Mealtime: Dr Hummus

Right down the street from Dr Shakshouka in the Jaffa Flea Market there is another eating establishment with the title doctor in its name. It is named for the specialty of the restaurant and in my opinions the region, hummus. Dr Hummus is located easily int he Jaffa Flea Market so its very accessible. They specialize in hummus. You can order hummus in any variety. I tried the hummus with ground meat in it. It was my first time trying hummus with ground meat in it and it was a winner. It was delicious. Out of the restaurants that I have been to that specialize in hummus, Dr Hummus would be around a 7. It is delicious, but it does not have the same velvety texture of other hummus's that I have had while in Israel. If you are in Jaffa and did not make it to Abu Hassan, Dr. Hummus is another place for Hummus while in Jaffa.

Mealtime: Matzah Brei

It is Pesach(Passover) time again. That means no more bread or anything with wheat in it for week. Instead of bread, Jews will eat matzah. A special preparation of matzah is to make matzah brei. It is sort of like matzah french toast. This version is different in that it looks more like matzah latkes. Other versions look more similar to scrambled eggs.

ingredients:
2 eggs
salt and pepper
two pieces of matzah
oil

Method:
Break the matzah into small pieces. Place the small pieces of matzah in a bowl of hot tap water and let the matzah soak for 30 seconds. After thirty seconds drain the matzah. In another bowl, whisk the two eggs and add the salt and pepper. Once the eggs are mixed, add the matzah pieces until it forms a batter. Spoon the batter and fry in oil for about one and a half minutes per side or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite flavor of jelly or maple syrup. You can also add cinnamon and sugar into the batter before frying to make it sweeter.

More than Fried Chicken: its Schnitzel

You will see it on many restaurant menus and being served in Israeli homes. Its origins are Central European, but many people adore this dish. Schnitzel has become more than just a food Ashkenazim eat. Everyone eat schnitzel. Brought by Ashkenazim to Israel, Schnitzel in Israel is unique in that it is for the most part chicken and not veal, beef, or pork as it would be in Central Europe. You can find schnitzel on the menus of the shwarma and falafel stand, to the cafes of Central Tel Aviv, and to the homes of the typical Israeli family. For those people who find cooking to be a hard task, Israeli grocery stores have frozen ready to heat up versions  of Schnitzel which many people use because of its convenience. Either made at home or eaten on the street in a pita or baguette as a sandwich. Schnitzel is one of the major foods that if you spend considerable time Israel, you will gain an appreciation for it. To cook it at home, you can easily go to the butcher and ask for schnitzel of chicken. Many butchers here in Tel Aviv already have made Schnitzel pieces so its easy to bring home, bread the chicken, and then fry without any headaches. To make the breading stick to the chicken you will need three stations. The first station is flour with salt and pepper. At this stage you could add spices if you want. The next station is beaten eggs. The final station is breadcrumbs. Place the chicken into the flour, then the eggs, and finally the breadcrumbs. It is crucial to make sure that each piece is coated thoroughly with first the flour, then the eggs, and then the breadcrumbs. When the Schnitzel breaded you should put the Schnitzel in the refrigerator for about an hour so that the breading sticks to the chicken. Then fry in a frying pan with enough oil. Schnitzel is extremely easy to make from scratch. I suggest you make it for yourself. It is one of my favorite meals to make here in Israel.

Street Art in Tel Aviv: part 4

I still am finding new graffiti while walking the streets of Tel Aviv. Here is another addition of just some of the new graffiti I have photographed.

Purim in Israel

One of the most exciting and fun holidays in the Jewish calender is Purim. For those of you who do not know Purim is a holiday in which Jews commemorate the saving of their people in ancient Persia from destruction plotted by the wicked and evil Haman. The story is read on Purim in the book of Esther. The summary of the story is that Queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai, who are Jewish, find out about a plot to destroy all of the Jews living in Persia. The plot was schemed by Haman who was an aide to King Ahasuerus. As for his punishment, Ahasuerus sentences Haman and his sons to death. The holiday is spent feasting, drinking, dressing up, and having a party. Its the Israeli and Jewish equivalent to Halloween. Kids dress up in costumes, receive candies, and of course oznei haman(hamantaschen). Oznei Haman are triangle shaped sugar cookies filled with jelly, chocolate or date spread. The literal translation is ears of Haman. During the reading of the Book of Esther it is customary to boo and make noise with noise makers when the reader says the name of Haman. The Purim season starts once you start to see oznei haman in the bakeries and the markets. As part of my volunteering, I celebrated with the children I work with. They dress up in costumes all week and do fun activities such as trying to eat a oznei haman without using their hands. When the weekend came around there were costume parades throughout Tel Aviv. Everyone was dressed up in a costume and probably drinking if they were of age. There were street parties in Florentine and near Shuk HaCarmel. There is even was a zombie walk which my friends and I missed, but it was fun anyways because we went to a street party which had a fantastic atmosphere. Everyone was enjoying themselves and celebrating Purim. I wish Purim in the States was just like it is here in Israel. It is a week long holiday, while in America it is not as festive. Purim is amazing in Israel and I cannot wait to experience the rest of the holidays here.

Mealtime: Dr Shakshouka

Located in Jaffa near the flea market lies a restaurant serving a ubiquitous dish to the Israeli palate. The restaurant is that famous for the dish it is named after it. That dish is Shakshouka. Shakshouka for those of you who do not know is eggs cooked in a spicy and piquant tomato sauce. At Dr. Shakshouka, you are served what ever type of shakshouka you would like. If you want eggplant, merguez sausage, or even shwarma meat in your shakshouka you can have it that way. The dish is served in the same frying pan it was cooked in. There is also a bunch of other things on the menu including shwarma, couscous, and grilled kebabs. I have had this dish many times before, and all of them were homemade versions. It was pretty good with the merguez sausage, but it was still too much money for a simple dish. It is very good shakshouka, I am not trying to say that it sucked. I have an affinity with eating homemade shakshouka though. I had one that was silky and very spicy which I like and measured up to the Dr Shakshouka's version. I do however suggest you try Dr Shakshouka if you want to try the dish. If you do not have the time or luxury of knowing or searching out a good shakshouka cook, I would go to Dr Shakshouka. Plus its in walking distance of the flea market, the Jaffa Port, the Old City of Jaffa, and of course the beach. So there is a lot for you do around the restaurant. In general, eating shakshouka in Israel is up there with eating hummus, falafel, and shwarma. If you spend anytime here in Israel you must try it. Enjoy!