Lior

everything looks exciting and fabulous! So wonderful to see all the happy and interested faces,all the sharing and love of our art!!

I feel quite at home. SO many similarities! I was looking through your blog in the staff room, and went right away to make myself a nice hot cup of "black" (mud) coffee! Nice blog !

Enjoying the thread! Having lived in South Africa, (mieliepap and Boerewors and biltong- from wild animals)I found it cool to see the S.A. part! Braai vleis and all! We also visited Zimbabwe and Zambia- were you at the Boma Boma retaurant in Victoria falls area? Other than that, I feel dizzy by the huge and gigantic variety available shelves and shelves and then more-to the point of loss of senses.How on earth do you know what to pick up, to try and use? Trial and error? Experience from travels? Friends?

Is that a citron tree?If so, warm climate, $,kgs,goat...curry cuts...Australia?

Thanks!!!I too am waiting!!!

Ladybug -this one is especially for you! I found this by chance and just had to post the link. Hubeza grows wild and so it is fun and healthy and free!! Hubeza enjoy!

Thank you Melissa!

Thank you Nancy H! To you as well. I will go read your blog now!I got a bit distracted this past year from following blogs, and now I am making up lost time.

You're very welcome, thank you!

enjoy, and dont be afraid to try and ask!!

Kerry! Thank you! Merry christmas to you and your family. You are an amazing incentive for me and always are willing to share and help and give advice. I can never ever show you how much I appreciate your sharing and kind deeds.

Thank you so much Darienne! I really appreciate it-you are so kind and thoughtful-always!

Well, it has been a very busy week, I am sure not only for me. I tried to get the flavor of Israel into the blog, from Cold Labaneh to Hot Levivot, from Bedouin pita and Injera to Lachuch, from humus to Fasole batuta and from routine home life to a few meals outside. There are many more ethnic dishes but my time and blog time are limited! I wish happy holidays to everyone out there. Thank you to those who made kind comments, asked thought provoking questions or just commented on global similarities, or differences. Let's hope the new year will bring peace to the world. Shalom, Salaam.

I forgot the Mamaliga (also leftovers) Note the snowman, which is made from white radishes, a tomato hat and scarf, a carrot nose... decorations to get into the mood: Now everything is ready and the feast is about to happen: My dear friend, Lilianna Guests seem pleased!

Dessert is "Cozonac", which is similar to a "Bulka" or a sweet bread stuffed with either nuts, or cocoa and sugar, or Rahat Lokum (Turkish delight)or figs. It is not easy to make as it "needs to be kneaded and then rise a few times" The last piece, luckily it was left! To get into the mood she had background music playing for her guests, and also for me today (!) The CD's are from Romania and enchanted me and are adorable so I will add them here:

The cabbage gets baked in the oven and here it is done and ready! Another traditional dish, which reminded me of humus, is a white bean dish called "Fasole Batutu", with smiley mouths above the "a"s. The beans get cooked, mushed and have quite a lot of garlic in them. The top is decorated with onions fried in oil and paprika. I took a picture-a close up of the leftovers: A liver pie is also traditional: And so "Salata de boeuf"

So then she mixes the ingredients together and stuffs the cabbage and rolls them up perfectly. When she places them in the baking dish, which belonged to her mother and is very heavy, she layers them, puttin smoked lard in between them and the layers. This lard she brings back from Romania whenever she visits there, and keeps frozen until she needs it! the pots Cabbage gets layered and tomatoes get poured on. Then she adds onions and grated cabbage on the top I dont know why this picture appears twice and I cannot remove it-sorry!

I just returned from my friend's house. Her christmas lunch yesterday was a success. The main traditional dishes that get served at christmas in Romania,according to Lilianna, are "Sarmale", which is stuffed leaves,she used cabbage,but grape leaves can also be used. Lilianna mentioned that perhaps it is originally from the Turkish influence as Romania was once conquered by Turkey. The cabbage first gets frozen solid. The defrozen and so it is easier to take the leaves off. Then they get pickled for a week or two depending on the climate. She pickles them in boiled water with coarse salt. Some people add carrots,peppercorns etc. separated leaves ready to be stuffed The ingredients used to stuff them include beef, pork (which is available at one store here in the town I live in), tomatoes and oregano

Yes, Kent. We have people of all colors from over 70 countries, many from middle east countries (Turkey,Egypt,Iran, Iraq,Yemen etc), from north Africa(Morrocco, Libya, Algeria,Tunesia etc),South Africa, after the holocaust,from eastern European countries, from Europe,etc. In the late 70's over 300 Vietnamese boat refugees were rescued at sea and were given citizenship, so we also enjoy their food. In fact, there is a great restaurant right here in my home town, which is very popular. Furama The last few decades saw a large immigration from Ethiopia (Operation Moses and Solomon), and the former USSR. There are christians, muslims,Bahai and Jews. Everyone has their culture, their food and everyone holds on dearly to their ethnic foods. Many couples are mixed already, with marriages from all places and of all colors (from dark black to snow white,but the ethnic foods stays. And everyone enjoys everyone else's foods, however, the very popular foods are jachnun and malaawach from Yemen,couscous from north Africa, rice from Iran (Persian rice), arab restaurants with humus,pitas,salads and meats, of course falafel,shishlik etc. Not served much outside the home for some reason, but known to be excellent, is the Georgian kitchen.

Jachnun -an older picture...

Well tonight I made Malaawach (gutteral at the end!) This is a yemenite food. It is the same dough used for making Jachnun, which is also a yemenite doughr rolled like a croissant, and slowly baked on a low temp in a closed pot all night. It turns a rich brown and is very tasty. I will put a picture of Jachnun ,but I did not make it recently,it is an older photo. Malaawach is made into a round flat shape and is fried in butter on both sides. It puffs a bit and has thin layers of dough inside. It is usually eaten with grated tomatoes and some spicy sauce. Malaawach: see the layers a bit:

I know you can throw them right in, even with their skin on, but I usually squeeze by hand or use a simple, plastic old fashioned juicer for many lemons.

Hi ! SIlan is date honey. The natural kind has no added sugar-so always check the ingredients. It is fantastic!

I usually make rice this way, but every time I use different spices and flavors. Today I used vegetable broth with the soup paste as it was nearly finished anyway. Fist I fry the rice in some olive oil untill most grains turn white, stirring most of the time. Then I added in the soup paste, mixed with a bit of that hot humus water from cooking the beans. Then I add the rest of the water or here,humus water(!) and some onion pieces for flavor.

Although we went out forlunch to a sushi bar, and I forgot the camera, I still made food as the kids take it home for the week,if you recall, this is Saturday routine! I made chicken breast in silan sauce with some chili chicken on the range with tamari,soy and spices-nothing super fancy.