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

[Swisskaese]

Are you saying the Amba itself is sweet or the guy selling it is really nice?

I had my first taste of Amba and my first Sabich this week. I certainly would not call the Amba I tried "sweet". Actually I was expecting it to be a little sweet because its made of mangoes... but nope! It's got to be the strongest tasting pickle I have ever seen.

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The restaurant looks very nice. Looks like home.

[Jason Perlow]

Not to bring up any politics here, but I remember that during the first Persian Gulf war, when a couple of scuds hit the outskirts of Ramat Gan (from where the Sabich originates in Israel and where many Iraqi Jews live) there was a joke that went around in Israel that Saddam was aiming for the pickle smell.

Edited August 13, 2006 by Jason Perlow (log)

[Susan in FL]

This is off to a very good start. Thanks to everyone for handling the discussions so far with sensitivity and consideration (and good humor always helps). A question came in via PM and I am reposting it and the reply, as an example of an appropriate food-related question in connection with the current situation.

I wasnt sure if it was ok for the blog, but I wanted to ask if Israelis were experiencing any shortages of food items because of the conflict. Recently a owner of a local israeli restaurant here in nj (http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/2006/08/11/nj-dining-walla/) told me that a large amount of the olive oil consumed in Israel comes from Lebanon. Are they importing Spanish and Italian and Greek stuff now?

I think that would have been ok to ask. There are only food shortages in the North. A lot of people here in the center have been making and buying food for people and soldiers in the North. There is a very tragic story about a soup kitchen in Haifa that is running out of food for the poor. The woman that runs it is 76 years old and she refused to leave Haifa because she didn't want her patrons to go hungry. She depended on food donations from local restaurants. Some restaurants in Tel Aviv and the surroundings areas had food supplies sent to her.

It is true, we do buy olive oil from Lebanon, but we also buy a lot from Spain and Italy.

It remains to be seen how much damage has been done to the olive trees in the North, but I will ask my honey woman on Friday. She has an olive grove in the North and has invited me to participate in the harvest in September/October. Inshallah.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Yes. That is correct. As your prize, is there anything you would like to see foodwise?

I always enjoy photographs of the foods in Israel so anything you choose to show on your blog will be wonderful to me ...

On our trip a few years back, we were in Sde Boker and brought back small rocks from near Ben Gurion's grave which we then put on Yitzak Rabin's grave on Mount Herzl Cemetery ... a moving experience...

[Swisskaese]

I am off to show you a little of my hood. I will be back a little later to show you more of the Shuk and the meal we had afterwards. The restaurant specialises in food that Chufi recently wrote about. Any ideas?

[Gifted Gourmet]

The restaurant specialises in food that Chufi recently wrote about. Any ideas?

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Nutella and srichacha (forgive my spelling ..this word sounds like a latin dance to me) ...

[Megan Blocker]

I'm thinking there's a business to be made from dealing with all the Canadian Geese here in Jersey.

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Can Connecticut get in on that, too? Those little dudes ruined so many picnics with their nasty...presents.

That Sabich sounds really good, Michelle...

Thanks so much for doing this blog - can't wait to see what else you'll be showing us this week.

[MarketStEl]

I recall reading somewhere that felafel is "Israel's answer to the hamburger."

Is it? I assume you make your own?

And is it possible to tour Golda Meir's kitchen?

I'm glad you're carrying on with your blog as planned.

P.S. Don't forget the fridge shot.

[Swisskaese]

The restaurant specialises in food that Chufi recently wrote about. Any ideas?

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Nutella and srichacha (forgive my spelling ..this word sounds like a latin dance to me) ...

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I am back now.

No, and this time you are not even luke warm.

[Swisskaese]

I recall reading somewhere that felafel is "Israel's answer to the hamburger."

Is it?  I assume you make your own?

And is it possible to tour Golda Meir's kitchen? 

I'm glad you're carrying on with your blog as planned.

P.S. Don't forget the fridge shot.

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Believe it or not I have never tried to make felafel. There are so many places that make great felafel that I have never bothered.

Her kitchen table was used a lot.

I cleaned the fridge just for you. I will post a picture later.

Edited August 13, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Swisskaese]

Before I go back to Mahane Yehuda....

Here is the promised picture of my breakfast this morning. I also had a cappucino at work.

Sorry for the blurry picture.

I had lunch at my company's cafeteria. Today I had a Palestinian/Jordanian dish called Siniya. It is a layered dish of sliced potatoes, ground beef and it is topped with tehina. It was the best I have ever had. I also had a green salad and corn. One thing I do miss in the States is good corn. We do not have silver queen corn here.

One of my colleagues had chicken schnitzel, potato salad and roasted peppers:

And, another colleague had today's special, hamburgers:

The food changes from day to day, except for couscous. Couscous is always served on Wednesdays. Moroccan families always have couscous on Wednesdays and Fridays. I once asked a few friends of my why and they said "because". If anyone knows why, please enlighten me.

Edited August 13, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Chufi]

I am off to show you a little of my hood. I will be back a little later to show you more of the Shuk and the meal we had afterwards. The restaurant specialises in food that Chufi recently wrote about. Any ideas?

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I won't answer that! But I can't wait to see it!

Oh that siniya looks so good. I love the combination of ground beef and tehina. Is the tehina warm or cold (baked with the dish or put on top afterwards?)

[Swisskaese]

Now for some more pictures from Mahane Yehuda....

Tapenade and I went on our first vacation in two years in June. We went to the South of France for 10 days and had an amazing time. We has socca while we were there and I wanted to try and make here. Socca is a pancake/crepe made from chickpea flour. It is made on very large copper trays. I am not sure that I can get my oven hot enough to make them, but I am going to give it a try. I am not sure if I will have time this week. If not, I will write about it on a another thread. Anyway, the best place to find chickpea flour is at an Ethiopian shop.

This is not the entrance to the Ethiopian shop I bought the flour from, this is another shop that just sells drinks, but I loved the sign.

You can buy all your Ethiopian beans and lentils here. They also sell flour to make injera and raw coffee beans. The owners are very nice and they are happy to give you tips on how you should prepare something.

This gives you an idea of how crowded it can get. This is really light in comparison to Friday.

Food of Gods. I love figs!

Fish. A lot of it is farm raised here.

Plums, peaches and cherry tomatoes

For all of you halvah lovers.

The famous Marzipan chocolate rugelach ready for baking. They didn't have one left, not one to taste.

All sorts of pastries. These are Eastern European pastries. I will show you Middle Eastern pastries later in the week.

More pastries

All sorts of spice, nut and dried fruit mixtures for rice dishes. I use these almost everytime I make rice.

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.

[Smithy]

I'm going to guess that the restaurant specializes in Kurdish food. Chufi's been making me drool with that discussion!

[Miriam Kresh]

Gorgeous photos! Makes me homesick for Jerusalem. And I've noticed the price of figs there - tomorrow when I go to the shuk here in Petach Tikvah, I'll know what to pay for figs.

The food changes from day to day, except for couscous. Couscous is always served on Wednesdays. Moroccan families always have couscous on Wednesdays and Fridays. I once asked a few friends of my why and they said "because". If anyone knows why, please enlighten me.

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I didn't know about Wednesdays. My son-in-law's Mom is Moroccan and she makes couscous for lunch every Friday, as do other Moroccan ladies I know. I've wondered why myself. It's a lot of work, and very filling - not a good idea to me, as Friday night's Sabbath meal is always varied and big. Although I've always eaten couscous any time it's been offered.

Regarding felafel, I agree with Michelle - why bother with the deep-fat frying when great felafel is available on almost every downtown corner? But I have never had goose shwarma. In fact, I've been tryng to find a goose to roast, or duck, and have not found a kosher source. Oh woe...

Michelle, doesn't Jerusalem grill have other lovely tidbits like turkey testicles in it? That's what I've been told, once when I fished out a round little piece of dark meat that was sort of gamey tasting from a pita filled with Sima's grill.

And thank you for the compliment. I hardly need to add what an interesting couple Swisskaese and Tapenade, are, and how easy to talk with about everything. I look forward to new meetings with them, possibly at a local artichoke fest!

Miriam

Edited August 13, 2006 by Miriam Kresh (log)

[Smithy]

With regard to the tahina: is it from roasted sesame seeds, or not? What makes it so special?

Help us fill in the feel of the shuk with a sound track. Do all those people stand quietly waiting their turn? Is there a lot of haggling over prices? How loud does it get? A typical conversation, or play script, would be fine.

[Swisskaese]

With regard to the tahina: is it from roasted sesame seeds, or not?  What makes it so special?

Help us fill in the feel of the shuk with a sound track.  Do all those people stand quietly waiting their turn?  Is there a lot of haggling over prices?  How loud does it get?  A typical conversation, or play script, would be fine. 

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The shuk is very, very loud. You have the fruit, fish, halvah, etc. sellers screaming out their prices all at the same time. I have a funny story about the shuk. My parents came to visit last year and I took them to Shuk HaCarmel in Tel Aviv. My mother and I had walked a good distance ahead of my dad and he was trying to get my attention, so naturally he called out my name, but I didn't hear him. The fruit sellers noticed and starting singing out my name all the way down to the end of the shuk. It was very funny and I bowed to them in thanks.

There is no haggling over prices. You pay the listed price. On Fridays, the shuk is too claustrophobic for me. It is loud and everyone is crowded around each stand; lots of pushing. It can really get on ones nerves.

The tehina is made from toasted sesame seeds and it is creamy and sesamany (is that a word? ). It is really hard to describe. I will show you in a special surprise I have planned. All of the best restaurants, felafel, hummous and shwarma stands buy Nablus tehina.

[Swisskaese]

I'm going to guess that the restaurant specializes in Kurdish food.  Chufi's been making me drool with that discussion!

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Yes, we went to a Kurdish restaurant. The restaurant is quite modern. The restaurant is called Cube 18. I don't know what is Kurdish about the name, but restaurant names in Israel don't always match the cuisine. Overall the food was just ok, but one of the starters was very good.

Roasted eggplant with orange tehina. This dish was very good. I can't figure out how they flavoured the tehina. It did not have orange juice in it, nor did I see any bits of orange rind. I am guessing orange oil, but I am not sure. Any ideas?

Sambusek with chickpeas and onion. Served with a side of herbed tehina. Very nice and oniony, not oily.

I had mousakka. It was ok. Not the best I have ever had.

A friend of ours had stuffed red peppers with rice and herbs.

Tapenade had a dish of eggplant, meat, tomato sauce and herbs. Neither one of us remember the name of it. It began with an A. You have to forgive us, but we are not completely with it right now. Normally, he would have written it down.

[ludja]

I'm going to guess that the restaurant specializes in Kurdish food.  Chufi's been making me drool with that discussion!

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And here's the recent thread on Kurdish food: click

Glad to see you're blogging, Swisskaese! It will be wonderful to have a summertime complement to your nice Hannukah blog from Israel.

[ludja]

Now for some more pictures from Mahane Yehuda....

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All sorts of spice, nut and dried fruit mixtures for rice dishes. I use these almost everytime I make rice.

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Do you typically just add them into cooked rice or they toasted first in butter/oil before the rice and liquids are added? Is the finished dish considered a pilaf?

It is a wonderful looking display and I love the concept. Any other comments you might have on the mixes are appreciated!

Since I know you have a sweet tooth and like to bake, will there be any time in your schedule for baking this week?

[Swisskaese]

Gorgeous photos! Makes me homesick for Jerusalem. And I've noticed the price of figs there - tomorrow when I go to the shuk here in Petach Tikvah, I'll know what to pay for figs.

The food changes from day to day, except for couscous. Couscous is always served on Wednesdays. Moroccan families always have couscous on Wednesdays and Fridays. I once asked a few friends of my why and they said "because". If anyone knows why, please enlighten me.

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I didn't know about Wednesdays. My son-in-law's Mom is Moroccan and she makes couscous for lunch every Friday, as do other Moroccan ladies I know. I've wondered why myself. It's a lot of work, and very filling - not a good idea to me, as Friday night's Sabbath meal is always varied and big. Although I've always eaten couscous any time it's been offered.

Michelle, doesn't Jerusalem grill have other lovely tidbits like turkey testicles in it? That's what I've been told, once when I fished out a round little piece of dark meat that was sort of gamey tasting from a pita filled with Sima's grill.

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Turkey testicles! I don't know, but I nothing would surprise me. The spleen tends to be a bit gamey. I forgot to mention I have tried it a couple of times, but I really don't like innards.

My neighbor is a lovely Moroccan family of 13. One of these days I am going to ask for a couscous lesson. I just have to get my nerve up.

[Swisskaese]

Now for some more pictures from Mahane Yehuda....

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All sorts of spice, nut and dried fruit mixtures for rice dishes. I use these almost everytime I make rice.

←

Do you typically just add them into cooked rice or they toasted first in butter/oil before the rice and liquids are added? Is the finished dish considered a pilaf?

It is a wonderful looking display and I love the concept. Any other comments you might have on the mixes are appreciated!

Since I know you have a sweet tooth and like to bake, will there be any time in your schedule for baking this week?

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I typically use persian rice. I put a cup of persian rice and two or three tablespoons of the rice spice in a pan with hot oil. You could use the traditional ghee, but I can't use if I am making a meat dish. I stir it for a couple of minutes and then I add two cups of water and cook for about 15-20 minutes on low. Yes, it would be considered a pilaf. I will take some pictures of the mixes I use. I think I have bukharan mix and persian mix in the cupboard.

I am planning to bake some bread this weekend. I want to try a recipe I haven't tried before. You will be my guinea pigs.

The surprise I am planning to make with the tehina is a dessert.

Edited August 13, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Swisskaese]

I will have to show you dinner later or tomorrow. Tapenade had a late start tonight. Please feel free to ask more questions.

I will check back later.

[MarketStEl]

Now for some more pictures from Mahane Yehuda....

[...] Anyway, the best place to find chickpea flour is at an Ethiopian shop.

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1) Would the Ethiopians running this shop (I'm assuming that this is the case) be some of the "falashas"--the Ethiopian Jews that Israel welcomed when civil war erupted in that country?

2) "Yehuda" I know. "Mahane" is...?

All that noise must get to you after a while, I imagine.

[Pam R]

Michelle - what a wonderful surprise to see you blogging again today! I always learn so much from your posts - I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to this week.

I'm thinking there's a business to be made from dealing with all the Canadian Geese here in Jersey.

I've only had lamb and turkey shwarma... but I literally have a flock (is it a flock?) of these guys in my backyard... if I could just find a shoichet..

Mahane Yehuda is the largest outdoor/indoor market in the middle of Jerusalem; outside of the old city. It was established in 1928 and named after the neighborhood where it is located.

<...snip....>

Iraqi man sells pickled vegetables and something that is very important in the Iraqi diet, Amba. Amba is a condiment made from pickled mangoes. It is a liquidy spread that is traditionally put on Sabich. Sabich is a breakfast pita served traditionally on Saturday morning filled with:

Machane Yehuda is one of my favorite places in the world. It's where I learned how to bargain! Thank you for the piictures.

Can you tell us a little more about sabich? What makes it different from regular pita?

One of my colleagues had chicken schnitzel, potato salad and roasted peppers:

I was in Israel with my graduating class years ago. It seemed chicken/turkey schnitzel was served to us daily! Is it still very common everywhere? I didn't want it again for months when I got home - but now I use Pereg breadcrumb mixes to make it with the same ta'am (flavour) I remember.

Looking forward to more...

edited because I left the wrong picture in..