Learn Hebrew Online topic: Israeli food

Learning Hebrew Online

Learn Hebrew Online topic: Israeli food
(by Shira Choen-Regev - Hebrew online teacher)

Oct. 7, 2009
THE JERUSALEM POST

Shalom,
What is Israeli food? It is rather difficult to answer this question. Actually, we still try to develop a recognized cuisine in the "land of milk and honey;" a cuisine that reflects the diversity of Israeli society, rooted in the Jewish tradition, and utilizing the regional customs.
Hence, we find a very eclectic cuisine that integrates local dishes as well as "emigrated" dishes, and uses the local fresh fruits and vegetables as well as the notable dairy products of Israel to create a unique Israeli flavor. On a typical Israeli table, you can easily find Romanian eggplant salad served besides a North-African Chirshi pumpkin salad, and Mediterranean Pita bread holds Wiener schnitzel and French fries, not to mention the Arab-Israeli vegetable salad.
Often, it is easier to recognize your home food when you're away from home. So, I ran a little non-scientific survey on an internet forum of Israelis who live abroad. I asked them about the food they really crave for, the food they want to eat as soon as they land in Israel. The list turned rather long, and few discussions evolved around the level of authenticity of certain foods to the Israeli culture. Naturally not all Israeli-related dishes will be presented in this issue, but you will get a general taste of our gastronomical cravings.
So, open up your appetite, and join our Israeli table.

בְּתֵאָבוֹן,
Bete'avon,
Bon Appetite
by Shira Choen-Regev
The HebrewOnline Team
Weekly Hebrew Food
Many Israelis emigrated from the Mediterranean and Arab countries and brought with them the flavors of the Middle Eastern food. In addition, the Arabs that have been living in the area contributed a lot to the developing cuisine of the young country.
We begin our culinary tour with a sample of the Middle Eastern cuisine, continue with tastes from the Balkan and Europe and conclude with some original Israeli foods. Don't worry - desert is being served at the end.

פִּתָּה
Transcription: pita
Literal Meaning: Pita bread
Description: Pita bread is a double-layered flat or pocket bread traditional in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. When the pocket bread is filled with Hummus, it may serve as the base of many dishes such as falafel, French fries, salads, and shish-kabob. It is also customary to take a piece of the pita bread and dip it in the Hummus or labane while picking some spicy olives and pickles on the side.


חוּמוּס
Transcription: Xumus
Literal Meaning: Hummus
Description: Hummus is a dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Hummus in pita is a common school sandwich and is present in almost every dinner table. People, however, will take the extra mile to find their fine, fresh, tasty Hummus.

פָלָאפֶל
Transcription: falafel
Description: fried ball or patty made from spiced smashed chickpeas (חוּמוּס)and/or fava beans (פוּל, ful).
Although Israel doesn't have a universally recognized national dish, many believe it is falafel.
If you want to get the real feeling of the falafel stand, you can click
here to play the Falafel King (מֶלֶךְ הַפָלָאפֶל) game.

לַבַּנֶה
Transcription: labane
Description: Labane is a yogurt which has been strained in a cloth to remove the whey, giving a consistency between that of yoghurt and cheese, while preserving yogurt's distinctive sour taste.
The word Labne is derived from the word לָבָן (lavan) which means white.

סָלַט יְרָקוֹת יִשְׂרְאֵלִי
Transcription: Salat yerakot yisraeli
Literal Meaning: Israeli vegetable salad
Description: Tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions, finely sliced and spiced with olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper and minced parsley.

בּוּרֶקַס
Transcription: burekas
Description: A type of baked or fried filled pastry, made of a thin flaky dough such as yufka, phyllo or puff pastry, and can be filled with cheese, mashed potatoes, spinach or other fillings. It is often served with hard-boiled egg.
The burekas was brought to Israel by the Balkan Jewish communities of the Ottoman Empire.

שְׁנִיצֶל
Transcription: shnitsel
Literal Meaning: Schnitzel
Description: A kosher variation of the Wiener schnitzel made of chicken or turkey breast, coated with a mixture of beaten eggs and bread crumbs, and fried. The Israeli schnitzel is often served in pita bread accompanied by hummus and French fries. The schnitzel tradition was brought to Israel by Ashkenazi Jews coming from Europe. Many Israelis were of Viennese or German origin, but during the early years of the State of Israel, veal was unobtainable and chicken or turkey proved an inexpensive and tasty substitute.

פְּתִיתִים
Transcription: ptitim
Literal Meaning: Baked flakes / Ben-Gurion rice / Israeli couscous
Description: Ptitim is one of the foods considered to be a unique Israeli culinary contribution. This wheat-based baked pasta shaped like rice grains or round pearls was invented during the austerity (צֶנַע, tsena) period in Israel, when rice was scarce. Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, challenged the Osem food company to quickly devise a wheat-based substitute to rice. The resulted product was nicknamed "Ben-Gurion's Rice" by the people.
Nowadays Ptitim is generally considered as a food for children and is often served as a side dish along with the aforementioned schnitzel.

גְּבִינָה צְפָתִית
Transcription: Gvina Tsfatit
Literal Meaning: Safad cheese
Description: A special kind of cheese which was first produced by the Hameiri family in Safed (צְפַת) right after the big earthquake which struck Safed in 1837. Although the original cheese is still produced in the same dairy by the sixth generation descendant of the Hameiri cheese makers, it is also produced with many variations by other dairies and varies in the amount of fat (as low as 3% fat) and the origin of the milk. 

קְרֶמְבּוֹ
Transcription: krembo
Literal Meaning: cream-in-it: a portmanteau of the words: קְרֶם (cream) and בּוֹ (in it)
Description: Krembo is a chocolate-coated marshmallow treat that is only sold in the winter tike. It consists of a round biscuit base on the bottom, and whipped egg whites cream from above, coated in a thin layer of chocolate. Although the "krembo season" is very short, (October to February), 50 million krembos are sold each year-an average of 9 per person in Israel.
You can watch the Krembo making process in the following link.
Improve You Hebrew - Learn Hebrew Online click here

The Moroccan flavor formula

Nov. 12, 2009
faye levy , THE JERUSALEM POST

Twenty-five years ago I purchased a cookbook that I found fascinating in its approach to different cuisines - Ethnic Cuisine: the Flavor-Principle Cookbook by Elisabeth Rozin. Its central premise is that when you analyze a regional cuisine, certain seasoning combinations are pervasive. "Every culture tends to combine a small number of flavoring ingredients so frequently and so consistently that they become definitive of that particular cuisine."
Of course, this doesn't spell monotony. "When we... look closely at any cuisine, we find rich and subtle variations in seasoning practices," wrote Rozin. "The flavor principle, that characteristic bond of flavor ingredients, provides a culinary theme that is varied by the addition of other ingredients... different proportions and different cooking techniques. What results then, is a set of variations on a general theme."
To make her point, she presents a list of over 30 flavor principles. For example, garlic + cumin + mint evokes Northeast Africa, while tomato + cinnamon is a typically Greek pairing. For me learning formulas of flavor was almost as satisfying as learning a new language.
Over the years, from cooking and dining with Moroccan relatives and friends, as well as sampling the fare of such fine restaurants as Timgad in Paris, Darna in Jerusalem and Koutoubia in Los Angeles, I have refined my own Moroccan flavor formulas.
When I want to prepare an easy vegetable dish in the Maghreb style, I might look at the homey recipes of Rena Ben-Simhon, author of Moroccan Food (in Hebrew). She accents her cooked carrot salad with sweet peppers, garlic, cumin, parsley, lemon juice and oil, and her cooked chard with sauteed garlic, cumin, paprika and lemon juice. Similar seasonings with the addition of hot paprika are used by Viviane and Nina Moryoussef in their book on Moroccan Jewish cooking, La Cuisine Juive Marocaine. Neither specifies what kind of oil to use; I opt for fruity extra virgin olive oil.
Whenever I yearn for a taste of Morocco, I utilize the flavor principle. Even when I want to cook a vegetable that wasn't available in North Africa, I can prepare it so it "tastes Moroccan." Recipes for eggplant and peppers are easy to find in Moroccan cookbooks but not dishes using broccoli, mushrooms or asparagus. No problem; I use their flavorings to make my own Moroccan-style vegetable accompaniments and cooked salads.
I have often improvised with different vegetables and have been delighted with the results. Using traditional Moroccan carrot salad as a model, I make carrot-asparagus and carrot-zucchini salad. The flavorings used in Ben-Simhon's chard recipe are fine with spinach and other cooking greens, and I also like them with cauliflower, broccoli and mushrooms.
Similarly, when I want to cook in the Tunisian fashion, I treat the vegetable the way Pascal Perez, author of North African Cooking (in Hebrew), makes her red carrot salad; it's similar to Moroccan carrots but with the addition of tomato paste and with ground caraway and cinnamon substituted for cumin.
In the following recipes, you can vary the vegetables according to what you have, including medleys of frozen vegetables. To prevent soupy dressings, start with a small amount of water and add more if the pan starts to become dry before the vegetables are tender. Serve the vegetables hot or cold as appetizers or as accompaniments. 

MAGHREB ZUCCHINI SALAD IN TOMATO DRESSING
It's the seasonings that are the secret to the delicious cooked vegetable starters in the North African kitchen. In this easy-to-make salad, the zucchini cook in a spicy tomato garlic dressing, then are crowned with fresh coriander.
I also like to make this salad with a combination of fresh green beans and zucchini. Cut the green beans in half and cook them in the liquid for 3 minutes before adding the zucchini.
700 gr. zucchini or white squash (kishuim)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1⁄4 tsp. hot pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper to taste
2 to 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup water
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 green onion, chopped
1 to 2 Tbsp. strained fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
Quarter zucchini lengthwise, and then cut it in 2.5-cm. lengths. Put zucchini in a large skillet or saute pan with garlic, pepper flakes, oil and water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook uncovered over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 3 to 5 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender and most of the liquid has evaporated; during cooking, if the liquid evaporates too fast and the zucchini is not yet tender, add a few more tablespoons water.
Add tomato paste, cumin and cayenne pepper (if using) and stir over low heat for 30 seconds.
At this point, if the dressing is too soupy, remove the zucchini with a slotted spoon and cook the dressing uncovered for 2 or 3 minutes to thicken it. Off heat, add green onion and lemon juice.
If you have removed the zucchini, return it to the sauce now. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm or cool, sprinkled with fresh coriander.
Makes 4 or 5 servings.


CAULIFLOWER WITH MUSHROOMS AND FRESH CORIANDER
For this satisfying cooked vegetable salad, which you can serve hot or cold, the cauliflower and mushrooms cook briefly in a Moroccan-spiced garlic dressing. A hint of acidity from fresh lemon juice, along with cumin and other spices, gives the cauliflower a lively flavor. Some Moroccan cooks consider turmeric a standard in their spice pantry too; adding it gives the cauliflower an appealing golden hue. If you have a Moroccan preserved lemon, you can dice a little of it and add it to the dressing along with the lemon juice.
Serve the crisp-tender vegetables cool as a salad or warm with roast chicken and couscous or with a vegetable burger.
450 gr. cauliflower, divided in small to medium florets
225 gr. mushrooms, quartered
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 to 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1⁄3 cup water
salt and freshly ground pepper
3⁄4 tsp. ground cumin
1⁄2 tsp. ground ginger
1⁄4 tsp. turmeric (optional)
1⁄2 tsp. sweet (regular) paprika
1⁄4 tsp. hot paprika or cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 Tbsp. strained fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander, parsley or a mixture of
both
Put cauliflower and mushrooms in a saute pan with garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1⁄3 cup water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 3 minutes.
Add mushrooms and cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring often, for 4 more minutes or until cauliflower florets are crisp-tender and most of liquid evaporates. Add cumin, ginger, turmeric, paprika and cayenne pepper and stir over low heat for 30 seconds.
At this point, if the dressing is too soupy, remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and cook the dressing uncovered for 2 or 3 minutes to thicken it. Off heat, add lemon juice and half of fresh coriander.
If you have removed the vegetables, return them to the sauce now. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm or cool, sprinkled with remaining coriander.
Makes 4 servings.


Faye Levy is the author of Healthy Cooking for the Jewish Home and Feast from the Mideast.

Lebanese to Israel: Hands off our hummus!

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
BEIRUT
Lebanese chefs prepared a massive plate of hummus weighing over two tons Saturday that broke a world record organizers said was previously held by Israel - a bid to reaffirm proprietorship over the popular Middle Eastern dip.

Lebanese chefs react after preparing a massive bowl of hummus, seen in the middle,
weighing more then 2,056 kilograms, in Beirut, Saturday.
Photo: AP

"Come and fight for your bite, you know you're right!" was the slogan for the event - part of a simmering war over regional cuisine between Lebanon and Israel, which have had tense political relations for decades.
Lebanese businessmen accuse Israel of stealing a host of traditional Middle Eastern dishes, particularly hummus, and marketing them worldwide as Israeli.
"Lebanon is trying to win a battle against Israel by registering this new Guinness World Record and telling the whole world that hummus is a Lebanese product, its part of our traditions," said Fady Jreissati, vice president of operations at International Fairs and Promotions group, the event's organizer.
Hummus - made from mashed chickpeas, sesame paste, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic - has been eaten in the Middle East for centuries. Its exact origin is unknown, though it's generally seen as an Arab dish.
But it is also immensely popular in Israel - served in everyday meals and at many restaurants - and its popularity is growing around the globe.

Lebanese chefs prepare a massive plate of hummus in Beirut, Saturday.
Photo: AP

The issue of food copyright was raised last year by the head of Lebanon's Association of Lebanese Industrialists, Fadi Abboud, when he announced plans to sue Israel to stop it from marketing hummus and other regional dishes as Israeli.
But to do that, Lebanon must formally register the product as Lebanese. The association is still in the process of collecting documents and proof supporting its claim for that purpose.
Lebanese industrialists cite, as an example, the lawsuit over feta cheese in which a European Union court ruled in 2002 the cheese must be made with Greek sheep and goats milk to bear the name feta. That ruling is only valid for products sold in the EU.
Abboud said that process took seven years and realizes Lebanon's fight with Israel is an uphill battle.
Meanwhile, he says, events like Saturday's serve to remind the world that hummus is not Israeli.
"If we don't tell Israel that enough is enough, and we don't remind the world that it's not true that hummus is an Israeli traditional dish, [Israelis] will keep on marketing it as their own," he said Saturday.
Some 300 chefs were involved in preparing Saturday's massive ceramic plate of hummus in a huge tent set up in downtown Beirut. The white-uniformed chefs used 2,976 pounds (1,350 kilograms) of mashed chickpeas, 106 gallons (400 liters) of lemon juice and 57 pounds (26 kilograms) of salt to make the dish, weighing 4,532 pounds (2,056 kilograms).
It was not clear what the former Israeli record was, and organizers gave conflicting reports on when it was made.
But chefs and visitors broke into cheers and applause when a representative from the Guinness Book of World Records presented Abboud with a certificate verifying Lebanon had broken the previous record. The plate was then decorated with the red, green and white Lebanese flag.
A similar attempt to set a new world record will be held Sunday for the largest serving of tabbouleh, a salad made of chopped parsley and tomatoes, that Lebanon also claims as its own.

Depression link to processed food

Depression link to processed food

Eating a diet high in processed food increases the risk of depression, research suggests.
What is more, people who ate plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish actually had a lower risk of depression, the University College London team found.
Data on diet among 3,500 middle-aged civil servants was compared with depression five years later, the British Journal of Psychiatry reported.
The team said the study was the first to look at the UK diet and depression.

“ The UK population is consuming less nutritious, fresh produce and more saturated fats and sugars ”
Dr Andrew McCulloch, Mental Health Foundation

They split the participants into two types of diet - those who ate a diet largely based on whole foods, which includes lots of fruit, vegetables and fish, and those who ate a mainly processed food diet, such as sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products.
After accounting for factors such as gender, age, education, physical activity, smoking habits and chronic diseases, they found a significant difference in future depression risk with the different diets.
Those who ate the most whole foods had a 26% lower risk of future depression than those who at the least whole foods.
By contrast people with a diet high in processed food had a 58% higher risk of depression than those who ate very few processed foods.
Mediterranean diet
Although the researchers cannot totally rule out the possibility that people with depression may eat a less healthy diet they believe it is unlikely to be the reason for the findings because there was no association with diet and previous diagnosis of depression.
Study author Dr Archana Singh-Manoux pointed out there is a chance the finding could be explained by a lifestyle factor they had not accounted for.
"There was a paper showing a Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower risk of depression but the problem with that is if you live in Britain the likelihood of you eating a Mediterranean diet is not very high.
"So we wanted to look at bit differently at the link between diet and mental health."
It is not yet clear why some foods may protect against or increase the risk of depression but scientists think there may be a link with inflammation as with conditions such as heart disease.
Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: "This study adds to an existing body of solid research that shows the strong links between what we eat and our mental health.
"Major studies like this are crucial because they hold the key to us better understanding mental illness."
He added people's diets were becoming increasingly unhealthy.
"The UK population is consuming less nutritious, fresh produce and more saturated fats and sugars.
"We are particularly concerned about those who cannot access fresh produce easily or live in areas where there are a high number of fast food restaurants and takeaways."
Margaret Edwards, head of strategy at the mental health charity SANE, said: "Physical and mental health are closely related, so we should not be too surprised by these results, but we hope there will be further research which may help us to understand more fully the relationship between diet and mental health."

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