eG Foodblog: Lior - Spend a week in sunny Ashkelon.

[heidih]

I took a photo of a wild weed/plant that grows all around. It is called "Chkubeza" and is great to eat as a cooked green, or cooked and then served either hot or cold in a salad of lentils and onions, for example. You can use it like spinach and even make "meatballsl"from it. In the center of the leaves, before it flowers is a bud that the kids pick, peel and eat. It is crunchy and nutty.

Wonderful blog. I have not checked in because everyone else is saying and asking the same things I am thinking of. However I have to thank you so much for the shot of the greens. As a child my mother called them "God's bread" in German and would pick the bud for us to eat as we took long walks. I never knew the leaves were edible. This plant is very abundant right now as we had lots of rain, so I will experiment. She left us at 53 so I am so joyful to resurrect a memory and to possibly start a new tradition courtesy of your lovely blog.

[Lior]

How lovely!! Isn't that someting!! Those buds hold memories for lots of kids!! I am so sorry you lost your mom at such a young age-53. I can post some recipes if you would be interested! By the way, its nickname here is also "bread"!!! And thanks for the input-it means alot tome!

[helenjp]

That chkubeza looks like some type of mallow - looks like Malva sylvestris? We have that in Japan too, but it is not traditionally used for food here, I think.

We have a related mallow of the "althaea" type in Japan that has been a food plant for a long time, though not much used now.

It's great to see such an old plant still in common use!

[heidih]

How lovely!! Isn't that someting!! Those buds hold memories for lots of kids!! I am so sorry you lost your mom at such a young age-53. I can post some recipes if you would be interested! By the way, its nickname here is also "bread"!!! And thanks for the input-it means alot tome!

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Yes- I would appreciate recipes. I am already thinking how I will harvest these greens in these public places. I truly wish I was able to post photos so you could see a completely similar patch of greens on the other side of the world (Los Angeles!) Gotta get a digi cam and learn to use it!

[Lior]

Yes, from what I know it is the Malva Sylvestris!In fact, thearab population here make a nice bread from it and hence its nickname. I also felt funny picking it but I got over that. It seems they grow in many areas! What an earth!

The patty recipe is quite simple:

Put about 1 kilo of chubeza washed well and torn into little pieces. Cover with water in a pot and boil for 10 minutes. Squeeze out the water from the leaves and add an egg or two, spices and bread crumbs until a patty can be formed. Fry in olive oil. Delicious with yogurt on top! Just like any patties you have to get the right consistency without it being too heavy or floury/bread crumby!

The salad:

Remove half the stalks and cut or better yet, tear into small pieces. Place some olive oil in a pot, according to the amount of chubeza and fry finely chopped onion. As the onion turns golden, place the chubeza inside the pot and stir with the onion on medium heat. Add salt, some lemon juice and cover the pot. Stir occasionally. Leave to fry 10 minutes. Serve with tomatoes. This can be mixed with rice or quinoa or cracked wheat....

Now for Pam- I took a picture of the gluten free pita for you:

It would hold up if eaten soon after. It gets dry and therefore, crumbly if left for a good while.

Other questions that haven't been answered:

For a person who is religious or observant, not like me who isn't very, no electical appliances at all can be switched on from sundown to sundown on Friday to Sat evening. So any appliances can be turned on before that and just left on. Hence the all night oven dishes etc. This is to comply with the command to rest on the sabbath- in old days it was quite a job to get a fire going, etc. And even if electricity is not considered fire as such, it may tempt its users into doing work related tasks, like laundry, etc. Driving is not allowed as that uses a spark of fire to start.... Only those who want to follow these laws. I can and do drive on the sabbath, and my religious neighbors don't. There are some areas in which the majortiy is religious or secular and then there can be arguments!!

Bye for now!

Ilana

[BarbaraY]

I was surprised when I saw the picture of the Chkubeza. I have been digging this stuff out of my garden and cursing it for years. Now I will just try eating it.

I had no idea it was edible.

[Lior]

Oh! It is good now that you know! We often have the best of things right under our noses, and yet we always go far and pay much for less. It is fun to weed and eat! There are plenty of edible weeds, including dandelions. I am sure that the web has a lot on this! DId anyone ever suck the nectar from a hibiscus flower and then stick the green part on their noses like Pinocchio?!

[blue_dolphin]

Ahh, after being out of town all week, I've just sipped my way through an entire pot of coffee catching up with your blog on a rainy Sunday morning. A slice of toast topped with Nutella (inspired by your daughter's pancakes!) accompanied the last cup. What a delight to visit the markets with you - its one of my favorite things to do when traveling. Thank you so much for sharing, in words and pictures, the tastes, smells, sights and sounds of your area!

[Lior]

Thank you!! I know that when I read books, if there is a description of the food s people eat, I always desire the same. I once read a book about an English girl who had to go and live with a large Irish family during the blitz on England... Well anyway, while in England hersnack was always dry toast and fish paste... And I had a burning desire for it!!!

Anyway, tonight I made some Malawach as promised, and some "Shakshukah" so here are the photos:

At the beginning:

fried on both sides:

Shakshukhah: fried onions-lots, fried tomatoes, squash the tomatoes add some tomatoe sauce,ground coriander, parsley, paprikah, salt and pepper. The add eggs and cook till they are your way!

and I took a picture ofthe typical sandwich! Short baguette, humous, omelette, fries and usually salad and hot sauce- but not this time:

So bye for now. Tomorrow I will look for the meat!!

[Pam R]

Ilana, have a good week (shavuah tov!). I've never made shakshukah, but I've always wanted to, and it looks great. I always thought it was a hard dish to make properly, but that looks very doable. Next weekend I see jachnun and shashukah on the menu. Malawach looks great too!

[racheld]

fried on both sides:

Shakshukhah: fried onions-lots, fried tomatoes, squash the tomatoes add some tomatoe sauce,ground coriander, parsley, paprikah, salt and pepper. The add eggs and cook till they are your way!

It's KENT GRAVY!!! That's an old family recipe in Chris' Dad's family. I managed to sit down with almost all the cooks in the family to tell me some recipes, and how they came about. One of the sisters told me about going to see another sister on a stormy night. The lights went out, but they were invited to eat with the family. Aunt B said it was just delicious, and asked what it was, since it was hard to see by the kerosene lamp.

Other Aunt B said it was a recipe from HER husband's mother, from the 1910 era.

All the above, save the coriander, and in her words: "An egg or two per person broken in, lid on til they're how you like 'em."

They always served it over toast, biscuits (Southern biscuits---flour, buttermilk, shortening, risen high and golden), or cornbread. Small world.

And your Malawach looks marvelous.

[Lior]

Now isn't that amazing! Hmmmm! Over toastorsouthern biscuits! We will have to do that! Somw people mix the eggs in but wedon't like it that way- just exactly like AuntB said!

Edited February 25, 2008 by Lior (log)

[Pierogi]

Just a beautiful blog, Ilana. I love the feel the Shabbat pictures, the feel of being *HOME*. And all that brings with it, the warmth, the security, the peacefulness. Just gorgeous.

The jachnun looked very intriguing ! Are the dough rolls stuffed with anything? If so, what? I've never heard of this dish before.......but the rolls look so fabulous after their long, slow roast.

[Lior]

Hi! Thank you for the lovely comments about shabbat. It is really a nice feeling. The kids- the older ones, love coming home to get spoiled and doted over! Like being little again! I guess we all love that attention. The Jachnun are not stuffed- intriguing idea- it is similar to a croissant in thatit consists of layers or sheets of dough when baked/roasted. I will ask my MIL for the recipe and post it, step by step. It is a very simple dough actually. She told me that as a child her momused to make popcorn in the oven- also slowly. I can ask her for more on that if someone wants.

[mizducky]

Hi, Ilana--

Apologies for my being so late to the party--my life got kind of overly hectic for several days in there. But now at least I'm all caught up with your blog (if not the rest of my life), and wow was that a great read and look-see. The series of eggplant dishes one after another had me swooning--I adore eggplant. And those okra, and the big fat bright red peppers, and just everything ... yep. Just glorious stuff.

And I dig your enthusiasm too. Enthusiasm is cool.

[Lior]

Thank you ETB. Without enthusiasm life is colorless and people see you in black and white as well!! Thanks so much and go catch your life before it runs away!!

Fish and meat market pictures are on their way!!

[Domestic Goddess]

Lior - I did the same thing with hibiscus flowers (called gumamela in Tagalog, the native language in the Philippines). We would take the thingie in the middle (pistil? stamen? geesh my biology teacher would lash me) and we'd suck the nectar from the flower. We also use to pound the petals into mush and mix a little water with it. Then we would decant this to use as a bubble solution for blowing bubbles. Never thought about attaching the green part to our noses though.

[Lior]

I also can't recall the names of the parts!! But try the little green pinocchio nose!! It sticks onto your nose perfectly!!! Great I am glad I found a fellow hibiscus friend-and all the way from the phillipines-wow!!!!!

[Lior]

Okay, I willnow post the pictures from the fish market. It is a permanent market, half inside -they are inside and half outside.

Buri Fish:

Denise:

medium Denise

Amnonit:

Amnon:

Lavrak:

Meat will be next!

[Marigene]

Ilana, I was thrilled to get history and gastronomy lessons all in one! I want to thank you for every minute of your wonderful week sharing your life with me.

[Chris Hennes]

Ilana that fish market looks great! I so badly want to move to a city with decent markets!

[johnnyd]

After poking around I found:

Buri = Mullet

Lavrak = small sea bass

Amnon = a small African river fish aka talipalah.

Denise = Ocean fish from the Red Sea

A lot of this comes from an very active aquaculture industry.

Great shots of the fishmongers and their prize products. Thanks!

[Lior]

Wow! Johnny- great info!! Thanks ever so much-how sweet!!! What do you mean by a very active aquaculture? Please detail!Chris and Marigreen-thank so much also.

[Lior]

Onto the meat market.

innards, I think sheep according to the skin:

cow liver...

Cow head, the butcher is proudly holding out the tongue for you

No sheep heads now, only ... sorry if anyone finds these pictures not quite to their taste but this is a part of it!

And on my way out, some vegetable stalls, of which the owners called out to me, "Hello! tourist Blonda!! take a picture of us! With our produce- beautiful- yes?"

"Do you think someone would marry me?" (the chubby guy) I told them any girl that loves food and fresh produce would!! They liked that one:

Edited February 25, 2008 by Lior (log)

[Smithy]

Hi! Thank you for the lovely comments about shabbat. It is really a nice feeling. The kids- the older ones, love coming home to get spoiled and doted over! Like being little again! I guess we all love that attention. The Jachnun are not stuffed- intriguing idea- it is similar to a croissant in thatit consists of layers or sheets of dough when baked/roasted.  I will ask my MIL for the recipe and post it, step by step. It is a very simple dough actually. She told me that as a child her momused to make popcorn in the oven- also slowly. I can ask her for more on that if someone wants.

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I would like the recipe for the Jachnun, and I'd also like to know about making slow-roasted popcorn. What an interesting concept!

I'd never heard of Kent gravy or Shakshukhah before now, but under any name it looks delicious. Thanks for that information.

Ilana, your descriptions of life in your area, and your customs, and the ways observant Jews and not-so-observant Jews vary their lives, are fascinating and beautifully shown. This is a wonderful tour.

Without enthusiasm life is colorless and people see you in black and white as well!!

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That is a profound and true observation. We should emblazon that on our mirrors, our sidewalks, our houses, and write it across the sky!

I see that while I've been posting, you've posted photos of the meat market. I'm so glad there are still places where people know what their food comes from. It makes for a better connection to the world; a better awareness of how one fits in and affects his or her world. I think we need more of that in the USA. It's very easy over here to pretend that food just magically appears in the freezers and refrigerators.

Oh, and I never did the hibiscus thing, but used to take the single bell-like petal off our trumpet vine flowers and sip that nectar. It made the hummingbirds unhappy, since I was eating their food!

Edited: spelling

Edited February 25, 2008 by Smithy (log)