The latest trends around the world and more specifically in the Land of (Almond) Milk and (Date) Honey are veganism and gluten-free eating. Veganism is abstaining from the use of animal products, including dairy and eggs and other animal-related foods. Many people think that veganism is for the hippy, granola types of people, but in Israel this way of life may be more than just a trend.
In Israel, food falls under the pleasure category. Like their stubborn French predecessors, Israeli chefs are not accommodating of attempted menu alterations. A salad is topped with dressing. Egg dishes include yolks. And there’s nothing skinny about a blended coffee drink at Aroma. At the end of a long day at work, of years in the army, and of anything else that sometimes makes life in this colorful country a bit darker than it should be, food always brings back the brightness.
Something divinely delicious is about to make its 2014 debut on the produce tables lining Israel's fresh farmer's markets. Unlike its neighboring apples and avocados, this sinfully sweet fruit has roots that dig deep down into Israel's history. A member of the Seven Species, a short list of agricultural products mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as special to the land of Israel, this Mediterranean marvel is an award winning addition to any summer meal- breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Tender and toxically tasty, the fig is about to break out of its winter slumber and into the kitchens of Israeli homes, cafes, and restaurants.
At Delicious Israel we love hummus not only as the craveable comfort food that it is, but also for the casual culture that surrounds it. The hummus culture is one that represents well what it means to be Israeli. No frills. No show. No special service. The best hummus joints in Israel get straight to the point. The experience is solely a celebration of the chickpea at its finest. No need to dilute the spiritual connection between the hummus eater and his or her bowl of brilliance by adding decorative garnish or restaurant theatrics into the mix.
As we announced a couple of weeks ago, we’ve opened the doors to Delicious Israel’s new Neve Tzedek home for culinary workshop, Shuk & Cook, as well as Friday night Shabbat Dinner with Friends. Just before parting ways with chametz for Pesach, we had 9 guests join us for a walk through Shuk HaCarmel, followed by an all-hands-on-deck preparation of DELICIOUS authentic Israeli cuisine.
Fast forward nearly a century from the onset of Tel Aviv's cherished food markets, where vendors yell out produce prices with a force as strong as Gordon's manic matkot players and saftas scan stalls for the cheapest tchotchkes. Where the bottoms of shoppers' sandals are tomato seed stained. Where fresh fish smells permeate from side streets. Where afternoon pedestrian traffic gives midtown Manhattan a run for its money...
Calling all gluten free guys and gals: Brace your flour-fearing selves! Springtime in Israel is GF heaven. Buds are blooming in the Galilee. Tel Aviv's sun feels oh-so-sweet. AND, every market shelf, counter, and crate is abundant with chametz alternatives. Gluten free pretzels, cookies, , crackers, bread, cereal...you name it. Your makolet's (Hebrew for 'grocery store') got it.
Although Tel Aviv’s Shuk Levinsky, or Levinsky Market, spans a modest six blocks, the food-filled street is the ultimate intro to authentic Israel. Far from your sterile grocery shopping experience, the immigrant-owned mom and pop stores that line Levinsky are void of rules and politesse. If you’re too shy to ask for a small-spoon-sample at your local ice cream shop, Levinsky will turn your timid world upside down.
Having recently planted roots in Tel Aviv’s romantic Neve Tzedek, the first Jewish neighborhood built outside of Jaffa’s walls, Delicious Israel founder Inbal opens the doors to her new private home for those excited to embark on an intimate exploration of Israeli cuisine.
