wrote some years ago about various culinary curmudgeons. Culinary Curmudgeons Daniel Rogov Years ago, when I first started writing about food, I promised myself to avoid generalizations. No matter how hard I tried, how- ever, I kept running into them. I have concluded, for example, that many of world's most devoted culinary curmudgeons have found their way to the Holy Land. One of the most vociferous complainers was American dentist John Burril who used his position as a trustee of St. Alban's Episco- opal Church in Washington, D.C. to take to the pulpit to espouse his theory that foods should never be eaten hot or cold, but only at room temperature. When he came to Jerusalem in 1901 Burril was shocked to see that "in the many cafes of the city it is consi- dered perfectly normal to put before you a cup of steaming hot coffee and a glass of ice-cold water". Convinced that this prac- tice would ruin the health of the people, he was determined to change the local way of life and, wherever he went during his three month visit he loudly berated the people for this "dirty and barbaric habit". One of his companions wrote in his diary that during a visit to Jaffa Burril "informed a group of Arabs that their habit of sipping hot tea would rot their teeth, damage their livers and destroy their digestive systems." It is nowhere record- ed how his audience reacted to this advice. Junius Booth (the father of the even more notorious John Wilkes Booth who assasinated Abraham Lincoln) is another American who made his way to Jerusalem. Booth, a Methodist minister who came to Israel on a pilgrimage with members of his flock, adhered zealous- ly to what he thought to be the ideas of the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras. In a sermon he presented on the shore of the Kinneret, not far from the Mount of Beatitudes, Booth summed up his attitude towards the culinary arts when he forbad the mem- bers of his flock not only the eating of animals (which he consid- ered "unnatural"), but also the harvesting of any crop wherein the harvest killed the plant. Booth must have had a terrible time dur- ing his visit for in a letter to his wife he wrote that "the olives of the Galillee are too hard; the oranges of the coastal plain are too sour; the cheeses are too salty; and the milk is not clean." Nor did his complaints stop there. He did not approve of the cus- tom of cooking vegetables over hot charcoals and was "disgusted" by the fact that people put sugar in their coffee. Oddly enough, Booth found nothing offensive in the "native custom of smoking hashish". In fact, he found it "a most refreshing substitute for the local sweets". Another gastronomic curmudgeon who found himself, albeit it for a short visit to Jerusalem was the Reverend Sylvester Graham (yes, he for whom the Grahamcracker has been named. A forerunner of today's devotees of natural foods, Graham's culinary outlook was that the more "natural" a thing was, the more virtuous it became. On his return to America, Graham wrote that he "was de- lighted to find in the Holy Land a large variety of grains, herbs and spices, all of which would be welcome additions to our own diets." He was "extremely distressed, however at the tradition of welcoming strangers by roasting a whole sheep on a spit in honor of their arrival." When he visited the city of Acre, Graham was delighted at the choice of fresh fish that were available but wrote that he "could not understand why the people of the city in- sist on seasoning their fish with garlic and herbs before they cook them and then of sprinkling their fish and their salads with lemon juice". In a search for the ultimate culinary pest, one would be hard pressed to overlook Catherine Beecher, aunt of author Harriet Beecher Stowe (who wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin). Ms. Beecher, felt that food should be "plain and nutritious and never fancy or ex- travagant." In fact, in what is probably the most boring cookbook ever written, she advocated that "it is the moral duty of house- wives to avoid a variety of tempting dishes at any meal." When she visited Jerusalem, Beecher was shocked to learn that many meals started off with eight or more different salads, and then continued with a soup, a choice of two or three main dishes and as many as five or six different vegetables. Mrs. Beecher was probably not too well liked by the Jeruselmites she visited, for wherever she went she went to great pains to tell the women she met how they were destroying the health and moral fiber of their families. There is no record of what Ms. Beecher ate on her one trip to Jerusalem, but it is known that she died there, according to her physician, "probably of acute indigestion caused by over- eating". On those notes, it is time for sleep. I have an early morning flight. No fear though, before the flight I shall fortify myself with several cups of good espresso and at least two croissants as rich with butter as is humanly possible.

Why do I have the odd suspicion that women get touched more often by male waiters and men more by females? Whatever the feeling, I am opposed to such contact. Several years ago, when visiting Atlanta, Georgia, a waiter put his hand very gently on the shoulder of my female companion. She very quietly whispered to him "if you're trying to be my lover, that's not the right approach, and if you want a decent tip you'll take your hand off me at once".

Ah, but the sense of sound does indeed come into our dining pleasure and that in several ways: 1. The sensation of sound that is generated as we chew - the difference between chewing something crispy (e.g. crisply fried bacon or soft calamari) or the "sound" of the sauces and juices generated as we chew. As Henry Miller once put it "the satisfying sound of the crunch") 2. The gentle sound of knife and fork, not to be ignored at all of course as a source of pre-eating pleasure of a particular morsel 3. The sound of a wine being poured, of the (hopefully polite) sipping noises we make as we taste and drink those wines. 4. The sound of food in a skillet, on a griddle...or, sometimes as it is served to us in a piping hot casserole dish 5. The sound of a dessert as it is flambeed (there is indeed a sound, listen next time and you'll hear it) 6. Not directly related to the food but most definitely to our dining pleasure, the the discussion at our table as we dine (not only the words but the surface of sound as well) and of course the background sounds in the restaurant itself. Sound can also import badly on our dining - too loud music, the person sitting near us who chews noisily, too loud conversation, exaggerated noises from the kitchen or restaurant itself. Definitely one of the senses to be considered in the dining experience

Forgive me being Cartesian but language does count and I believe the term "foodie" incorporates the "gastronaut"? And if I am not mistaken that much more honorable term was perhaps not invented by but certainly brought to renown with good taste and excellent humor by Anne Barr and Paul Levy quite a few years ago.

I hate to be the bearer of evil tidings, but even though it is possible to make things similar to shawarma (or, if we prefer donner kebab), without an upright perpetually revolving spit and heat coming from a three-cornered gas of wood-buring fire the result simply cannot be the same. Also please let's keep in mind that genuine shawarma is made from lamb, that topped and interspersed with generous layers of lamb fat and cut off only as the meat reaches its level of perfection. Heck, in Israeli and Lebanese supermarkets they even sell pre-packaged frozen schawarma that can be reheated in either a skillet, an oven or even (the fates protect us) in a microwave oven. In the simplest vernacular - that ain't nowhere like the real thing!

It is clear that the impact of all major religions is reflected in cooking and dining habits, but it is equally clear that dishes and culinary styles are more often related to a more complex set of factors - physical setting (e.g. a lush area or an arid dessert area), cultural and historical elements, local taboos, local and not local definitions of one's enemies, economic well being, available ingredients,etc,etc. The impact of Islam on many factors including science and the arts is enormous and so has it been on the culinary life. I cannot help but think, however, that there is any more of a uniform Islamic cuisine than there is a Jewish or a Budhist or Christian cuisine. Certainly the dietary laws (halal) have had an impact on what Moslems the world over eat and do not eat, as have the laws of kashrut been important to Jews. Those laws however may have given certain limitations but certainly not contributed to a culinary style or cuisine. The couscous of the Maghreb has no more in common with the chicken pies of Lebanon than gefilte fish has in common with chriame. Even more than this, it is difficult enough to say that there are "national cuisines". There are indeed certain commonalities shared by members of a faith or a nation but the true charm of full cuisine is in its diversity rather than its sameness. Leaving religion aside,look merely at thehuge differences from region to region within France of the dish known as cassoulet. And to those who may answer by pointing out that there is indeed a Jewish kitchen, let me remind us all that generally that titleis given to the Jewish kitchen of Central Europe. Let us also remember though that the dishes of the Jews of Iraq, of Ethiopia, and of Spain are no lessJewish. So it is with the Moslems of various North African, African, Mediterranean and Far Eastern nations.

I just wandered across this post. With regard to the use of garlic - apologies but if its use was acceptable to Casimir Moisson who is credited with first making the dish and is now acceptable to Guy Savoy and Alain Ducasse it's good enough for me as well. I'll be the first to agree by the way that my classic recipes tend to follow the spirit of the inventor of the dish and then to incorporate some of the more modern additions/changes.

Only one word of advice if I may when it comes to parve desserts and that, I warn all and sundry in advance, is a very personal word..... There are at least 10,374 excellent desserts that are parve (that is to say, made without any dairy products). Thus, seek those out and avoid any that are made with parve milk substitutes. Parve milk substitutes are perfectly acceptable for those who cannot digest lactose but as a substitute for sweet cream, ice cream, creme fraiche, etc they can produce some pretty abysmal desserts. When I think of such products I cannot help but wonder if when our long-ago ancestors may not have anticpated such things when they first dreamed up the word "abomination".

(a and b) same level of awareness © Equally fascinated by both but even more by the social phenomenon. Reminded me somewhat of what psychologists call "a collective monologue" in which a group of people are all talking about completely separate subjects, none listening to any other but each convinced that each is listening to him/her. At this point I would use a smilie, but as well you might have gathered, I'm into smling but not smilies. On that note, considering that it is now 1:35 a.m. here, that my Armagnac glass is quite empty and my Monte Cristo #3 has been well enjoyed, to borrow a phrase from Mr. Pepys "....and so to bed"

A post I cannot resist making in relation to this discussion. Earlier this evening I entered a Tel Aviv cafe, one of my favorites and at one round table were five men, each talking on his cell phone. I saw something similar a few years ago and as I did then, my unconscious mind went just a bit wild and I imagined that they were actually talking to each other, having forgotten that conversations can be carried on without cell phones. My own table was on the opposite side of the room from theirs but not help but notice that in the forty minutes during which I did (I confess) enjoy my double machiatto, no less than 19 phone calls were made or received by members of the group. Power, as it is said, to some of the people!!!

Robyn, Hi.... I thought about this and agree that there are moments when eye contact is made, a spark makes itself felt and a conversation can start up in a fully natural way. Indeed, that has happened to me as well. I concur with you that the key word here is "insist". I'm all for sponteneity!

Fatmat... Part of my problem is that I cannot understand the urgency in most cases to talk with someone who is not there during one's dinner. I did not suggest that restaurants enforce our good or bad manners. I am suggesting, however, that all people should re-examine their manners from time to time, and that in view not only of the century in which we live but the company we want to keep. I'm not sure why, but I have the feeling that you want to put on a pair of boxing gloves and march me into the ring. Why don't we avoid the boxing ring and simply close out your and my disagreement by agreeing not to agree and thus let the dialogue march on. Or, as might be said chacun a son gout.

Five points - (a) With regard to cell phones... let's put it this way.....how would you feel if someone came into a good restaurant and plunked down a small portable television on the table to watch during his/her dinner? Even if they listened to it quietly or even with ear-phones? Might that not be just a wee bit distracting to others in the restaurant? So be it with the cell phone as well. (b) With further regard to cell phones ....isn't it somewhat of an insult to your companions to be devoting time to phone calls when you should be in their company? Even half-wise people hold their calls when in conference in an office. Are we that important that we have to be in touch with friends, collegues, business acquaintances, etc during dinner? © With even further regard to the cell phone - by now most of us are familiar with the French Paradox, but it is not only wine that contributes to our well being, it is life-style and in particular dining style. I can assure us all (even without doing a formal research study) that we will live at least a bit longer and surely a bit more happily if we shut our phones off during dinner. (d) With regard to tipping.... I understand that in Australia most restaurants pay their waitstaff fairly and well and that tipping is no longer an issue. If we lived in a better world - one for example where waiters and waitresses indeed received fair salaries, I would agree that tipping would be unnecessary. Alas, the world is far from perfect. (e) With specific regard to the preceding post - I am well aware that we live in the 21st century. I accept that with joy. That does not mean that we have to discard the breeding and culture of all that went before us. I have always been rather fond of Oliver Goldsmith's aphorism to the effect that: "I love everything that's old: oldfriends, old times, old manners, old books, old wine".