New Israeli Food: Janna Gur

By JULIETTE ROSSANT The Book of New Israeli Food: A Culinary Journey (Schocken 2008) by Janna Gur, is not simply the food of the Jews of Israel, but of all Israelis. Anyone familiar with Arab cuisine – from the Maghreb to the Gulf – will recognize many dishes in the book. There is also plenty of Ashkenazi Eastern European fair, as well as Sephardic Jewish dishes, especially in the holiday chapters. Janna herself came to Israel from Riga, Latvia, part of the huge wave of Jews from the former Soviet Union who migrated to Israel after Glasnost, so she is especially attuned to the diversity of food in Israel. What is "Israeli" food? Israeli food are the foods that Israelis eat, often with their own twist. If, as Janna writes in the introduction, "in less than thirty years Israeli society has graduated from Spartan austerity to a true gastronomic heaven," (p. 6) it is because Israel is a melting pot, much like New York City, Singapore, and other cities that have welcomed successive waves of immigration. Janna sweeps aside the questions of whether there is an "Israeli cuisine": 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-timer, locals and foreigners….Fusion is the essence and the journey goes on. (p. 16) The theme of the book is best expressed in the recipes. Take the first recipe for Israeli Salad (p. 20-22): "In fact, most Israeli restaurants call this Arab Salad, which is probably more accurate." It's simply tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and onions in a dressing that includes greens (mint, coriander, or parsley) and olive oil, and perhaps some sumac and garlic. Janna includes a Fatuoush Salad (p. 25) that includes toasted or stale pita bread. Arab influences continue strongly in mezes and street food – from numerous recipes for Hummus (pp. 44-48), Tabuleh , Spicy Moroccan Carrot Salad, and Pickled Turnip and Beetroot (p. 53). She contrasts these traditional meze with "Israeli Meze" from Chef Erez Komarovsky, such as the inventive Fennel and Pistachio Salad (p. 59) and the refreshing Celery and Kashkaval Cheese Salad (p. 61), his rethinking of a Caesar Salad. There are terrific essays on different street foods like Shakshuka, a Libyan dish of tomatoes, hot sauce, and eggs with a myriad of variations that can include anything from sausages to spinach and feta. There is a wonderful group of photographs by Eilan Paz of Doctor Shakshuka in Jaffa, with its shelves of frying pan full of tomato sauce ready for customers. Janna includes recipes from food writer Shir Halpern. You might be familiar with this dish from an Arab country or Turkey, where it is called menemen. The back of the book section on Holidays, includes recipes for Rosh Hashanah and other Jewish holidays, as well as Ramadan with recipes for Mansaf (p. 277) the rice and lamb casserole, and Attayif (p. 278) pancakes with nuts or cheese. In The Book of New Israeli Food there seems to be more cultural understanding and appreciation – at least for cuisine – among Israel's Arabs and Jews. Get this book for the stunning photographs, the recipes, and the introductions to Israel's chefs - and for the hope that the way to the heart is through the belly -- the hope that culinary understanding may help lead to political understanding. Previous articles: Greg & Lucy Malouf: Turquoise Aromas of Aleppo Passover: Jayne Cohen's Jewish Holiday Cooking Passover: Arthur Schwartz' Jewish Home Cooking Claudia Roden: Arabesque [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbooks, cookbook reviews, Janna Gur, Israeli Food --> back to Cookbook Reviews --> back to Super Chef