Recipe: Sabich - Iraqi Jewish Eggplant Sandwich

Sabich - Iraqi Jewish Eggplant Sandwich

So I'm at that Men Cook event I've been telling you about, and my friend Aaron starts telling me about this amazing sandwich he'd had in Israel. He had me at fried eggplant and hardboiled egg, and I missed the rest because I was too busy drooling and scheming when I was going to make it. I'd been in Israel this past fall, and was heartbroken that while I'd eaten untold falafel, I'd had nary a sabich.

I did a little web research on sabich, but was waylaid by the fact that I'd need to buy or make a pickled mango condiment named amba. A few days later, Sarina and I were in a Middle Eastern grocery in Bellevue, and there was an enormous jar of it! So I snapped that up. It is the bright orange stuff you see in the back of the picture. And actually the jarred stuff wasn't that great, kind of harsh for my taste. Maybe a small amount, but this recipe sounds better.

And then, not more than a few days later again, I'm skimming Food and Wine as usual, and here it is again. Some chef in Philly has been traveling in Israel, training up on dishes for his new place and sabich is high on his list. Something is clearly alive in the global food consciousness, and I want in!

From what little I've been able to glean, sabich is a popular sabbath food for Iraqi Jews, and when they emigrated to Israel and set up a community in Ramat Gan, the sandwich came with them. It has since gained widespread popularity, and of course in typical Israeli fashion spawned N variations and N * 2 arguments about which one is better.

Above you can see my first try, which I'm not too modest to say tasted damn good. There is something about the creaminess of the egg and the fried goodness of the eggplant that work really well together, and then the garnishes of Israeli salad (tomatoes and cucumbers with a bit of lemon juice) hummus, onions, pickles, parsley and amba give your mouth the full workout of sweet, spicy, sour, herbacious, smooth and crispy.

A quick note on hardboiled eggs. Mine have gotten drastically better since I read How To Hard Boil an Egg. The basic summary is: eggs in enough cold water to cover, covered pot, bring to a boil, remove from heat, sprinkle in a little salt, leave covered for 20 minutes, drain, ice bath, peel, enjoy. Read the site for more tips, but that has been working great for me. They say 30 minutes but I find 20 is perfect. Nice and soft and absolutely no green around the yolk (see the picture above).

Here's the sabich recipe:

Sabich - Iraqi Jewish Eggplant Sandwich
Vegetarian; vegan if you omit the egg; gluten free if you omit the pita and serve as a salad
Makes 4 sandwiches

• 4 pieces good pita bread
• 4 hard boiled eggs (see note above), peeled and sliced
• 1-2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced 1/4" or so thick
• vegetable oil for frying
• 2 roma tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/2 English cucumber, finely diced
• juice of 1 lemon
• hummus (bought or make your own)
• prepared tahina (bought or make your own)
• 1/2 flat leaf parsley
• 1/2 small white onion minced
• 1/2 c. pickle, cut into small slices or cubes
• amba - mango pickle, or failing that, hot sauce of your choice - harissa maybe?

1. Make a simple salad of the tomatoes, cucumber, and lemon juice, with salt to taste.
2. Fry the eggplant in batches until thoroughly tender and browned; drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.
3. While the eggplant is frying, put each of the other ingredients in bowls so everyone can build a sandwich to their own specifications.
4. Toast or grill the pita bread.
5. Serve it forth, preferably with cold beer, make yourself a gigantic sandwich, and chill.

Recipe: Syrian Style Labneh (Spiced Yogurt Cheese) - Vegetarian

Syrian Style Labneh (Spiced Yogurt Cheese)

This recipe is adapted from Poopa Dweck's  cookbook, Aromas of Aleppo, The Legendary Cuisine of Syrian Jews. I wrote more about that book in this post on Syrian Red Lentil Soup.

Labneh, aka Lebneh, is eaten all over the Middle East. The term can cover a wide range of yogurt-based products from very thick liquid all the way through to a firmly pressed fresh cheese. It is made by draining the liquid from plain yogurt through cheesecloth, and then optionally adding flavorings, and it is quite easy to do at home.

You'll get the best results if you start with a good yogurt, such as Fage or Greek Gods. I made this batch with full fat, but I think 2% will be fine too. If you try it with non-fat, let me know how it turns out.

Dweck flavors her version with cumin, dried mint and Aleppo Pepper. She doesn't specify, but I used spearmint and it worked really well. If you don't have the Aleppo Pepper, red chili flakes would be a decent substitute. Serve this with wedges of toasted pita bread and you've got a delicious snack.

You can easily vary the flavorings with other Middle Eastern herbs and spices, citrus zest, garlic and so on. If you feel compelled to make sun-dried tomato Thai Curry labneh, please, don't tell me!

By the way, if you like this post, please give it a Thumbs Up on Stumbleupon!

Syrian Style Labneh (Spiced Yogurt Cheese)
Vegetarian, not vegan

• 1 quart thick Greek-style yogurt or 1.5 quart thinner natural yogurt
• 1.5 t ground cumin
• 1.5 t. dried spearmint
• 1/2 t. Aleppo pepper or chili flakes
• 1.5 t. sea salt
• olive oil
• cheesecloth

1. Put a large colander in a bowl. Line the colander with a double layer of cheesecloth. Pour in the yogurt, and tie the cheesecloth into a ball. For bonus points, tie cheesecloth around a wooden spoon or something you can hang over the colander rim so it is suspended. That will help it drain faster, using its own weight.
2. Put the whole apparatus in the refrigerator overnight. Make sure there is enough room in the bowl to catch the liquid, we don't want a mess in your fridge.
3. Remove the yogurt from the cheesecloth into a clean bowl. It should be firm enough to form somewhat decent balls at this point. If not, drain it more. Mix in the cumin, spearmint, pepper and sea salt.
4. To serve, fill a shallow bowl with about 1/8" of olive oil. Grease your hands and form balls a bit smaller than a golf ball. Arrange in the dish, and garnish with roughly chopped parsley or cilantro.

Hummus Showdown - Abu Shukri vs. Taami

Hummus with Chickpeas and Falafel at Taami in Jerusalem

One of my very favorite days on our recent trip to Israel was the day that Sarina and I had stupendous hummus for a late breakfast and equally astounding hummus for lunch. In the morning we visited the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem and walked around the outside the Dome of The Rock and Al-Aksa mosque, then walked out through the Muslim quarter. Right by the fifth station of the cross we found Abu Shukri, and though it was a bit early we weren't about to miss this legendary experience. We weren't disappointed. You can see in the bottom picture, incredibly creamy chickpea puree topped with a few whole chickpeas and a puddle of fruity olive oil. The garnish tray included pickles and a few balls of falafel.

Then after a tour of the Israel Museum and a flustered circle through mad traffic with a sleepy toddler and an expensive parking ticket, we made our way to Taami, which Hillel had told me about. We waited a few minutes for a seat in the tiny place at the top of Shamai street and once again stuffed ourselves silly, stopping only to top each other with adjectival glee.

Those of you only familiar with hummus (which can also be spelled humus or hummous) outside of the Middle East are probably thinking: (1) a whole restaurant devoted mainly to hummus? (2) even if so, why would anyone care? Answers: (a) yep, all over, and everyone has their favorite place (b) because most of the hummus in the rest of the world would be better suited to mortaring bricks or caulking bathroom fixtures than eating. The real thing is a velvety smooth, silky puree of chickpeas, sesame tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Certainly not Thai Pepper Hummus or any other absurd flavor. You can often have it garnished with more chickpeas, falafel, pine nuts, tomatoes, or other tasty bits, and there is usually a side tray of pickles and olives, but the main event is that puree.

When I was in Delhi a few years ago, I was struck by the fact that the top-shelf Bukhara restaurant at the Maurya Sheraton was known far and wide for their dal, basically a simple lentil soup. (It was damn good, with a lot of kidney beans and ultra buttery.) I was seated about 10 feet from Rahul Gandhi, considered likely to be a future Prime Minister of India. In America, a restaurant that caters routinely to future presidents isn't going to be famous for lentil soup, or chickpea puree. It made me feel proud as a vegetarian to see folks so passionate about humble, delicious dishes.

One thing is for sure, if you want to get an Israeli talking, just ask them where to find a good hummus restaurant.

As far as these two places go, I think you should visit both. I'd give a slight edge to Abu Shukri for the hummus itself, but I liked the lively atmosphere at Taami more (of course we were there at a better time of day).

If I ever manage to make hummus this good at home, I'll definitely pass on the recipe to all of you. My first attempt was a bit too grainy. Current theory is that I need to find true Middle Eastern chickpeas instead of Mexican garbanzos. There are so many recipes on the web and in cookbooks it is a bit mind boggling to know where to start. Feel free to add comments below if you have an opinion!

Details:
Taami
3 Shamai St
Jerusalem 94631 Israel
+972 2 561 9265

Abu Shukri
63 Al Wad Rd. at Via Dolorosa
Old City, Jerusalem, Israel

Hummus with Chickpeas at Abu Shukri in the Old City of Jerusalem

Review: "Jovani" Restaurant, Tiberias, Israel

Delicious ravioli at "Jovani" TIberias, Israel

We're on our way from Jerusalem up to Vered Hagalil. No GPS, but this looks easy on the map. We just need to pass through Tiberias, stay on the same road headed north around the Sea of Galilee (Kinerret), and we should be there in half an hour. Pretty much follow the coast. Hmm, the road is turning inland. We must have missed the turn. Let's try again. Hmm, no obvious main road headed up the coast. All these side streets dead end. Maybe the turn was earlier. Argh! Three tries later we are punchy and very hungry and worried about a nap for Mini-Me.

Tiberias is one of those resort towns that I would normally avoid, especially for eating. But since we are desperate, we just park the car and pick the first place that looks half decent and hope they can give us directions along with lunch. The sign in English said "Jovani" and "Espresso Bar", but in Hebrew it is something closer to "Giovanni".

Boy were we glad we got lost! I'd been avoiding ordering pasta since we were headed shortly to Italy, but I broke down here. The ravioli in the picture above was simple but stellar, with a homemade tomato sauce that was practically vibrating with fresh flavors. We all shared that along with huge, beautiful Greek and Israeli salads.

And thus my continued amazement with food in this tiny country. Nothing fancy - in fact, ultra casual. The owner's daughter is chilling with her friends at the next table and the tab was maybe $40 for the four of us. It is just that the ingredients are insanely fresh and flavorful, and prepared with simple care, an experience that seems so infrequent in the US but the norm here. Like most Israeli restaurants (either kosher-dairy or non-kosher), it is a vegetarian paradise with lots of options and no stealth meat.

And the owner, who spoke excellent English, gave us directions too. We simply needed to follow that road that was headed inland for 7 Km, and it would head north again, have faith. Mmm. Not... so... much. We ended up making a huge box, going an hour out of our way and swearing that after we got settled we'd have to drive back south and figure out where the road really was just to satisfy our curiosity!

So I can't give you exact directions to Jovani, but if you enter town from the south it is one block left of the main street, in what seems to be the older downtown area filled with normal shops. I can't find anything about it on the web, though maybe someone who does Hebrew on their keyboard can track it down for us and add a comment? I've included a picture of the exterior below, and I'm sure a local could point you to it easily.

"Jovani" Restaurant in Tiberias, Israel

Breakfast In Israel - So Amazing! (including Reviews of the Dan Panorama Jerusalem, Metropolitan Suites Tel Aviv, Vered Hagalil, and Yotvata)

Breakfast at Yotvata Kosher (Dairy) Restaurant in Tel Aviv

Breakfast in Israel is kind of an amazing thing, and a vegetarian's paradise.

Our first venue was the Dan Panorama Hotel in Jerusalem where we were treated to an unbelievable buffet that is included in the room price. Five enormous tables had perhaps fifty or more choices including cheeses, yogurts, and labnehs, breads of all sorts, sweet and savory pastries such as borekas, half a dozen fresh salads that changed daily, an omelette and pancake station, fresh fruit, fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice, great mounds of halvah, and I'm surely forgetting some things! Most everything was impeccably fresh and the amazing Israeli produce and dairy products made it unforgettable. The biggest problem I had was not to stuff myself so much that I couldn't eat falafel at a reasonable lunch hour.

When we moved to the Vered Hagalil Guest Ranch in the northern part of the country near the Sea of Galilee, there was again a buffet though of more modest proportions, appropriate to the small and rustic resort. Still all of those superb salads and dairy products to die for, and much needed espresso too.

Breakfast Buffet At Vered Hagalil Guest Ranch near the Sea of Galilee

In Tel Aviv, the buffet at the Metropolitan Hotel and Suites was shockingly bad. It was fairly large, maybe half the size of the Dan Panorama, but everything was sad looking and dirty and tasteless. It was like finding myself at a Residence Inn in the States trying to eke out a breakfast from reconstituted waffle strips and imitation egg curds. We didn't go back after the first day.

Instead we started breakfasting at Yotvata, a kibbutz-run, kosher dairy, diner-style restaurant with several locations. The plate in the pictures at the top of this post costs  all of 42 shekels (about $10), and that includes also a huge pitcher of an absolutely fresh fruit smoothie of your choice (get the mango!), and warm bread.  Served on a patio across the street from the Mediterranean no less. Incredible. I don't think the $10 would even cover the food cost for a restaurant in the US. Denny's should take one look at that picture and lock its doors in shame.

And of course if you have been out partying all night in Tel Aviv, a plate of salads might not sound so good. This fellow below opted for fries and a snooze, then dined-and-dashed after the security guard woke him up!

Asleep in the French Fries After A Long Night of Rosh Hashanah Partying in Tel Aviv

Spice Stalls at Mahane Yehuda Market In Jerusalem, Israel (What Kind of Harissa Is This?)

One of the things I look forward to most when touring other countries is to see the spice markets. In Delhi, my driver / guide and I braved one hour of traffic to go about 1.5 Km from where we were to Khari Baoli market and then we had to park in an underground garage that was so crowded that the attendants had to move cars around like a puzzle to fit each new one in!

By comparison the spice stalls at Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem are pretty laid back, just the usual shoving and good natured shouting. I only bought a couple of things, some super-fresh green zatar (above) that tastes most strongly of thyme and sesame, and incredible dry harissa:

I've only been familiar with harissa in the sauce form, but we are pretty sure that is what the man called it. I don't know if it is intended to be soaked to make a harissa sauce or used as a rub or garnish, but in any case it is delicious. It is quite hot and has an intense flavor of roasted dry chilis, with strong herbal undertones, and very beautiful to look at. If anyone can correct me on the name of this mixture or its uses, please add a comment!

Review: The Legendary Abulafia Bakery in Jaffa, Israel (near Tel Aviv)

Sambusac Stuffed with Potato, Mushroom, Cheese and Hardboiled Egg

Here are your directions. (1) Board plane for Tel Aviv (2) Clear immigration and customs (3) Ask taxi driver to take you to Abulafia. You could tell him that it is in Jaffa, but he already knows.

SP's dad, you mention anything related to the Middle East and his eyes glaze over with desire as he tells you about how you have to make it to Abulafia.

Do you get what I'm trying to say here? This 24-hour streetside bakery has been located at the same corner in Jaffa since 1879. They pretty well have the recipes tweaked out at this point. That turnover, calzone looking item you see above is called a sambusac, and this one was filled with silky smooth mashed potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and cheese. Big deal right? When you order it, they put it on the grill for a minute, then cut it open and add a sliced hardboiled egg. The warm, creamy potatoes, the rich egg and cheese, slightly chewy but tender dough, lots of black pepper. Dang! Suddenly I understand what all the other pastries I've ever eaten filled with cold, dry mashed potatoes were referring to.

Just up the street, Abulafia has another location that serves sit down meals and apparently has unbelievable hummus, according to Hillel. I didn't have room for it today.

If you are doing any more web research about the bakery, be sure and check multiple spellings. Even on their own sign they have both Abuelafia and Abouelafia, and I've also seen Aboulafia.

While you are in Jaffa, you can stroll up to beautiful overlooks of Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean, and walk through one of the nicer, cleaner Old City areas I've seen, with some high quality, not so touristy art dealers.

Just to whet your appetite further, here's a picture of Abulafia's pita with zatar, if you don't mind looking through the glass.

Pita Bread Covered in Zatar

Foraging Tour of The Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) And The Golan Heights

Freshly liberated mango near the Sea of Galilee

SP has just about got me convinced that these private guided tours are the way to go when in an unfamiliar place with a lot to see and limited time. Along with Mini-Me and SP's Mom, we just spent two nights at the Vered Hagalil Guest Ranch just north of the Sea of Galilee, otherwise known as Lake Kinneret. (I have to say that when I first saw the water, I said "you call that a sea? At home that wouldn't even be a Great Lake! :)".

You probably are most familiar with Sea of Galilee because it is where Jesus is said to have walked on water, and the neighboring Golan Heights because it is periodically in the news when Syria and Israel are shooting at each other. While Mini-Me had her afternoon nap, we got to see a whole different side of the region.

The Kinneret area is the source of much of the fresh water for Israel, and the area around it is incredibly fertile, but I wasn't expecting to write a blog entry about this tour.  I thought we'd be hiking, maybe swimming, and see some ruins and great views. I never figured we'd be having an impromptu tasting of blackberries, a wild variety of mint, fennel, the fruit used to make the crown of thorns, and farmed pomelo, lemon, and by far the best mango I've ever had in my life, pictured above. Oh man, that mango (pictured above) was incredible. Not at all stringy, very large and intensely perfumed, sweet almost rich, and much more complex than any I've ever had in the states.

Our guide, Igal Volitzky, has been taking folks around this region for 20 years and really knows it cold, including the geography, the history, the plants and animals, and of course the people. In three hours we covered everything from the wet plains near the lake to the ruins of the ancient synagogue at Kanaf in upper reaches of the Golan. Igal really can handle his Range Rover, taking us up roads that I would never have dared myself. Here's the view from up there:

View of the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret) from the Golan Heights

When I told him of my interest in food, Igal mentioned that he can also arrange actual tasting tours, where you stop and have traditional food at the houses of several local folks. I only wish we'd had time!  He didn't give me an email address, but you can call him. From the US you would dial 011-972-4-6938071. If for some reason that doesn't work, the folks at Vered Hagalil should know how to get in touch with him.

Vered Hagalil itself was also very nice. It is a rustic collection of stone cottages with extensive stables for horseback riding, a restaurant with a very nice breakfast included in your stay, swimming pool, a couple of small playgrounds, and lots of space to just relax and look down at the water, away from the tourist bustle of Tiberias, and a short drive to the holy city of Safed (also spelled Safad, Zefat, or Tzfat). 

Halvah at Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem, Israel

Continuuing on with our previous theme of the amazing goods at Mahaneh Yehuda Market in Jerusalem, here are a couple more pictures that capture the flavor. The first (above) is of dozens of varieties of ultra-fresh halvah, sesame candy flavored mostly with various nuts, chocolate, and sometimes lemon or rose water.

The shouks (the Hebrew word) or souks (also spelled sooks, the Arabic word) are pedestrian only areas, and so all of the produce and other goods for sale have to be brought in on handcarts. In Delhi I saw very large ones that took two men to push. Here in Jerusalem the preferred vehicle seems to be a smaller single-man cart. For some of the streets in the Old City that are steeply sloped, they have a clever adaptation - on the back is a single tire dragging from a chain. To brake the cart, the "driver" steps on that tire.

In the picture below, back at Mahaneh Yehuda, you see some enormous gourds and the harried fellow whose job it is to move them.

Ok, and I can't resist since we talked about them recently, here's one more picture, of Dragonfruit (aka Dragon Fruit or Pitaya) at the same market. They were less than half the price I found them for in the US, but still fairly expensive by Israeli standards.

Dairy Products at Mahane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem, Israel

I think this one speaks for itself. The fresh dairy products in Israel are outstanding. In this picture, at a tiny dairy stall in the Mahane Yehuda market (the Jewish shouk), you can see yogurt, labneh (yogurt cheese, foreground with the basket texture), feta, and several flavored cheeses including zatar spice and olive. There is also often fresh mozzarella style cheeses but they are too rubbery, I don't think the knowledge or preference has come over from Italy yet.  The flavor of the yogurt is smooth and deep, without the sharp edges of most unsweetened American varieties.

(Alternate transliterated spellings for the market include Machane, Mahaneh, Machane, and Yehudah).

Tour of the Old City of Jerusalem (with More Falafel and Pomegranate Juice)

When we met our tour guide for the Old City of Jerusalem, Nurit Lessem, she was surprised to hear that we hadn't had lunch yet, but was more than happy to take us to one of her favorite falafel places for a break. I knew right away we'd found the right chaperone!

SP and I wouldn't normally go in for a guided tour, but the historical complexity of the Old City made it seem a shame to go around with our nose stuck in a  guidebook. Nurit wasn't the type of guide where you felt as if she was simply going through the same old script. She clearly has a passion for the history of Jerusalem and has learned about it from many angles. She shared her depth of knowledge everywhere we stopped and engaged with us in lots of fascinating discussion and speculation. She also knew well hidden viewpoints and out of the way nooks and crannies that we wouldn't have found ourselves. So I can highly recommend her services. You can reach her at 972-054-654-3006 or nurit_lessem@yahoo.com. She speaks fluent English, French, and of course Hebrew.

Now about that falafel. Nurit took us to the Fountain Coffee Shop, in Suq Afthemos, Dabbagha No. 62, which is right around the corner from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Just another incredible falafel sandwich with a few fries, pickled vegetables, and tahini. Man, eating in this country is tough!

Also on the way through the souk we stopped for a glass of fresh squeezed pomegranate juice. It was kind of phenomenal to watch the gentleman slice open and squish 5 or 6 of the fruits and squish them in a manual press, right into my glass. I guess I'm used to thinking of them as almost a luxury fruit, so it was eye opening to enjoy them this way. The flavor was nothing like the Pom brand juice in US stores. It was much lighter, and mildly sweet with little hits of the bitter pith. Awesome.

"Panzanella" Salad at Spaghettim, Jerusalem, Israel

For years, everyone I know that has gone to Israel has told me how incredible the produce and therefore the salads are. "The cucumbers taste like cucumbers". I didn't know whether to fully believe this or not given how great the farmer's market produce we get in Seattle is. Now I know what they were talking about. The average produce is really much better, maybe a shade shy of the best farmer's market for basic vegetables but way, way above typical American grocery store fare. Also, the standard for preparation of salads is so much higher. You never see just some sad lettuce and vegetables washed three days ago, thrown in a bowl, awash in dressing. Probably because of the hot climate and the good produce, and the seriousness which people in this part of the world apply to their dining, the salads are often superb even at pretty run-of-the-mill places. The picture above is of a so-called Panzanella at Spaghettim, which is  a small chain of Italian restaurants. It really only had a few pieces of bread, so it ate more like a good Greek Village salad. But it was incredibly refreshing and tasty, with lots of mint, and a bargain for around $10.

Details
35 Hillel St.
Jerusalem, Israel
02/623-5547

Falafel In The Old City, Jerusalem, Israel

This was our first falafel in Jerusalem. Of course it came in a sandwich, but we took one apart to give to Mini-Me, and that makes for a more descriptive picture than the whole sandwich. Falafel over here is so much better than you normally find in America. The falafel itself is always fried to order, not sitting around, and it is served with several kinds of pickled vegetables and salads, and often a few french fries. The crisp falafel, vinegary pickles, creamy tahini, spicy harissa and super-fresh pita combine to make something so perfect I could eat it every day. I have failed you as a correspondent and didn't write down the name of the restaurant, but it was on the Cardo (main street) in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, a little south from where you come up from the Western Wall of the Temple.

P.S. if any of you want to keep up with the family stories of our trip, check out Snacky Pants' Blog.