Steve Kramer: Israel – Cooking Together
Stephen periodically receives new books (in English) to read and review from Gefen Publishing, located in Jerusalem. But the day he received “Cooking Together – The Israeli Pantry; Recipes Originating from the Gaza Envelope” he handed me the book and said “Maybe you’d like to review this cookbook. You are the family cook!”
I read a lot and I cook a lot but I’ve never written a book review, but I was so intrigued that I accepted the challenge! The only way I could even write a cookbook review was to first try some of the recipes.
About 75 percent of Israel’s vegetables come from the Gaza border area, known as the Gaza envelope (Otef Aza in Hebrew), as do many fruit and dairy products. Since the October 7 attack, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, 89 percent of Israeli farmers have been negatively impacted by this war.
The recipes in “Cooking Together” showcase produce from the Gaza Envelope. It also marks Israel’s 76th year of independence by including recipes from a mix of immigrant communities. The recipes I tried were easy. Measurements are written in grams and ounces. Oven temperatures are given in Fahrenheit and Celsius. Each recipe is marked dairy, meat, vegetarian, or vegan. Also, for each recipe there is a list of the Otef (Southern District of Israel) produce recommended – but you can easily substitute.
When I tried out several of the recipes, I was pleased to receive many compliments. However, though the pictures accompanying each recipe looked delicious, some of the finished dishes I prepared didn’t really match them. Nor did they all look like what I expected according to the ingredients. Some recipes could have provided a little more direction. For example, how long should one parboil the potatoes?
This cookbook was a collaborative effort between twenty-eight cooks including residents from the Gaza Envelope, Be’eri Printers in devastated Kibbutz Be’eri, the Hebrew website Foody, Gefen Publishing, and a team of stylists, photographers, and translators.
By eating their food, using (as much as I could find) their produce, using their family recipes and talking about them, we honored the people of the Gaza Envelope who survived the attack. And we had a yummy meal (I was told). This is a great cookbook to own or to gift. It is also available in Hebrew. You can enjoy easy, delicious recipes, and know that you are supporting devastated communities. Does anyone need a Rosh Hashanah gift?
So what was the menu I served? I prepared pea and potato soup that I served cold, Ashkelon’s famous tomato salad, baba ganoush (eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt), pargiyot (boneless, skinless young chicken thighs), and potatoes with a coconut cream and chili sauce. The dessert was Rachel’s chocolate chip cookies and a tahini and date silan (honey) cake. (Rachel Edri is the Israeli grandmother who placated terrorists occupying her home as Israeli soldiers hidden outside prepared to rescue her.) Steve said he was glad he gave me the cookbook “Cooking Together – The Israeli Pantry; Recipes Originating from the Gaza Envelope”!
Two days after the dinner we took the train to Tel Aviv for a day out. First on the agenda was breakfast at the Cafe Otef, 30 Kaplan St in the Sarona entertainment area. The cafe is nothing fancy, just sandwiches, pastries, and coffee, but it is being run by evacuees from Moshav Netiv Ha’asara who have evacuated to Tel Aviv. A second Cafe Otef has recently opened in the Florentin area of Tel Aviv, run by evacuees from Re’im. There are plans for more of these cafes to open in Israel.
You can buy “Cooking Together” at a reasonable price on the publisher’s website: (https://gefenpublishing.com/product.asp?productid=3435). It can also be purchased from Amazon or in Israeli bookstores.
Try it yourself and enjoy delicious Israeli cuisine!
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- cafe otter and shop
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- the many new apartment buildings near Sarona in Tel Aviv
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- cafe otter and shop
