Equal parts photography collection, history lesson and cookbook, The
Book of New Israeli Food.• A Culinary Journey (Schocken Books; $35)
guides the reader through contemporary Israel and its Mediterranean
influences with engaging nuggets of information, sumptuous images
and mouthwatering recipes. Author Janna Gur — the founder and chief
editor of Al Hashulchan Gastronomic Monthly, Israel's leading food and
wine magazine — is a storyteller, weaving stories from the Bible with the
influences of the Jews of the diaspora, who brought their far-flung cui-
sines to a new homeland while looking to their Arab neighbors for new
ingredients.
"A society of immigrants from more than 70 countries, Israel is con-
stantly changing; and so is its cuisine," Gur writes. "The food culture
that has evolved is one of dynamic cross-fertilization between numerous
influences: Arab and Jewish, Eastern Europe and North Africa, religious
and secular, new immigrants and old-timers, locals and foreigners. They
all work together to create a synergy that is Israeli food today." Here, a
taste of The Book of New Israeli Food.

Left: Shay Seltser left Jerusalem and a scientific career for an isolated farm

high in the Jerusalem hills. A monk from a nearby monastery taught him

how to handcraft cheese; today, his farm is a must-stop for visiting chefs

and culinary luminaries. Right: Malabi, a creamy pudding that hails from

Turkey, has been sold at a tiny kiosk in Jaffa for more than 40 years.

Shakshuka is one of those dishes you can make even when your refrigerator appears to be empty. Now enjoyed all day long,
this dish of Lybian origins began as a sumptuous workingman's dawn-till-noon meal. It has three mandatory ingredients:
tomatoes, hot sauce and eggs. Anything else is open for debate, Israeli style. The most popular ingredients are onions, red pep-
pers, leeks, potatoes, sausages and kernel corn. Served in the same frying pan it is cooked in, with coarsely sliced, soft white
bread and a salad, shakshuka makes for a hearty meal. Extra bread is always welcome to mop up the sauce. Here is a mild ver-
sion of shakshuka without tomato sauce.

2
1
1

leeks (white part only), finely sliced
Tbsp. butter
pound, 2 ounces fresh spinach
leaves, washed and trimmed

2

cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
eggs
ounces feta cheese, crumbled

6
4

Melt the butter in a large deep skillet and saute the leeks until soft and translucent but not brown. Add spinach and garlic
and saute for 5 minutes. Season gently — remember that the cheese is quite salty.
Break the eggs one by one and slide onto the spinach (arrange so the yolks circle the pan). Sprinkle the cheese around the
pan. Turn heat to low, cover the pan and simmer until the egg whites set, 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Cak

Semolina cakes are found throughout the Middle East and are popular in Jewish Sephardic kitchens. Called basbousa, safra,
tishpishti or revani, they can be filled with dates, garnished with almonds and can even be made with ground walnuts instead
of, or in addition to, semolina. These crumbly dry cakes are doused with syrup immediately after baking, making them moist
and very sweet. The following is a slightly unorthodox version that contains freshly squeezed orange (or tangerine) juice and
citrus marmalade. It is prepared with separated eggs for a light fluffy texture.

6

v2

1
1
21/2
11/2

eggs, separated
cup sugar
cup ground coconut
cup sifted flour
cups semolina
Tbsp. ground almonds

4
1
11/2

2
1

tsp. baking powder
cup oil
cup freshly squeezed orange or
tangerine juice
tsp. grated orange zest
cup orange or lemon marmalade

the syrup

1
1

cup sugar
cup water

the garnish

Crushed almonds or coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 350F. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the sugar for 8 minutes until they hold stiff peaks.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl: coconut, flour, semolina, ground almonds and baking powder.
Beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl, gradually adding the oil, juice, orange zest and marmalade. Stir in the dry ingredi-
ents slowly until combined well. Gently fold in the peaked egg whites.
Pour the batter into a well-greased 9 x 13–inch pan and bake for 30 minutes, until the cake turns golden and a toothpick
comes out dry with a few crumbs adhering.
While the cake is in the oven, prepare the syrup: Bring the water and sugar to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Cool slightly.
Take the cake out of the oven and pour on the syrup evenly. Cool completely and garnish with almonds or coconut.

IN platintun •

MAY 2009 •

B 1 9