Israel became an independent state on May 14, 1948. Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) is celebrated each year on the same date on the Hebrew calendar. This year that falls on May 5, “Cinco de Mayo,” an important day for the people of Mexico. Being that part of my family comes from Mexico, I will be celebrating both by eating falafel and drinking my Corona with lime. Oy-lé!
If you’ve ever been to Israel, you know that just eating the food can be a phenomenal experience. Israel has absorbed immigrants from more than 100 countries, creating the world’s largest Jewish population and making this tiny land home to a few dozen Jewish ethnic cuisines and diverse dishes. With cross- cultural marriages, cooking traditions are shared and recreated to include a lively and unexpected mix of flavors. An Eastern European chicken soup can be seasoned with hawaij (Yemenite spice mix), and Hungarian schnitzel happily shares the plate with Moroccan couscous. This mishmash is the fertile ground on which the new Israeli cuisine thrives. Let us remember and celebrate together Israel’s Independence Day with these special foods as we focus on life in a country that a century ago was just a dream. Be’Te-avon!
Shakshuka with Eggplant and Goat Cheese
This colorful, piquant dish is eaten directly from the pan.
Ingredients
(serves 6)
1⁄4 cup + 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium eggplant diced into 1⁄2-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, sliced
8 ripe tomatoes cut into 1-inch cubes
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot or sweet paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs
4-5 slices fresh soft goat cheese (optional)
Heat 1⁄4 cup of the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium- high heat and sauté the eggplant until golden. Remove and set on paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Lower the heat and add the 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic and sauté for half a minute, taking care not to let it get brown. Add the tomatoes and eggplant; season with cumin, salt, pepper and paprika; and cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The sauce must be flavorful and fully seasoned before adding the eggs.
Break the eggs, one by one, into a small bowl and slide each carefully into the frying pan. Arrange the cheese slices on top (if using), cover and cook for 2-5 minutes (depending on how you like your eggs). Serve at once with fresh bread or challah.
Sephardic Sofrito
A rich, festive dish from Jerusalem Sephardic cuisine. The cooking cycle is shorter, so it is usually served on Friday night, but it can survive in the oven overnight and be served for Saturday lunch. The technique of deep-frying the potato wedges described here is worth adopting in other dishes. Deep-frying retains the shape and texture of the vegetables even after long slow cooking.
Ingredients
(serves 8)
3 pounds beef brisket cut into large chunks
9 tablespoons oil
8 small whole onions, peeled
10 whole cloves garlic, peeled
3⁄4 cup chicken/beef stock or water
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon turmeric
1⁄2 teaspoon curry powder
1⁄2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 potatoes cut into uniform wedges
avocado oil for deep-frying
Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and brown the beef on all sides. Generously grease a wide, flat, ovenproof saucepan (use 5 tablespoons of oil) and lay in the meat, onions and garlic.
Mix the stock or water with the spices, pour over the beef and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover and cook for one hour over low heat. If more liquid is needed, add some boiling water. Up to this point, the dish may be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Heat the oil for deep-frying and fry the potato wedges until golden. Transfer to paper towel to drain the excess oil.
Arrange the deep-fried potato wedges over the cooked beef, cover the pan and transfer to the oven for about 2 hours. Or set overnight on an electric hotplate or in a 225°F oven. Shake the pan once or twice during the cooking so the sauce covers the potatoes. The sofrito is ready when all of the pieces are tender.
Note: For Chicken Sofrito, substitute 16 chicken drumsticks for the beef.
Sabich
Sabich, one of the most popular local sandwich combos in Israel, is actually the name of a man of Iraqi origin who owned a small kiosk in the town of Ramat-Gan. Sabich did not invent anything, all he did was combine some of the foods enjoyed by Iraqi Jews, stuff it all into a pita and it became a favorite food till this day.
Ingredients
1 eggplant thinly sliced (and salted)
avocado oil for deep-frying
hard-boiled eggs, sliced (preferably brown eggs*)
amba (iraqi mango chutney: herbivoracious. com/2012/09/quickie- amba-pickled-mango-condiment-recipe.html) hummus or tahini dip
fresh pita
Salted eggplant: sprinkle slices with
kosher salt, stack and weigh down; after 30 minutes drain off the salty water, rinse and pat dry. Deep-fry the eggplant slices until dark brown. Remove from the oil, drain and thoroughly soak up the excess oil with paper towel.
Spread tahini or hummus on the inside of a pita, stuff with fried eggplant slices and sliced hard-boiled egg, drip some amba on top and enjoy!
Recommended extras: finely diced vegetable salad, tomato wedges, diced pickled cucumbers, onion slices, chopped parsley, slices of boiled potatoes. *Brown eggs: You can use plain hard-boiled eggs, but the real sabich requires this nutty tasting, mahogany-colored Iraqi specialty. Preparation is easy: line a wide pot with a thick layer of onion skins (you’ll need 8 cups to every dozen eggs), hang a couple of tea bags inside the pot, arrange the uncooked eggs on the onion skins, pour hot water to cover, season with salt and pepper, and cook uncovered for an hour. Use an old pot because the skins and the tea will color the metal.
Lucia Schnitzer and her husband, Ken, own Luci’s Healthy Marketplace in Phoenix. The local coffee shop and marketplace opened in 2009 in Lucia’s honor after her successful battle with breast cancer. She successfully manages her career, her growing family (four children), her personal well-being and the countless demands of the day.
