eG Foodblog: Swisskaese - The Israeli Table - Not Just Felafel and Or

[KatieLoeb]

Michelle:

Thanks so much for doing this blog. It's been like a mini vacation for me. So much to see and eat!! I'm jealous of the lovely fruits and vegetables - and those cheeses!! I drool and live vicariously.

Tapenade used the apples to make his famous Charoset for Passover. Charoset symbolizes the mortar that held the bricks together which the Jewish slaves used to build the buildings for the Pharoah. It is typically made of apples, sweet wine, nuts and cinnamon. Tapenade's is in another league. But that is for another thread.

Tapenade and I need to compare notes. I've been making my Sephardic Charoset for several years now, so I think my friends and family are tired of it. I need to try something new. When Passover rolls around again remind Tapenade to share his recipe and add it to RecipeGullet for the rest of us!

[Abra]

Will you give us your recipe for dates stuffed with lamb? That sounds gorgeous.

And speaking of kitchen appliances (which you were a few pages ago) what is the name of that little cake-baking plug-in thingie that I used to bake cakes in a zillion years ago when I was spending time on a kibbutz in the 70s? It made surprisingly good cakes, without an oven per se.

[jackieg]

I want to live where there are pomegranate sculptures on the street! Those are fabulous. This is a very enlightening blog, so many foods I want to find and taste and make now. Thanks for sharing a week with us.

[ludja]

I want to live where there are pomegranate sculptures on the street!  Those are fabulous.  This is a very  enlightening blog, so many foods I want to find and taste and make now.  Thanks for sharing a week with us.

←

I love these sculptures and their placement also. Great photo!

[MarketStEl]

Tapenade and I need to compare notes.  I've been making my Sephardic Charoset for several years now, so I think my friends and family are tired of it.  I need to try something new.  When Passover rolls around again remind Tapenade to share his recipe and add it to RecipeGullet for the rest of us!

←

Make sure your assessment is correct before altering the recipe, Katie.

Besides "New Coke," "Edge City," a comic strip that runs in The Philadelphia Inquirer that features the adventures of the Ardins, a Jewish family in a Silicon Valleyesque setting, offered another cautionary tale this past Passover.

The storyline involved the family's seder, to which Mr. Ardin's mother always brought brisket. Mrs. Ardin, wanting to put her own stamp on the occasion, discouraged Mother-in-Law from bringing any this year. Hubby went along more or less willingly.

Comes the first night of Passover and Mom Ardin offers her meal. Throughout the traditional recitation--"Why is this night different from all other nights?"--the children register their dissatisfaction--"Because there's no brisket!" Finally, MiL confesses that she snuck some in, and the kids shout for joy.

Now, you know your own family best, so this situation may not apply in your case. But one tampers with tradition at one's peril.

Edited August 15, 2006 by MarketStEl (log)

[Miriam Kresh]

Since this thread started, it seems I can't get away from the Jerusalem grill. Last night my family and I visited the Jerusalem Arts and Crafts Fair, set in The Sultan's Pool, a valley outside the walls of the Old City that houses many art galleries. We drove up from Petach Tikvah through Jerusalem passing Sima's shwarma place on Rechov Agrippas. It was open and busy although most of the neighboring businesses were closed already.

Beautiful to walk down the cobblestoned stairs of the elegant Yemin Moshe quarter under a half moon, brushing past perfumed flowering jasmine bushes and the cinnamony odor cast by fig trees on warm nights. We passed by Sir Moses Montefiore's endearing, old-fashioned windmill and as always, caught our breath before the sight of Jerusalem's crennelated, illuminated Old City walls rising from the surrounding hillside. Just one more transient night in their history; the sounds of the noisy concert in the valley bothered them not at all. (If anyone cares to know, Etnix and Sarit Hadad performed.)

So we joined the throng of folks wending their way around the fair, all admiring (or not) the art, pseudo-art and colorful junk - not to mention standing three-deep at the food booths set up by local restaurants. Booths with kosher certification hung their papers up in front for all to see. A quick look around showed that most of the food was of the hot, starchy, and greasy variety: chorizos, bourekas, fast Asian, and many more - and Sima's shwarma place had a booth there too. My daughters, one grown up and one only nine, wandered away to find something to eat, and the little one came back happily fressing on a pita filled with savory bits of meat and fried onion made tangy with amba. I did not mention turkey testicles.

Miriam

Edited August 15, 2006 by Miriam Kresh (log)

[Swisskaese]

Tapenade and I need to compare notes.  I've been making my Sephardic Charoset for several years now, so I think my friends and family are tired of it.  I need to try something new.  When Passover rolls around again remind Tapenade to share his recipe and add it to RecipeGullet for the rest of us!

←

Make sure your assessment is correct before altering the recipe, Katie.

Besides "New Coke," "Edge City," a comic strip that runs in The Philadelphia Inquirer that features the adventures of the Ardins, a Jewish family in a Silicon Valleyesque setting, offered another cautionary tale this past Passover.

The storyline involved the family's seder, to which Mr. Ardin's mother always brought brisket. Mrs. Ardin, wanting to put her own stamp on the occasion, discouraged Mother-in-Law from bringing any this year. Hubby went along more or less willingly.

Comes the first night of Passover and Mom Ardin offers her meal. Throughout the traditional recitation--"Why is this night different from all other nights?"--the children register their dissatisfaction--"Because there's no brisket!" Finally, MiL confesses that she snuck some in, and the kids shout for joy.

Now, you know your own family best, so this situation may not apply in your case. But one tampers with tradition at one's peril.

←

That is very funny and a typical story. One year my grandmother wanted to try a new Passover dessert and she almost started a mutiny.

[Swisskaese]

Boker Tov everyone.

My breakfasts are rather boring, except on the weekend. So, I am not posting any pictures. I had a Yoplait yogurt with dried apricots, raisins and walnuts and a cappuccino.

Miriam, you write so beautifully. You should think about writing a book.

As Martha Stewart says, "It is a good thing" that you didn't tell your daughter about the turkey testicles. She may have been traumatized for life.

I have to run. Will be back later.

Edited August 15, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Swisskaese]

I promised Jason that I would post some pictures of Shuk HaCarmel in Tel Aviv. The Shuk is near the original part of Tel Aviv called Neve Tzedek whichs means "Oasis of Justice". It is also next to the Yemenite Quarter. I really like this part of Tel Aviv. The architecture is very special. I will post some pictures of it this evening.

But now.... the Shuk. The Shuk is also next to trendy Tel Aviv and the famous trendy street, let's say a Greenwich Village wanna be, Sheinkin Street. This was my old hood when I moved to Israel. It is filled with trendy shops and cafes. On Friday, the street comes alive with people. The see and be seen crowd. It is also a great place to buy really cool shoes and they are not expensive.

This shuk is primarily outdoors, and you can get lost in the side streets. There are little shops littering the alleys that sell Turkish products, Thai and Philipino products, Chinese, etc. I used to love to take my shuk cart (I don't know what it is called in English) and stroll through the market. I bought everything there and learned all of my Hebrew cooking terms there. The first time I bought chicken wings the butcher asked me if I wanted them singed. I didn't understand what he was asking me, so I said yes. He brought out a blow torch and started singeing the feathers off the wings. I jumped from fright. We had a big laugh about it.

Did you know that Israel is the third largest flower exporter in the world? On only 2,750 hectares of land, we yield about 1.2 billion flowers. We export over 100 different varieties of flowers.

Edited August 15, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Swisskaese]

Before I go back to working..... Can you tell my boss is on vacation? Shhhhh.

I want to show you a picture of the Zimmer I stayed at in the North last year so you will get an idea of another type of vacation possibility here. I highly recommend staying at one of the hundreds of zimmers in the North. For security reasons right now, I am not going to tell you exactly where it is located.

A zimmer. These are purchased as kits from Finland or Romania. I think a few other countries sell these kits, but I can't remember which ones. And you decorate the inside as you wish. As I explained earlier, this one has a four poster bed, fireplace, jacuzzi for two, a kitchnette, dining room table for four people and of course a bathroom. A full Israeli breakfast, including delicious Tunisian briks and homemade jams are included.

Beautiful Northern scenery.

And another view. Can you see why I love it here?

Banana grove at the Sea of Galilee. A huge water waster here. We should really import our bananas.

[Miriam Kresh]

I am loving this blog. The photos are wonderful, in fact I'm inspired to get off my rear end and shlep off to the local shuk with my own shuk cart this afternoon. Lovely pictures of fresh produce strike me that way.

Thank you for your kind words, Michelle. Next time we get together, we'll write up a couple of sketches, eh?

And - I admire your (and Tapenade's) restraint in the face of all that seductive PASTRY.

Miriam

[Rebecca263]

Everything you've shown us and written for us during this blog is so lovely. Thank you.

[yunnermeier]

I'm also 'travelling'via your blog, Michelle! I definitely wouldn't be able to go Israel ever (my passport says "valid everywhere except israel" ) so it's very nice to read (and see pictures) about it here.

[Pan]

[...]I used to love to take my shuk cart (I don't know what it is called in English) and stroll through the market.[...]

←

My first thought was "shopping cart." Is a shuk cart different from a shopping cart?

[Swisskaese]

I'm also 'travelling'via your blog, Michelle! I definitely wouldn't be able to go Israel ever (my passport says "valid everywhere except israel" ) so it's very nice to read (and see pictures) about it here.

←

Inshallah, I hope that will change and I will be happy to show you around.

[Swisskaese]

[...]I used to love to take my shuk cart (I don't know what it is called in English) and stroll through the market.[...]

←

My first thought was "shopping cart." Is a shuk cart different from a shopping cart?

←

Yes, they are carts that you purchase for your personal use. They are great for cities like New York where everyone shops on foot. Here is an example:

Shuk Cart

[Swisskaese]

Michelle:

Thanks so much for doing this blog.  It's been like a mini vacation for me.  So much to see and eat!!  I'm jealous of the lovely fruits and vegetables - and those cheeses!! I drool and live vicariously.

Tapenade used the apples to make his famous Charoset for Passover. Charoset symbolizes the mortar that held the bricks together which the Jewish slaves used to build the buildings for the Pharoah. It is typically made of apples, sweet wine, nuts and cinnamon. Tapenade's is in another league. But that is for another thread.

Tapenade and I need to compare notes. I've been making my Sephardic Charoset for several years now, so I think my friends and family are tired of it. I need to try something new. When Passover rolls around again remind Tapenade to share his recipe and add it to RecipeGullet for the rest of us!

←

Here is a picture of Tapenade's charoset:

He is a bit protective of this recipe. He won't even tell my family what is in the recipe. I will try a butter him up for you.

[divalasvegas]

All sorts of salads. Kubbeh and sambusek on the top. Tapenade didn't take a closeup.

We didn't buy a lot. We bought chickpea flour, nectarines, peaches and the best tehina in the world.... Nablus tehina. It rocks, nothing compares and I will have to meet you in the ring over this tehina if you think yours is better.

←

I'm enjoying your blog immensely Michelle. I'm pretty ignorant about Israeli cuisine so this is a wonderful learning experience for me. I do have questions about all of the salads you picture above. I've always enjoyed salads that are of Middle Eastern or Moroccan in origin. What types of salads are pictured here and do you have your own recipes that you'd be kind enough to share?

[Swisskaese]

I'm enjoying your blog immensely Michelle.  I'm pretty ignorant about Israeli cuisine so this is a wonderful learning experience for me.  I do have questions about all of the salads you picture above.  I've always enjoyed salads that are of Middle Eastern or Moroccan in origin.  What types of salads are pictured here and do you have your own recipes that you'd be kind enough to share?

←

These are a mixture of Middle Eastern and Eastern European. There is beet salad, carrot salad, cabbage salad, fried eggplant salad, pickled cucumber, fried cauliflower, tabouleh, etc.

We are bit spoiled here and have the luxury of buying premade salads. Paula Wolfert has some recipes for Moroccan salads in her couscous cookbook.

I am going to make a few salads on Friday for Shabbat dinner. I will do a step-by-step and give the recipes. One of my guests is vegetarian. I am also going to take you to a local food fair on Friday. I hope the sweet Druze ladies are there. One of them sells her amazing homemade salads.

Edited August 15, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Swisskaese]

You chose carrot juice over lemonana?? 

I love the fruit sculptures!  Can't wait to see some pictures of Jaffo - I have very fond memories of strolling around town, enjoying a fresh hot borekah - I think you should have a borekah tomorrow.

Lila tov!

←

I was trying to be healthy. I see a fresh fruit drink this week.

Abulafiyah is on the cards for our visit to Jaffo.

Edited August 15, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[divalasvegas]

Oh drool, I look forward to that.

[KatieLoeb]

Michelle:

Thanks so much for doing this blog.  It's been like a mini vacation for me.  So much to see and eat!!  I'm jealous of the lovely fruits and vegetables - and those cheeses!! I drool and live vicariously.

Tapenade used the apples to make his famous Charoset for Passover. Charoset symbolizes the mortar that held the bricks together which the Jewish slaves used to build the buildings for the Pharoah. It is typically made of apples, sweet wine, nuts and cinnamon. Tapenade's is in another league. But that is for another thread.

Tapenade and I need to compare notes. I've been making my Sephardic Charoset for several years now, so I think my friends and family are tired of it. I need to try something new. When Passover rolls around again remind Tapenade to share his recipe and add it to RecipeGullet for the rest of us!

←

Here is a picture of Tapenade's charoset:

He is a bit protective of this recipe. He won't even tell my family what is in the recipe. I will try a butter him up for you.

←

Thanks Michelle! Tapenade's charoset looks very good, and fairly similar to mine. Lots more fruits, nuts and spices than the standard "mortar". I suspect our recipes have just a few variations between them.

[Swisskaese]

We have a special treat for you on Thursday evening. You are all invited to a wine tasting at one of our favourite cookery shops.

The shop is called Zaafran. which means Saffron. The owner, Michel is a lovely man. Take a look at their website. It is in Hebrew, but you can look at the photos.

[Swisskaese]

I am off to Tel Aviv and Jaffo. See you later.

[Swisskaese]

We are back from an interesting evening in Jaffo. The traffic was so bad that we had to go straight to Jaffo.

I will load the photos and give you a full report.

Edited August 16, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)