GOLDA’S KITCHEN CABINET Want to spice up your culinary arts program? Add a dash Tip of za’atar or cumin, a splash of olive oil and fresh lemon This program can have even more juice to the menu, and introduce campers to…Golda’s impact if you connect it to Jewish values that your campers may be Kitchen Cabinet for authentic Israeli delicacies! exploring in other areas of camp. Here are some that may work well: WHY “GOLDA’S KITCHEN CABINET”? Curiosity, Creativity, Wonder, Joy, Israel’s 4th Prime Minister, Golda Meir, used to meet with her closest advisors Confidence, Courage. around her green formica kitchen table to cook up new policy initiatives. She also drank 12 cups of coffee every day and served her guests homemade cheesecake and apple strudel. We would have loved to share her recipes, but Golda guarded Fun fact them like state secrets! For his portrait of Golda Meir, Israeli Israeli cuisine is a hot ticket these days. In 2016, the filmmaker Roger Sherman artist Hanoch Piven bought a pair of created an acclaimed full-length documentary called “In Search of Israeli Cuisine,” what were called “Golda Shoes” at and hundreds of cookbooks highlight the widest range of Israeli delicacies you the orthopedic store in Tel Aviv where can imagine. the Prime Minister used to buy her shoes. PREPARATION AND IMPLEMENTATION Israeli food is fresh, creative, colorful, and delicious. But what makes it ideal for Further Exploration camp is that every dish has a story. Israeli society is a melting pot of people and Jews have immigrated to Israel in cultures that embraces spicy and sweet, crunchy and soft, slow-cooked and many waves, starting with Aliyah to barely-cooked…the sky’s the limit! Palestine before the establishment Immigrants to Israel have contributed traditional favorites to the ever-evolving of the state, and from dozens of Israeli cuisine. Burekas from the Balkans, goulash from Hungary, couscous from countries: Yemen, Ethiopia, Former Morocco, and a whole lot of local favorites that include chocolate spread, Bamba, Soviet Union, India, North America, and of course falafel and hummus. and elsewhere. Check your Israel Resource Cards to learn more. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ISRAEL @ CAMP, VISIT theicenter.org/initiative/israel-camp 1/2 WAYS TO USE AND ENHANCE We’ve provided a few classic recipes that you can try in your culinary program, Tip but why not make it personal? If you don’t have a cooking program, invite your kitchen staff to use the > Ask Israeli staff members to bring one or two of their family’s cherished spices and these recipes to add Israeli recipes when they come to camp — remind them to keep it simple! — and flavor to camp meals. begin a cooking session by letting them share a story about their family back home in Israel. Then divide campers into groups to cook or bake according to the family recipe. Be sure to leave time for everyone to sample their work! Fun fact In 2017, Israeli chef Michael Solomonov > Israelis aren’t the only ones who have favorite Israeli food recipes. Ask all won the prestigious James Beard award staff members to bring a recipe they associate with Israel! for Outstanding Chef. His restaurants > Encourage everyone who brings a recipe to camp to bring photos and and cookbook reflect an incredible a story to share. This will allow campers to embrace the food they are amalgamation of multiple cultures and cooking as part of a rich tradition. Some of their stories might be adapted cuisines that have merged to create a for bedtime stories in cabins. uniquely Israeli kitchen. DETAILS > Materials: Some recipes can be made over a campfire and are ideal for Taking it home cookouts, while others are more suited for your cooking facility. Encourage your campers to take their > Age: Cooking programs can be tailored to campers of all ages. Consider favorite recipes from the summer home trying a couple of recipes as a team-building activity during Staff Week! to make with their families. Remind them that the stories they heard are > Duration: A standard camp period of 40–60 minutes should suffice. stories they can share with others. Tip The more advance planning and collaboration you do with Israelis at camp, the more “authentic” this experience can be! FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ISRAEL @ CAMP, VISIT theicenter.org/initiative/israel-camp 2/2 שקשוקה RECIPE SHAKSHUKA INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp. olive oil Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cookbook, 2 tsp tomato paste by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi 2 large red peppers, diced 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp ground cumin Serves 4 1 tsp chili powder (mild) 1 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp salt Pinch of cayenne pepper (or more to taste — spicy!) 5 large very ripe tomatoes, chopped (or 5 cups canned diced tomatoes) 4 large eggs, plus 4 egg yolks Chopped parsley and/or thick plain yogurt for garnish INSTRUCTIONS Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and Do the same with the yolks. Use a fork to swirl the egg whites add the tomato paste, peppers, garlic, spices, and ¼ tsp salt. a little bit with the sauce, taking care not to break the yolks. Stir and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes until the Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, until the egg whites are set peppers are softened. but the yolks are still a bit runny (you can cover the pan with a lid to hasten the process). Add the tomatoes, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for 10 minutes until you have a thick sauce. Taste and adjust Remove from the heat, leave for a couple of minutes to seasoning. settle, then spoon into individual plates, sprinkle with parsley, garnish with yogurt, and serve with bread ont the side! Make 4 little dips in the sauce. Gently break the eggs and carefully pour each one into its own dip. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ISRAEL @ CAMP, VISIT theicenter.org/initiative/israel-camp שקשוקה ABOUT SHAKSHUKA NOTES Nobody can say for sure exactly who invented shakshuka, or when. Its origins may lie in Turkey from the days of the Ottoman Empire, but Moroccans, Tunisians, Libyans, and others all insist that their ancestors came up with the spicy, thick, satisfying meal in a skillet. Hundreds of thousands of Jews who immigrated to Israel from all over the Middle East in the 1950s brought their family recipes with them, and shakshuka quickly became a staple in Israeli cuisine. Most often eaten for breakfast, it also can be a filling lunch or a light evening meal. Whether you scoop it into fresh pita or sop it up with a chunk of crusty bread, you’re sure to love shakshuka. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ISRAEL @ CAMP, VISIT theicenter.org/initiative/israel-camp לימונענע RECIPE MINT LEMONADE INGREDIENTS Juice of 3–4 lemons or 10 limes Adapted from Aruchot Aruchot, 1/3–½ cup sugar by Yisrael Aharoni 6 cups water 3–4 sprigs of fresh mint or 1 tsp dried mint 1 lemon, sliced thin Serves 5–6 INSTRUCTIONS Heat the sugar and 1 cup of water in a pan until the sugar is dissolved. Place all ingredients in a large pitcher with ice cubes. Stir well. Wait 10 minutes and serve. TURN THIS INTO AN ICY, SLUSHY DRINK KNOWN IN ISRAEL AS LIMONANA: Place the mixture into a blender and blend until the drink has a uniform consistency. Serve immediately — and be ready for everyone to want seconds! FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ISRAEL @ CAMP, VISIT theicenter.org/initiative/israel-camp לימונענע ABOUT MINT LEMONADE NOTES Israeli summers are hot! Everywhere you go, people will remind you to drink lots of water. Water is good — but why limit yourself to straight H2O? Mint Lemonade, or limonana, is the ideal thirst-quenching drink that will pick you up and give you energy. Culinary sources refer to limonana as “Israel’s contribution to the world of slushy summer drinks.” Using the citrus that grows in abundance in Israel and the mint leaves that seem to grow everywhere, people whip up this drink — chilled or frozen — all summer long. You can also make it with dried mint and — if you must — powdered lemonade. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ISRAEL @ CAMP, VISIT theicenter.org/initiative/israel-camp חומוס RECIPE HUMMUS INGREDIENTS 16 oz can of chickpeas Adapted from Zahav, Juice of 1½ large lemons (about 1/3 cup), more to taste by Michael Solomonov 2 to 4 cloves garlic, grated 1½ tsp kosher salt, more to taste 1 cup sesame tahini paste Serves 8 ½ tsp ground cumin, more to taste Sweet paprika, for garnish Olive oil, for serving Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish INSTRUCTIONS Drain the chickpeas and place in a bowl. may take upward of about 2 minutes; just keep going until the mixture is ultra-creamy and fluffy, adding a little water Make the tahini sauce. In a blender, combine the lemon juice, if you need it to make the contents of the blender move. garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let mixture sit for 10 minutes. Add Taste for seasonings, adding more salt, lemon juice, and/or tahini, 1½ teaspoons salt and the cumin, and blend until a cumin as needed. thick paste forms. Add 1/3 to 2/3 cup ice water while blender is running, a little at a time, until sauce is smooth. You’re looking To serve, spread the hummus on a plate, dust with sweet for a perfectly smooth, creamy sauce. paprika, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with parsley.