What is Israeli cuisine?
This is a question we constantly ask ourselves.
In my eyes, Israeli cuisine is a meeting of edges of techniques, raw materials, attitudes and traditions.
But with a common denominator: passion for food, people and the joy of the kitchen.
These days (until November 30) the Israeli cuisine festival is taking place under the auspices of "American Express", which was founded last year to promote the local culinary culture.
Under the title "Dialogue", the festival holds dozens of meals and events that celebrate and examine in depth Israeli cuisine through connections of tradition and innovation.
Among the variety of special events at the festival, I also participate and host diners at the "Hiba" restaurant for a meal of inspiration, interpretation, raw materials and traditions.
Each dish will illuminate a different angle of the new Israeli cuisine in my eyes - boundaries, definitions, struggles, and of course wonderful flavors - that tell about us and tell about us, here and now.
In addition to the meals in the restaurants, three kitchen queens were chosen to hold discussions and tastings for the general public.
One of them is Rotem Liberzon - one of the most successful bloggers and cooks in Israel, author of two cookbooks, with a special specialization in Persian cuisine, on which she grew up.
I have a long-standing acquaintance with Rotem from the time of my restaurant "Violet", that's why I chose to have a private dialogue with her about how she sees Israeli cuisine.
I asked her for three recipes for Friday, the most Israeli for her.
Rotem chose a vegetable pie, marzipan, and chicken with nuts and pomegranate concentrate - three dishes that Israelis love.
Almost every sect has its own recipe for these dishes, in one version or another, but Rotem likes their Persian version the most.
The flavors of cardamom and rose water in the marzipan make it more special and sensual, and heaps of vegetables make the pie so beloved, and the pomegranate concentrate adds a wonderful flavor and aroma to the chicken.
Koko Sabzi - Persian pie
The name is a bit funny, but it's actually a kind of savory vegetable pie.
When guests suddenly come by surprise and look with their eyes at what tastes good in the pots, we immediately nonchalantly chop greens, add an egg and some spices, and hop into the pan.
And here the magic begins.
Ingredients:
√ 1 package of parsley
√ 1 package of cilantro
√ 1 package of dill
√ 1/2 package of mint
√ 6 sprigs of tarragon
√ 1 package of spinach
√ 1 package of chard leaves
√ A handful of green onions or whatever is green in the fridge, including beans
√ 3 eggs
√ 2 cloves Crushed garlic
√ 1 heaping teaspoon turmeric
√ Salt and pepper, olive oil for frying
√ To serve: lemon wedges, yogurt sauce
Preparation:
Finely chop all the vegetables and herbs.
Add the eggs and spices to the bowl, and mix well.
Put the whole mixture in a large, deep pan with a little olive oil, which can also go into the oven.
Fry on medium heat for about fifteen minutes until the bottom is firm.
Put in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for another 20 minutes.
Turn the pie over onto a serving plate and garnish with fresh vegetables.
Serve with lemon wedges and yogurt sauce on the side.
Persian marzipan
Persian marzipan is shaped in the shape of a strawberry, but of course you can make small circles or any other shape that is convenient for you.
Rotem says that her grandmother used to make Persian marzipan for her, and she loved the shape of the small strawberry, full of cardamom flavors.
You can choose the flavor you like or mix between several flavors.
Ingredients:
√ 1 cup (100 grams) whole peeled almonds
√ 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
√ 1 tablespoon good quality rose water
√ 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
√ 1/2 cup (100 grams) white sugar
√ 20 roasted almond chips (in a pan without oil) or pistachio halves
√ ground pistachios for decoration
Preparation:
Put the almonds, rose water and powdered sugar in a food processor until you get a soft and uniform texture of a spread.
Place white sugar on a plate.
Form the dough into small balls, shape them into a strawberry shape or leave them as balls.
Roll each strawberry in the sugar plate, so that it is well coated.
Place half a pistachio or almond in the center of each strawberry.
If you only make balls, decorate them with ground pistachios.
Can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Chicken stew with nuts
and pomegranate concentrate
For the sauce:
√ 2 tablespoons olive oil
√ 2 cups finely chopped walnuts
√ 2 cups pomegranate concentrate
√ 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
√ 2 cups water
√ Salt, ground black pepper
For the chicken:
√ 2 tablespoons olive oil
√ 1 finely chopped onion
√ 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
√ 6 skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-3 pieces
with the bone
Method of preparation:
For the sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pot over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, toast the nuts for 2-3 minutes, add pomegranate concentrate, cinnamon and water and mix.
Bring to a boil, lower the flame and cook for 45 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
For the chicken: heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, fry the onion with the turmeric for 5-6 minutes until golden.
Add the chicken pieces and fry until the chicken is browned on all sides.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken and onion to the nut sauce, and if necessary, add a little more water to cover the chicken.
Cook on a low flame for an hour and a half, until the sauce reduces and acquires a reddish-brown hue.
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