May 21, 2008
The transformation of Israeli food—from falafel to fennel
Follow JewishJournal.com on 
(Page 3 - Previous Page)
Increasingly, due to a general rise in income and the elimination of travel taxes, Israelis have become open to new experiences in travel and food. Many young Israeli soldiers, after their two-year mandatory service, go abroad, most frequently to travel in East Asia or Latin America and to spend some time working in the United States. Many of these young people return home with new culinary tastes, as did American Peace Corps volunteers in the 1960s. A number of them have become chefs, schooled in international cuisine and influential in the development of modern Israeli cooking.Despite their global lifestyles, the new Israeli chefs still cultivate a link to the foods of the Old Testament. Grapes, dates, lentils and chickpeas are but a few of the ancient ingredients that have captured their imaginations in producing their signature dishes. And, with constant waves of immigration, Israel is rapidly incorporating the native cuisines of its new populations. The story of Israeli food is not just a Jewish story -- its recipes cross borders more easily than people do. It is the story of a land that has overcome harsh natural deprivation to bring forth new agricultural produce. Because it constantly incorporates so much from the rest of the world, Israel may never boast of one "cuisine," but it will always retain a rich mixture of fine tastes. It reflects the modern mosaic of the country, embracing the culinary influences of its Arab neighbors and gathering in the varying ingredients and dishes of world Jewry. I can only begin to imagine what the next 60 years will taste like.
My Favorite Falafel
Adapted from "The Foods of Israel Today" by Joan Nathan
1 cup dried chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 -- 1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons fine bulgur
Soybean or vegetable oil for frying
Pita bread
Chopped tomato for garnish
Diced onion for garnish
Diced green pepper for garnish
Pickled turnips for garnish
Tahina Sauce
1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain.
2. The next day place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onion in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
3. Dissolve the baking soda in cold water and add to the chickpeas. Then add the bulgur and pulse. You want to add enough bulgur so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.
4. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a falafel scoop, available in Middle Eastern markets.
5. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 F in a deep pot or wok and fry about a half dozen at once for a few minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with tahina thinned with water.
Makes about 25 balls.
Roast Chicken With Fennel, Garlic And Currants
Adapted from "The Foods of Israel Today" by Joan Nathan
1 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed, plus 2 whole heads garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves
10 brine-cured green olives, pitted and crushed
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 fennel bulbs, cored and quartered lengthwise
1/4 cup dried currants
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 large pita or 4 8-inch pitas
5 sprigs fresh oregano or parsley, cut to about 3 inches long
1. Wash the chicken well and pat dry. Place in a large bowl.
2. To make the marinade, put the vinegar, brown sugar, oil, crushed garlic, and olives in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, and pulse to a coarse paste.
3. Place the chicken pieces in one layer in a flame-proof baking dish. Sprinkle salt and pepper over them and pour the marinade on top, rubbing it in well. Add the wine and 1/2 cup water. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
5. Drain off most of the marinade from the chicken and reserve. Scatter the fennel and the whole cloves of garlic around the chicken.
6. Roast the chicken, uncovered, on the top rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375 F, turn the fennel, and bake for 20-25 minutes longer, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Transfer the chicken pieces, fennel and whole pieces of garlic to a serving platter, reserving the pan juices.
7. Add the currants, soy sauce, and the reserved marinade to the pan and cook for about five minutes on the stove over medium heat to reduce.
