Is there anyplace else on earth like Israel? A tiny little country - and yet it grows both apples and bananas, which require different climates!
Anyway, I digress.
I just spent two weeks in an apartment with four other ladies, and we were located just steps from a grocery store, where we were frequent visitors.
Meat, chicken, and fish are expensive here, which is partly why Israel has the highest number of vegetarians per capita behind India. The other part has to do with the rules of kashrut (kosher food).
Meat and dairy do not mix here, so we would either choose to have a meat meal or a dairy meal. Our kitchen had separate dishes, utensils, and sinks for each.
We pooled our money and enjoyed several meat meals, but I have to say that dairy was queen when it came to protein. Israel makes the most delicious cottage cheese I have ever tasted. And I found Triple Zero yogurt in that nearby store! O joy! Cheese has been another big ingredient, and I confess that I brought two bricks of Costco cheese with me, because deciphering the Hebrew in the cheese section has always perplexed me.
Eggs are reasonably priced and are considered pareve (neutral) and can pair with either meat or dairy. I made a dish called shakshuka at least three or four times. Basically, it is eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce, which doesn't really sound very exciting, but let me tell you... it is delicious!!! Here, let me give you a quick recipe (which can be widely varied):
Shakshuka
1 medium onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 hot pepper, chopped (more or less or none depending on your desired heat level)
Butter or olive oil
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 little smidgen of stevia (cuts the acidity of the tomatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste
Eggs
Shredded cheddar
In a frying pan, sautee onions and peppers in butter or oil until lightly browned. Add tomatoes and spices. Taste and adjust seasonings. Crack eggs (as many as you need or whatever will fit - I usually did 6-9 for our group). onto the top of the tomato sauce, season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the eggs reach your desired done-ness. Turn off heat, top with cheese, and cover pan again so the cheese melts.
Variation:
One day, I added a can of black beans and a little BBQ sauce to the basic tomato sauce and eliminated the cumin. I also added a little Trader Joe's 21 spice blend. I skipped the cheese on this version.
Every time I made shakshuka, I asked myself why I never make this at home. The answer is that I don't think about it. Well, I'm thinking about it now, and plan to make this regularly!
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| Wonderful shakshuka |
Ahh, the veggies! Berries from the shuk. Eggplant. Peppers. Cabbage. Sweet potatoes. Not to mention tomatoes and cucumbers for classic Israeli salad. There was never a shortage of salads at our house. I buy fresh lemons for dressing, and I travel with a small olive oil. Those lemons also got squeezed into my water bottle, along with a little stevia for a refreshing beverage on these hot Israeli days.
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| This billboard from Ben Yehuda Street pretty much says it all. |
When I stay at apartments while traveling and do my own cooking, I bring my own culinary kit - because you never know what the place will have. One year, before I started doing this, all I found in that apartment were salt, pepper, and rosemary. I got so tired of flavoring everything with rosemary that I went to the Arab market and got ripped off buying spices. I have learned a lot since then.
My current culinary travel kit contains the following:
1 small bottle olive oil
1 small container Now brand pure stevia
1 bottle pepper and Celtic sea salt mixed together (I used to carry each separately, but since I always use them together, it made sense to combine them)
1 bottle Trader Joe's 21 Spice Salute
Cinnamon in a baggie (not needed this time because the apartment had it)
1 knife with a sheath and a sharpener
I used to carry many little jars of different spices until I discovered the Trader Joe's 21 blend, which I absolutely love (introduced to me by my friend Lynne). I try to bring as little as possible in my culinary kit for the sake of efficiency.
I am considering adding a small bottle of red wine vinegar to the mix if I can make room for it. We bought a huge bottle, the only size available, and barely used an eighth of it.
And now I must make a confession: bread. There is nothing like Israeli bread. The pitas are so soft and delicious. they are like eating a baby seal. (Note: I do not actually eat baby seals. I am being facetious). The bagels, covered with sesame seeds and zaatar spice, are heavenly. Challah bread on Shabbat. Yes, I have indulged in much bread. I believe they treat their wheat differently here, because one of my friends who cannot eat the wheat from the US has no problem here.
With all these crossovers, I have been careful to pair them with exercise. This is not difficult to do here. Jerusalem is a city of many hills, and walking is one of my main forms of transportation (along with a bus card for when I am just too weary, too hot, or need to be somewhere quickly).
I probably could have kept this sushi meal in E mode, except for those delicious tempura ones that pushed me into crossover territory.
In two days, I'll be on a flight back home so that I can catch my breath before my next journey to visit my kids.
Cinnamon in a baggie (not needed this time because the apartment had it)
1 knife with a sheath and a sharpener
I used to carry many little jars of different spices until I discovered the Trader Joe's 21 blend, which I absolutely love (introduced to me by my friend Lynne). I try to bring as little as possible in my culinary kit for the sake of efficiency.
I am considering adding a small bottle of red wine vinegar to the mix if I can make room for it. We bought a huge bottle, the only size available, and barely used an eighth of it.
My Mount Hagen organic coffee sticks travel with me in a separate little bag, along with individual THM packets of sweet blend. Then I grab half and half and almond milk from the store.
And now I must make a confession: bread. There is nothing like Israeli bread. The pitas are so soft and delicious. they are like eating a baby seal. (Note: I do not actually eat baby seals. I am being facetious). The bagels, covered with sesame seeds and zaatar spice, are heavenly. Challah bread on Shabbat. Yes, I have indulged in much bread. I believe they treat their wheat differently here, because one of my friends who cannot eat the wheat from the US has no problem here.
With all these crossovers, I have been careful to pair them with exercise. This is not difficult to do here. Jerusalem is a city of many hills, and walking is one of my main forms of transportation (along with a bus card for when I am just too weary, too hot, or need to be somewhere quickly).
Last night was a fun night out with some good friends of mine who live here in Israel. We went out for sushi. It was delicious, and they brought their one-year-old baby who got to taste sushi for the first time. He enjoyed himself tremendously, and had a sticky rice spa treatment in his hair. Isn't he just adorable?
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| Israeli sushi - so good! |
This post has been a work in progress for several days now, and this morning I had the courage to step onto the scale at my apartment, (since today marks one month away from home in my current travels). I was pleasantly surprised! I am up only about a pound since the last time I weighed, which was about six weeks ago. Traveling and THM really can work together!
I am wrapping up this rather long post from my favorite coffee shop in Jerusalem - Etz Café (my daughter had her first official date with her husband here). I'm enjoying a late-morning E+ smoothie with strawberries, blueberries, spinach, almond milk, and honey. (I just made that up... E+ due to the honey).
In two days, I'll be on a flight back home so that I can catch my breath before my next journey to visit my kids.
Shabbat shalom and blessed Shavuot (Pentecost) from Jerusalem!
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