Kick His Ass Sea Bass

There were only two things I missed food-wise while I was in Israel.  The first was real coffee.  Israelis seem to have a partiality for instant for some bizarre reason.  It was great to get back to the states and have a real cup of Joe.  The other was seafood.  A lot of our time was spent in the dessert where there's not so much seafood - go fig.  Even when we got to the beach areas I somehow ended up eating all meat (just couldn't say no to shwarma) so I was ready for something with gills for my first home cooked meal.

I was still getting over a bad cold/cough that I caught toward the end of the trip so I didn't want to spend too much time in the kitchen.  I looked for the easiest new recipe on my Epicurious app while standing at the fish counter with the rule that if I needed to buy more than three ingredients I wouldn't make it.  I ended up making sea bass with spicy roasted bell pepper sauce.  Roast your own peppers over an open flame or buy them in a jar - I don't really care; it's going to taste good either way.  Put the roasted peppers in a food processor along with almonds, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, and cayenne pepper.  Finito.  The amount of cayenne will determine how kick-assy the sauce is.  I wanted to cure whatever it is that's been ailin' me so I made sure to give it quite a few good shakes of cayenne.

Sea bass is one of those fishies that just tastes super fresh and clean.  That freshness, I now know, comes at a price.  That stuff is $29/lb!  Thankfully, I got a steal at the meat counter so it all evened out, but for that price I was disappointed to find bones in my filet.  Tsk tsk, Whole Foods.  It's ok, I love you anyways because this meal was so good overall.  The almonds and tomato paste give the sauce a thicker texture so it wont just slide everywhere all willy nilly.  Nobody likes a slippery sauce.  I even added it to the spinach I used as the bed for my fish because, let's face it, frozen spinach can be sort of bland.  After two weeks of meat meat meat, this dish hit the spot.  And it was healthy.  Bonus.    

Book Review: Those Who Save Us

Though a German, Anna is good of heart and can not understand why the Jews of her town are being persecuted.  She does, however, understand the need to protect her daughter, Trudy, by whatever means necessary, even if it means becoming a Nazi officer's mistress.  In present day Minnesota, Trudy struggles with the guilt that stems from being a German and not knowing how her mother behaved during the war.

I was actually reading this book while in Israel where I toured Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial.  Seeing the atrocities of the war up close made reading this novel that much more intense.  As a Jewish woman, it is hard for me to read a book that paints [some] Germans in such a good light, particularly when it is a work of fiction.  However, I had to accept the fact that although untrue, the novel represents an actual portion of the German community, as small as it may have been.  Once I got past that, I found Jenna Blum's novel to be a beautifully written story that examines the shame that buried so many who experienced the Holocaust firsthand.

4 out of 5 stars.

3 on Thursday

I am finally starting to get back into the swing of things after two weeks out of the country.  Even though I am stepping back into my normal life, I still have one foot on my Birthright bus which is why this week's "3 on Thursday" is two parts what I loved in Israel and one part back to reality. 

All the food in Israel was so fresh - even the canned fruit juice tasted good.  This mango was one of my faves and, once discovered, made a frequent appearance on my lunch tray.

We toured an olive press and sampled the delicious infused olive oils produced there.  The press' owner also let us try this olive wash that will leave your skin silky smooth.  The exfoliant in this all natural scrub is actually crushed olive pit.  I had to bring some home, but soon you may be able to find it yourself as they are working out a deal with Whole Foods.

I jumped back into my normal routine by celebrating a random, silly holiday last night.  Yesterday was March 14th, aka 3/14, making it Pi Day (since Pi is 3.14...).  I had a great pie recipe in mind but scrapped that when I was tired and couldn't find some of the necessary ingredients.  Instead, I celebrated by trying a flavor of store-bought pie I had never tasted (coconut custard) and embellished it with a chocolate pi symbol.  Next year, I'll be sure to plan further ahead, but for last minute, I was pretty happy.

Falafel and Shwarma and Schnitzl Oh My!

I'm back from my two-week escapade all over Israel and all I can think about is how I want to be back in that gorgeous country with all my new friends.  I could talk for hours about the places I visited, but I would be lying by omission if I didn't tell you that the food was the ultimate trip highlight.  I awoke each morning to a spread of yogurt, cheese, fresh fruit, and vegetables that would make you weep.  It has been difficult to adjust to a life without those breakfasts.  But don't think we peaked at the beginning of the day.  Lunches were also spectacular.

Each day for lunch, we asked ourselves the same question: falafel, shwarma, or schnitzl?  The sandwiches are basically the same, the main ingredient is just swapped based on what you're in the mood for that day.  They're served in pita (fluffy and unlike what we have here in America), laffa (sort of like thin flatbread), or sometimes baguette.  Then comes the plethora of toppings.

The toppings can make all the difference.  On the first day, for instance, I put a curried mango sauce on top of my falafel (I think it's called adom?).  I didn't see this sauce for the rest of the trip but loved it.  Incidentally, I didn't eat falafel beyond this first lunch because it was so unbelievable and I knew no other falafel would stand a chance.  Light, almost creamy on the inside, and just crispy enough on the outside.  After that, I mostly went with shwarma, meat on a spit.  The middle picture shown here is the shwarma I got at a truck stop.  I learned that much like bbq in the US, the best sandwiches in Israel can be found in hole-in-the-wall places like gas stations and random outdoor markets.  In the last picture (of schnitzl, breaded chicken), you'll see one of my favorite toppings, french fries.  Americans have practically made french fries a separate food group, yet we haven't been smart enough to put them inside the sandwich like they do in Israel.  It makes all the difference, especially when they soak up the hummus, tahina, cabbage, salad, and other toppings.  I may get strange looks, but I'll be putting my fries inside my burger now that I'm back after having seen the light.

It's bizarre being back and having to choose a lunch option that does not stem from this holy trinity of sandwiches.  It usually seems like New York has the best of everything when it comes to food, but I just don't think I'll be able to find any falafel, shwarma, or schnitzl that can compare to what I got in Israel.  ::Sigh::

Diablo Royale Este

I've been to both Diablo Royale locations plenty of times for the bar, but this is the first time I've eaten there.  Looks like they're more than just micheladas - they make a pretty serious taco.  Since I was still a little full from lunch and was already stuffing myself with chips and salsa, I went with the two tacos for $16 (vs. three for $19).

It's not hard to find a plain chicken taco so I wanted to try two of the more interesting tortilla pockets.  On the left you'll see the Al Pastor, which is chili and pineapple marinated pork with pineapple salsa and crema.  The pork was tender but although it sounds like this would be packed with pineapple flavor, it could have used a little more of a citrus punch.  On the right is the fried oyster taco, topped with lemon cumin aioli, cilantro, and sweet canela plantains.  I really enjoyed this one.  There were plenty of large oysters and the cumin in the aioli gave it a little more substance than the traditional lemon you're used to seeing with oysters.  The taste wasn't the only reason I liked this one.  As I sunk into my second big bite, my chompers landed on something hard - not what you want to feel when most ingredients are on the soft side.  Turns out I found a pearl.  That has to be some sort of lucky sign.  If only I could find about 50 more for a bracelet...

There were two downsides to the meal.  First, they asked if we wanted heat in our guacamole appetizer and we responded with an enthusiastic "yes."  However, our guac was about as mild as it gets.  It would have been fine if they hadn't asked, but once they gave us the option they needed to come to the table, especially when it's $9 for a pretty small bowl.  The next meal setback came as Matt was about two bites into his fajitas.  Through no fault of the restaurant something went down the wrong pipe and he was choking.  For real choking.  He and Karina needed to leave early, leaving Brad and I to decide whether or not it was appropriate to eat the extra two meals.  After a bite or two of their food, we just felt weird and left for another bar with more positive energy.

Freaky choking aside, I was happy with Diablo's tacos.  I think there may be other (perhaps better) places to get good Mexican/tacos, but if you're already going for the bar scene, pull out a chair and grab yourself an oyster taco.  If nothing else, you'll expand your jewelry collection.

JoeDough Solves the Conflict

I have found a sandwich place to rival my favorite, No. 7 Subs.  JoeDough is the offshoot of JoeDo that serves only sandwiches.  I've heard JoeDo is good but haven't been to vouch; this small window of a restaurant, however, is great.  They have some simpler sandwiches on the menu, like the Cubano and the Chicken Avocado Club.  But if you want simple, you may as well just make yourself and sandwich at home.  I went on the funkier side and ordered the Conflicted Jew.  I never thought I was famous enough to have a sandwich named after me, but there it was.  Inside buttery grilled challah was a tub's worth of chicken liver pate.  This had the same taste as my Grandma's chopped liver but with a smooth consistency.  On top of the pate were caramelized onions and crispy thick bacon (the conflict).  On the side, they serve a sweet apple compote that I inserted right into my sandwich.  Normally, the apples would be a little too sweet but the other sandwich components are salty so it's like they were just asking for each other.

All sandwiches are $10 (including tax) and they'll keep you full the majority of the day.  If you want to upgrade to the combo, don't get the kettle chips they have in a basket.  Do yourself a favor and get the homemade chips, which are basically toast points.  If you happen to get the messy Conflicted Jew, they're perfect for scooping up all the extra liver/onion filling that slips out.  As a Jew, I may still be conflicted, but there is no question in my mind about how much I like JoeDough.

3 on Thursday

By now, I'm well into my Birthright trip to Israel.  Have you been holding down the fort while I've been away?  To keep you busy, here are some fun finds I rounded up before my trip:

Apparently, neon is hot right now.  I found this great mod top for $35 and pants for $12 at H&M.  I'm not one to follow trends so if I go for one of the fads, I would rather do it on the cheap.  I went with a quasi-neon, as this top is more lime sherbet than 80s neon because that was just more me.  Also more me?  A mod look.  Love clean lines.  Someone complimented my "Audrey Hepburn look" the day I wore this and I thought that was the best compliment I could get.

The Coveteur is a great website that gives you a special peek into the closets of the rich, famous, and fashionable.  They present the clothes outside the closets themselves so you also get to see their posh home decor.  Only the most special pieces are highlighted so you can see how they've impacted the lives of their owners.

Apparently JK Rowling is writing a book for adults.  Since I pretty much read Harry Potter as an adult, I can only imagine this will be PHENOMENAL.