eG Foodblog: Swisskaese - Hannukah: The Feastival of Light

[Gifted Gourmet]

Chag Sameach, Tapenade and Michelle! I am so thrilled to see your blog is up and running and perfect for Hanukkah! Having been to Israel and having participated in my daughter's bat mitzvah atop Masada, I can really feel the excitement of Israel as I look over your photographs and text ... look forward to more from you both.

[mizducky]

Hag Sameach, Swisskaese and Tapenade! Your blog is off to a great start.

After attending all sorts of Jewish weddings here in the US, I'm definitely interested to see how it's done in Israel.

[CaliPoutine]

Happy Hanukkah!! Michelle, Im so glad you're blogging.

I'm very inspired for my latka's tonight. I might have to try those donut things when my new fryer arrives.

[Swisskaese]

We are off to the wedding....

Happy 2nd night of Hannukah!

This is one of our Hannukiot:

Actually, we just got back from the wedding. I had a problem uploading the pictures before I left.

Edited December 26, 2005 by Swisskaese (log)

[Swisskaese]

Does anyone know what this is?

←

As promised, I said I would explain how this 8th century BCE olive oil press worked. After the olives were harvested, they were crushed by a millstone in another stone basin and then placed in a number of woven baskets that were placed one on top of another in a shallow stone basin. Pressure was applied to the baskets by the beam from the end of which stone weights were suspended. The oil was collected in a smaller basin that was embedded in the floor, slightly lower than the pressing basin.

Now I am going to show you the wedding photos and then say Lila Tov (Goodnight).

Edited December 26, 2005 by Swisskaese (log)

[Swisskaese]

Before I get to the wedding pictures, here are pictures from breakfast at the office this morning....

The espresso machine in the office breakroom. I have a cappucino every morning.

Or you can have a juice drink. You can choose either lemon, raspberry, apple, grape, orange or grapefruit. Or a variety of teas, including Chai Masala or chocolate drink (hot or cold). And of course Turkish coffee with cardamon.

And there is always a tray of fruit in the morning and afternoon.

I have muesli for breakfast or just a piece of fruit.

And Gloria Jean Coffee Bean Angel looks down on me to make sure I have enough caffeine to get me through the day! The truth is I only drink one cup of coffee a day.

I didn't have lunch in the cafeteria today. I forgot I had to run a quick errand at lunch. I will show you the lunchroom on Wednesday.

Tomorrow David and I are going to my secretary's mother's Moroccan restaurant for lunch and hopefully partake of a very special Moroccan Hannukah treat!

Edited December 27, 2005 by Swisskaese (log)

[Jmahl]

Years ago I heard a Safardi song that said you made Bunuelos for hanuka. This makes perfect good since they are fried in oil.

Of couse, potato pancakes had to have come about in the post Columbian Era. No conquest, no potatos.

Any comments.

[Swisskaese]

The wedding was very nice and simple. Some of the Israeli weddings are really over the top. For example, one of my cousins had a Moroccan singer singing "My Yiddishe Mama". It just didn't work for me.

Tonight, it was all about simplicity. Unfortunately, it was difficult to get to the buffet tables to take pictures. Too many pushy people trying to get to the food. So, we were only able to get some pictures of the salad bar and dessert bar. The main courses were steak, boneless breast of cornish hen and fillet of gilt-head seabream. The sides were roasted vegetables, green beans and roasted potatoes. The desserts were a halvah cheesecake (non-dairy), pear tarte tatin and various other things.

This is the Chuppah or wedding canopy.

This tables before the crowd came in. The centerpieces were vases with tulips inside a round fish bowl with live goldfish.

The happy couple with the Rabbi (in the hat) and their parents and witnesses.

One of the salads on the salad bar.

Marinated mushrooms and roasted sweet potato with apricots.

Roasted eggplant and garlic. Pesto, roasted pepper and tapenade spreads to put on a variety of breads.

One of the dessert bars.

There was a dancing area with a DJ and they stopped and lit the Hannukiah after dinner. It was a nice evening for a lovely couple. Mazel Tov Adi & Rachel, may you have a long, happy and fruitful marriage.

Edited December 26, 2005 by Swisskaese (log)

[Swisskaese]

Years ago I heard a Safardi song that said you made Bunuelos for hanuka.   This makes perfect good since they are fried in oil.

Of couse, potato pancakes had to have come about in the post Columbian Era.  No conquest, no potatos.

Any comments.

←

Yes, they are called Bimuelos (Fritters in Syrup) in Ladino, Zalabia in Egypt and Zengoula in Iraq, Persia and India.

That is correct, the potato arrived in Europe after 1492.

Well, that is it for tonight. It is waayyy past my bedtime. Lila Tov everyone.

Edited December 26, 2005 by Swisskaese (log)

[Tapenade]

That is correct, the potato arrived in Europe after 1492.

Well, that is it for tonight. It is waayyy past my bedtime. Lila Tov everyone.

←

And its mis-spelling was introduced into Europe, and eventually elsewhere, by Dan Quayle after 1989

[Pam R]

This would have been the one occasion when one of those doughnut wedding cakes would have actually been appropriate...

Mazel tov to the happy couple - lilah tov to you and Tepenade.

Couple of questions: What was the brand of juice in your office? We've just started brining in a bunch of juices... but I don't recognize those.

Will we be seeing any snack foods? Milkies? Crembos? etc.?

[SobaAddict70]

Will we be seeing any snack foods?  Milkies?  Crembos? etc.?

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Er, what are milkies and crembos?

[Swisskaese]

Pam,

We are going to go to the supermarket this week, so I will take some pictures of milkys, krembos, bamba and bissli for you.

I will check the brand name for you in the morning. There are several brands. I will also get the different brand names when I go to the supermarket.

Edited December 27, 2005 by Swisskaese (log)

[Swisskaese]

Will we be seeing any snack foods?  Milkies?  Crembos? etc.?

←

Er, what are milkies and crembos?

←

Stash you will have a wait a few days.....

These are childrens snacks that are a national treasure.

[Jmahl]

Of course Dan Quayle had nothing to due with it. His problem, as I remember was with papas. Anyway,spelling, shmelling, or Mexican Dessert Bunuelos:(Fried Bread Topped with Cinnamon and Sugar).

Proves we learned something in Spain and her royal colonies before being politely asked to leave.

[Pam R]

Pam,

We are going to go to the supermarket this week, so I will take some pictures of milkys, krembos, bamba and bissili for you.

I will check the brand name for you in the morning. There are several brands. I will also get the different brand names when I go to the supermarket.

←

ok... but my next question is does anybody actually like crembos?

Soba... I'd tell ya... but I don't want to ruin it for Michelle!

I can't wait for the shopping trip! Lilah tov again.

[Swisskaese]

Of course Dan Quayle had nothing to due with it.  His problem, as I remember was with papas.  Anyway,spelling, shmelling, or Mexican Dessert Bunuelos:(Fried Bread Topped with Cinnamon and Sugar). 

Proves we learned something in Spain and her royal colonies before being politely asked to leave.

←

I really am going to bed now.

On another note, did you know that there wouldn't be any Fish & Chips in England if it wasn't for Portuguese Jews moving there. We definitely gave them a national food treasure.

[Jmahl]

And do they thank us? Who knows.

Sleep, sleep you need your rest.

[handmc]

very interesting. This going to be a great week, thanks for inviting us along!

[Tepee]

This is really going to be an education (hanukkah ) for me...starting at zero base here! Thanks for dropping in Jewish words and phrases as well as bringing us to places rich with Jewish food and culture. May your candles shine bright this Hanukkah....

[Swisskaese]

Boker Tov!

I woke up a little late today and am getting ready to take my beautiful 15 minute journey to work. Later this afternoon, I will post the pictures of my drive through farm country and will report on my Moroccan lunch.

We are also going to take you to an Olive Oil Festival that took place this past Friday on a Moshav called Bnei Darom. They are famous for their olives and boutique Kosher olive oil. A Moshav is village that has some shared farming facilities. It is not like a Kibbutz.

Tapenade, who forgot to mention that he is a former journalist for the newspaper Haaretz, talked to one of the boutique olive oil producers who was at the festival and will tell you about in his own contribution later today.

Olives that we purchased at the festival.

Shemeneto Olive Oil that we purchased.

Shemen means Oil.

Shemen Zayit is Olive Oil.

Neto means Net as in the opposite of Gross.

So the brand name of this olive oil is a play on words. The name means "Nothing but Oil". And that it is.

Edited December 27, 2005 by Swisskaese (log)

[mochihead]

What an amazing blog about a culture and foods that I don't know a lot about! How are the olive oils different in taste from oils from other parts of the world?

[Swisskaese]

I am having a very busy day at work today. So, I won't be back online for a couple of more hours.

While you are waiting, here are a few pictures of painted bulls in Tel Aviv. They are placed on Rothschild Blvd in honour of the 50th anniversary of the TASE (Tel Aviv Stock Exchange). I know they are a bit off topic, but a bull does produce great steaks!

I won't have time to go to the Shuk this blog, but here are some pictures from when my parents came to visit this past April. Dad was trying to get my attention to take a picture and I didn't here him so the Shuk barkers sang, "Michelle" all the way down the line of the Shuk until I turned around. It was very funny.

Please feel free to ask me any food-related questions.

Edited December 27, 2005 by Swisskaese (log)

[BarbaraY]

This is all fascinating for me too. I'm also curious about the olive oils produced there. Don't recall ever having any.

[Swisskaese]

Hi Barbara,

David is going to write about this later, but some of the varieties that are grown here are Manzanillo (Spanish), Syrian olives and Barnai, which is a variety that is indigenious to Israel. Syrian Olives have a very strong, peppery flavour. I really like to use the olive oil on salads.