33 Flavors at the Mahane Yehuda Market – Part II
Read part I of 33 Flavors at the Mahane Yehuda Market here
By Deena Levenstein
We walked through the seemingly secret door and up the stairs to Tali Friedman’s beautifully designed studio with a kosher state-of-the-art kitchen in the heart of Jerusalem’s flagship outdoor market. By then we had tasted no less than 19 foods and drinks throughout Mahane Yehuda, everything from a puffed pastry dish with tehini, spice and pickles (it’s better than it sounds) to natural no-added-sugar cold fruit teas.
Upstairs in the studio, we were given an overview of the 10-dish meal we were about to prepare from the freshest market ingredients. We were each given tasks and we got to work.
Yossi, Tali’s wonderful sous chef, immediately turned on invigorating up beat music and sailed around the kitchen directing us as needed.
- Every ingredient was prepared according to the precise instructions.
- For example, I chopped parsley as fine as sand. Yes, that’s what Yossi requested. No, I didn’t know that was possible.
- Everyone enjoyed the process and felt proud of the ingredients they had prepared for the meal.
- When we were done, dozens of fresh ingredients were ready to be thrown together in perfect harmony.
- At that point Tali began to put together the dishes in front of our very eyes as she explained every step.
Each course was served as fresh as it comes. The dishes were bursting with flavors and even the pickiest young eaters among us loved the meal.
Here are a few examples of our meal:
- Ceviche salad with fresh radishes and mango
- Roasted baladi eggplant with fresh tehini concentrate and tomato
- Beautiful fish served in small personal pans with an exciting mix of vegetables and herbs
- Apple blintzes prepared by the kids with olive oil instead of margarine and a homemade apple filling.
All that food along with arak (a local alcoholic drink) and two bottles of wine – one red, one white – meant we had the most wonderful feast for the taste buds, the stomach and heart. Everyone left happy, with a sense of accomplishment and contentment.
Please contact us to learn more about our customized luxury tours to Israel.
Author
Deena Levenstein
Deena Levenstein is a writer and social-cultural entrepreneur in Jerusalem. She creates and hosts events and runs "Things to do in Jerusalem," a Facebook group of handpicked cultural events in the city. In her spare time she blogs at http://deena.co/.
Subscribe to our newsletter
you may also like
-
City of David – Of Kingdoms and Water – Part II
Entire kingdoms and stories are built around water sources. Where there’s water, there is potential for civilization. And so we headed down to see the Gihon Spring, the major water source in ancient Jerusalem, and hear how it was used and manipulated in order to win wars.
January 6, 2015 -
The story of Magdala in the Galilee
One cold winter morning I drove over to Magdala Center by the Sea of Galilee, to finally learn about the exciting findings that were excavated in this place I’d been hearing about for years. This is what I learned…
August 21, 2015 -
Christ Church – Saving the Jews in Unintended Ways
Christ Church in Jerusalem might remind you of a synagogue with its Hebrew writing, a Jewish menorah (the candelabra in the background), a star of David and… a strange lack of crosses (until you look up). Here is its story…
July 22, 2015 -
Planning A Bar Or Bat Mitzvah At Masada? Think again
By Joe Yudin, CEO of Touring Israel Almost every week someone asks me if I can plan their son’s or daughter’s…
March 7, 2016 -
Israeli chefs bring Sabra flavor to the table, and into your kitchen
It’s finally the period known in Israel as ‘acharei hachagim,’ or, after the holidays, offering the return to routine that everyone…
October 15, 2017 -
Sunrise At Masada
By Joe Yudin, CEO of Touring Israel In case anyone misunderstood my last blog post about my reservations for having a…
March 29, 2016 -
A Message From Joe Yudin
Dear Friend of Touring Israel, As you know, we love keeping you up-to-date on the latest happenings in our part of…
January 5, 2015 -
The Picturesque Town of Zichron Yaakov
A quaint town with stunning photo ops at every turn, Zichron Yaakov provides a peek into the lives of the early Jewish pioneers and their struggle for independence.
October 30, 2015 -
Yom Hazikaron – For Those We Mourn & Celebrate
This juxtaposition of one of the saddest days in the year to one of the most joyous days is difficult for many and yet makes sense since the way to truly appreciate the amazing fact that we have a state is by looking back at those who made it possible, like Akiva Levy, the Holocaust survivor, and thousands of others.
April 22, 2015
