Professional Documents
Culture Documents
E
RUS
AL
E
M
a cookbook
T E N S PE E D PR E S S
BERKELE Y
Contents
Introduction 8
Jerusalem food 10
The recipes 15
History 18
Vegetables 24
Beans & Grains 94
Soups 130
Stuffed 150
Meat 172
Fish 214
Savory Pastries 240
Sweets & Desserts 256
Condiments 296
Index 310
Acknowledgments 318
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Serves 6
Naamas Fattoush
28
VEGE T ABLES
Serves 6
Naamas fattoush
Try to get small cucumbers for this as for any other fresh salad.
They are worlds apart from the large ones we normally get in most
supermarkets. You can skip the fermentation stage and use only
buttermilk instead of the combination of milk and yogurt. For a
typical chopped salad, try the Spiced chickpeas and fresh vegetable
salad (page 56), omitting the sugar and the chickpeas.
VEGE T ABLES
29
F I SH
181
Serves 4
1 lb / 450 g Jerusalem
artichokes, peeled and
cut lengthwise into
6 wedges inch /
1.5 cm thick
3 tbsp freshly squeezed
lemon juice
8 skin-on, bone-in chicken
thighs, or 1 medium
whole chicken, quartered
12 banana or other
large shallots, halved
lengthwise
12 large cloves garlic,
sliced
1 medium lemon, halved
lengthwise and then very
thinly sliced
1 tsp saffron threads
3 tbsp / 50 ml olive oil
cup / 150 ml cold water
1 tbsp pink peppercorns,
lightly crushed
cup / 10 g fresh thyme
leaves
1 cup / 40 g tarragon
leaves, chopped
2 tsp salt
tsp freshly ground black
pepper
180
MEA T
The combination of saffron and whole lemon slices not only makes for
a beautiful-looking dish but also goes exceptionally well with the nutty
earthiness of the artichokes. This is easy to prepare. You just need to
plan ahead and leave it to marinate properly. Serve it with Mejadra
(page 120).
S w e e t s & d e s s e rt s
279
Makes 16 cookies
Spice cookies
During the late nineteenth century, as part of their Protestant beliefs, the
Templers arrived in Jerusalem from Europe and established the German
colony, a picturesque little neighborhood southwest of the Old City that to
this day feels unusually central European. This is the civilized part of
town, where you go for a coffee and a slice of Sacher torte if you wish to
escape the harsh Levantine reality.
Germanic influences on the citys food are evident in Christian contexts
the famous Austrian hospice at the heart of the Old City serves superb strudels
and proper schnitzelsbut Czech, Austrian, Hungarian, and German Jews
arriving in the city from the 1930s have also managed to stamp their mark,
opening cafs and bakeries serving many Austro-Hungarian classics
(see page 284). Duvshanyot, round iced cookies, made with honey and
spices, typically for Rosh Hashanah, are possibly a result of this heritage;
they are similar to Pfeffernsse.
cup plus 2 tbsp / 125 g
currants
2 tbsp brandy
scant 2 cups / 240 g allpurpose flour
1 tsp best-quality cocoa
powder
tsp baking powder
tsp baking soda
tsp each ground
cinnamon, allspice,
ginger, and nutmeg
tsp salt
5 oz / 150 g good-quality dark
chocolate, coarsely grated
cup / 125 g unsalted
butter, at room
temperature
cup / 125 g superfine
sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
tsp grated lemon zest
tsp grated orange zest
large free-range egg
1 tbsp diced candied
citrus peel
Gl a z e
278
S w e e t s & d e s s e rt s
Soak the currants in the brandy for 10 minutes. Mix together the flour,
cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt, and dark chocolate.
Mix well with a whisk.
Put the butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon and orange zest in a stand mixer
fitted with the beater attachment and beat to combine but not aerate much,
about 1 minute. With the mixer running, slowly add the egg and mix for about
1 minute. Add the dry ingredients, followed by the currants and brandy. Mix
until everything comes together.
Gently knead the dough in the bowl with your hands until it comes together
and is uniform. Divide the dough into 1-oz / 50g chunks and shape each
chunk into a perfectly round ball. Place the balls on 1 or 2 baking sheets
lined with parchment paper, spacing them about inch / 2 cm apart, and
let rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375F / 190C. Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes,
until the top firms up but the center is still slightly soft. Remove from the
oven. Once the cookies are out of the oven, allow to cool for only 5 minutes,
and then transfer to a wire rack. While the cookies are still warm, whisk
together the glaze ingredients until a thin and smooth icing forms. Pour
1 tablespoon of the glaze over each biscuit, leaving it to drip and coat the
biscuit with a very thin, almost transparent film. Finish each with 3 pieces
of candied peel placed at the center. Leave to set and serve, or store in an
airtight container for a day or two.
J
E
RUS
AL
E
M