Pass the Honey, Honey.

Reporting from the land of milk and honey. Here’s some food for thought on the seasonal ingredient (honey that is). The month of September/October is a festival fun land for the Jews. Every week is another celebration, beginning with the Jewish New Year and ending with outdoor booths and lots of greenery. One thing that surrounds this period of time is the simple and timeless food substance, honey – which accompanies every meal. In fact, in September 2011, 2000 tons of honey was consumed by Israelies. And just to add another fun fact – 150 million text messages were sent as the New Year approached. Lucky phone companies.

 

A Little Bit of History…

Simple reason we drizzle (or soak) our bread in honey and use it in abundance throughout this time period? It was a tradition instituted by all the Jewish dentists to increase their client base. Not really. More along the lines of being hopeful that our year ahead is as “sweet” as honey. Honey chicken, honey cake, honeyed carrots (tsimmes), honey soup (just kidding), the notorious apple dipped in honey, and some even enjoy mixing chummus and honey. This custom actually dates all the way back to the 7^th century, probably even earlier than that, although this was the first recording of the tradition. The vague term ‘sweet’, is an umbrella for all good things – fulfillment, happiness, security, peace, contentment and serenity. It also serves as a reminder of the Jewish homeland, otherwise known as the land flowing with milk and honey. Traditional honey from Israel is made from over ripe dates, rather than bee’s. This honey remains popular in Israel, also called silan.

--Random halachic note—

Most products that are produced by non-kosher animals (e.g. camel milk) are considered not kosher. Even though bee’s aren't kosher, the honey from bees is still given the stamp of approval. The rabbis explain this is because the sac in the bee that contains the honey is only a storage place, rather than it being an integral part of the bee’s body. In contrast, milk-producing organs (like in a camel) are an integral body part of the animal, meaning the milk is an integral part of the animal, while honey is not.

And now for some nutrition:

A Spot of Nutrition…

Honey always seems to be a hot topic in the media. Bad for our teeth, but then again, it’s natural so it must be good for us right?

Here are the facts, starting with the good…
- While sugar contains 46 calories per table spoon, honey contains 64. However, honey ends up being a slightly better choice calorifically, because it is a lot sweeter than sugar and therefore you end up using less of it.
-  Honey has had medicinal properties dating all the way back to the old days, including its ability to help cure a sore throat, heal wounds and mixing it with tea to assist with sleeplessness..
- It also can act as an anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-parasitic and anti-fungal (what a mouthful).
- Honey contains vitamin B2, B6, iron, calcium, phosphorous and manganese.
-  Honey has a lower GI than sugar – meaning that it is absorbed more slowly into your blood stream.

What about the bad?
- Regardless of this fun fact, according to many opinions - neither of the two sweeteners are a ‘better’ option when it comes to diabetes.  They both raise blood sugar levels and should be consumed as an ingredient, rather then on their own.
- For anyone younger than 12 months, honey should be completely avoided because it could cause botulism, a type of food poisoning which happens to be lethal.
-  A lot of enzymes and nutrients are destroyed by the process raw honey goes through to give is a clear appearance.
-   Watch out for tooth decay. All that sticky stuff is not good for your teeth. 

Consensus? As with all things nutrition, and I feel like I have
been saying this a lot lately. It's all good in moderation. I guess
at this time of the year, we would probably be over that point
of "eating in moderation" in general, so what's a little honey
gonna hurt?

Sweet year people!

Too tired for life?

“Ein li koyach” – or “אין לי כוח” (English – I have no strength/energy), might be something you would hear strolling down the streets of Israel. A more familiar term is the notoriously Jewish sigh “oyyyy (vey)”. This word carries a lot of weight with it, implying a feeling of exasperation, exclamation, exhaustion or pain. Today, the most common symptom that people complain about is being tired. Lack of sleep, too much sleep, lack of food, too much food, extreme heat, extreme cold, too much stress, not enough stress, boredom or just a conversation filler – the feeling of fatigue, lethargy and exhaustion pervades all of our worlds at some point.

So what does this all have to do with nutrition? Well, from the viewpoint of food and nutrition and all that other “health-freaky” stuff,  there are a few ways to combat or avoid that feeling of constant tiredness.

1. Wash it down with water:

Our bodies need 2-3L of water a day (8-10 cups). (Seriously? Yes). Fluid helps to carry all the nutrients around our bodies to be used for energy. Lethargy, along with nausea, headaches, dark yellow urine and a dry mouth are some of the symptoms of dehydration. While tea, coffee, milk and other forms of fluid all count – water is the best. So remember - summer or winter: keep drinking. Carry around a water bottle with you and drink a few cups of water at every meal.

2. “Ironned” out:

Another cause of fatigue could be from a lack of iron in the diet – causing iron-deficiency anaemia. The best sources of iron are found in animal foods like red meat, liver, fish chicken and eggs. For vegetarians, plant foods like spinach, broccoli, nuts, lentils and wholegrain cereals contain iron that isn’t as easily absorbed by the body. Eating something high in Vitamin C like a tomato or lemon juice can help absorb the iron. There are also some nutrients that decrease iron absorption – like caffeine, tannins in tea, calcium and fibre. Women need more than double the amount of iron compared to men. If you think you might not be getting enough iron – take a blood test to check it out, and try and include more of these foods in your diet.

3. B for Vitamin B!

There are 8 B-group vitamins that play a huge role in energy production and making red blood cells. Being deficient in any of these Vitamins might result in fatigue. It’s important to remember – the B Vitamins do not provide the body with fuel, they help release energy from nutrients that do (like carbohydrates, fats and proteins). Vitamin-B supplements are available, but check your diet first.

4. Don’t forget to eat:

Skipping meals can also cause feelings of exhaustion. Food is like the fuel for our body, and if we don’t feed it regularly, we will run out of energy. It’s important to eat every 3 or 4 hours, so if you’re leaving 7 hours between breakfast and lunch (or skipping either meal all together) – it’s very likely that you will be feeling tired and finding it difficult to concentrate.

5. Crack onto complex carbs:

Another food myth that people haven’t seemed to be able to let go of, is that carbohydrates are “bad” for you. False. Our body needs glucose (the most simple form of carbohydrates) for energy. Out of all three major nutrients (fat, protein and carbs), our body uses carbohydrates first. More specifically, our brain need glucose for energy. This explains why people who eliminate all carbohydrates from their diet experience poor concentration. However, while carbohydrates are essential – it is ideal to be eating foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates, like wholemeal breads and cereals, brown rice, sweet potato, oats and legumes. Complex carbohydrates are absorbed more slowly into the body, providing a slower release of energy.  This means that you end up stretching out the release of energy into your blood over a longer period of time, compared to something like white bread which gives you a short burst of energy followed by – you guessed it – another feeling of lethargy.

6. Cut out the coffee:

Other then sleep, the tempting thing to do when you feel that wave of tiredness is grab a fresh, steaming cup of coffee to increase your alertness. Hate to break it to you, but caffeine is like a bandaid. You’ll feel extremely awake for a period of time, followed by yet another wave of exhaustion, followed by another urge for coffee. And the cycle repeats. Caffeine also affects your sleep, making it harder to fall asleep at night – and yet again, making you feel tired the following day.

7. Check for food intolerances?

Certain food intolerances can cause the symptom of tiredness. This is because certain nutrients from the food that you may be intolerant to (e.g. lactose, fructose, gluten) aren’t getting absorbed properly. It might be worth writing down what you are eating for a week and checking to see if you have any other symptoms (such as bloatedness) after you eat certain foods.

8. Exercise for energy:

It’s a vicious cycle. You’re too tired to exercise, but then a lack of exercise makes you lethargic. Studies have shown that any form of regular exercise play a huge role in reducing fatigue. Even though it’s probably the last thing you feel like doing, you’ll start to feel a whole lot better pretty quickly. Exercise released certain energy-promoting and mood-enhancing neurotransmitters like dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin. More simply, it allows the oxygen to move around your body more quickly which is used in energy production. So – get moving, and your body will love you for it.

Then again, you might just need to sleep a little more…

The lentil: a triumphant tale

The lentil is one of the earliest foods to appear in the Bible, excluding the “forbidden fruit” that Adam, who must have been extremely hungry at the time, decided to munch on. Fast forward a few chapters and we arrive at the story of Esau and the infamous lentil soup.

A little bit of History…

It all started one fine day when Isaac's older son, Esau (a redhead), returned home after a long, hard day of hunting in the fields. His brother, Jacob, greeted him with the tantalizing smell of freshly cooked lentil stew. Esau, obviously ravenous from all the hunting demanded a bowl of “that red stuff” or in Hebrew terms “האדום הזה"  . Being the smart brother, Jacob sneakily bargained a bowl of soup for Esaus birthright. Now, I don’t know about you – but if I was starving, and all I had to do was give up my birthright in return for some food, I wouldn’t think twice.  On a side note, we can learn a lesson here – in times of hunger, people will do anything for food. Either that, or it was some damn, good lentil soup. I wonder what magic ingredients Jacob used in that soup.

So, Esau got his bread and lentil stew, while Jacob received the rights of the first born. In those days, the birthright was a huge deal. The family name was passed along to the eldest son along with most of the family’s inheritance. In this case, it was particularly a big deal, because it meant Jacob was continuing the lineage of Abraham, who happens to be a pretty important guy in history.
 

There is also the theory that Jacob cooked the red lentil soup for his father, Isaac, who was mourning the death of his father, Abraham. The lentil symbolizes mourning because of its round shape. Just like the lentil rolls, death and mourning constantly roll among men, from one to the other. (I’m not so sure I like this analogy).

A Spot of Nutrition…

Maybe it was the all encompassing smell that seduced Esau to swap the lentil soup for his birthright, or maybe it was the exceptional nutritional qualities that the lentil has to offer. I doubt it, but it's time the lentil comes out of the nutritional closet it’s been hiding in for all these years.

To start with, lentils are cheap, easy to prepare and absorb the flavour of anything they’re put with. They’re extremely high in fibre (16g per 1 cup), which is great for keeping you full for a long time and maintaining a healthy digestive system. They also prevent blood sugar levels from rising rapidly after a meal and at the same time, are really high in protein. After soybeans and hemp, they contain the most protein out of any nut or legume. Perfect for any vegetarians. They’re virtually fat free, making them relatively low in calories/energy (1 cup of cooked lentils have 230 calories). There's more! This tiny, nutritional giant is rich in other nutrients like iron, magnesium, folate and vitamin B6. 

And so, the humble lentil has made it's way up the foodie ladder from the early biblical days, to showing up in modern day veggie cuisine (the much loved lentil burger) and finally making a star appearance in one of my favourite YouTube clips by marcel the shell:

Quote: “Guess what I wear as a hat? (what?) A lentil.”

There is also an excellent non profit, vegetarian eaterie in Melbourne, called Lentil as anything, where customers can give however much money they think the food is worth. 

Well done Mr. Lentil, well done.

Handy tip: when cooking lentils, remember to wash and soak them before.

There are many versions of lentil soup, both red and green – but here is a recipe that a friend of mine created. It seriously has magic powers, eat it – and you will feel full for hours and hours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fz_0Wky6fv8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

A La Bamba

Bamba snack has been around in Israel since the 60’s. You’ll spot it’s recognizable packaging in any supermarket or makolet (milk bar/convenience store) around town. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the notorious “Bamba Snack” – it is essentially peanut-butter flavoured puffed corn. It claims to be free from any cholesterol, preservatives, food colouring and enriched with several vitamins. Sound healthy? Lets see what this peanut-flavoured snack is really all about…

A little bit of history…

Despite its humble appearance (refer to pictorial below), Bamba snack makes up 25% of the Israeli snack market. It was first manufactured by the Osem corporation in 1964 as a cheese flavoured snack, and moved over to a peanut butter snack 2 years later. Other manufacturing companies have tried to come up with similar products (e.g. “Shush” and “Parpar”), but none have reached the mouths of as many children and adults alike, as Bamba. Other more recent flavours that have come out include, strawberry (useful for anyone allergic to peanuts), chalva filled and nougat filled. If anyone is interested there is a Bamba house in Holon, where you can learn anything and everything about the snack (tours are free).

A spot of nutrition...

Ok, granted – as advertised, it is free from preservatives, food colouring and cholesterol. But so is a lot of other snacks, take natural peanuts for example. Being that Bamba is only 49% peanuts, you’re better off having them plain.

Added vitamins? Fair enough, but we shouldn’t be confusing foods that naturally contain vitamins compared to added vitamins. Vitamins and minerals are meant to be eaten as part of a whole food, along with all the other nutrients that the food contains. If we want to encourage eating a more nutritious diet, we should be encouraging foods that are naturally high in nutrients, rather than a peanut puff with some added nutrition. The little Bamba baby on the packaging specifically targets the product to children – we shouldn’t be confusing the little ones of our generation with mixed nutrition messages.

This comes along with the fact that the product is still high in fat and energy – in 100g of Bamba (a small bag is 25g), there are 544 calories (or 2277 kJ), which is about ¼ of the amount of calories an adult should have in a day, and 35g of fat.  

On the plus side, compared to other packaged snacks – like potato chips and Bissli, I would probably place Bamba a little higher on the scale. The other bonus that proponents of the product like to argue, is that Israeli children appear to have less peanut allergies because of they are more exposed to peanuts (i.e. Bamba) at a younger age. This is according to the opinion, that the early introduction of peanuts to infants can prevent the development of peanut allergies because the body is able to develop a tolerance to the peanut protein. One specific study found that Jewish children in the UK were 10 times as likely to develop a peanut allergy compared to Jewish children in Israel.

BBQ season

Ensuing my Return to Zion I was greeted by a country filled with a cacophony of barbeques:

‘tis the season to be covered in smoke. And by smoke, I mean barbeques. My arrival to Israel a few weeks ago seems to have coincided with a nationwide BBQ infatuation, also known in this country as “Mangal מנגל” or “Al Ha’aish על האש”. It all began with Yom Haatzamaut (Independence Day), where parks and gardens were filled with family and friends enjoying burgers (boo-gerrr) and hotdogs. Moving onto Lag Baomer, which took place just a few days ago, the night sky was filled with so much smoke from  the multitude of bonfires, you could have easily thought the country was at war. When - in fact, the night was just another excuse to cook food over a fire.

 

And now, with summer well and truly here (maybe not technically, but certainly weather-wise) I do not doubt the constant aroma of grilled meat and other assorted goods wafting through the streets on a balmy summers night.

On that note, we have arrived at our usual question –

Are barbeques nutritionally good or notoriously unhealthy?

And as always:

There are two sides of the coin, or should I say, two sides of the burger bun? (don’t worry, I'll avoid including anymore corny-ness in this blog entry)

To start off on a positive note barbeques definitely have the potential to be a really healthy meal. The method of cooking on a barbeque doesn’t require much added oil, and if you go for meats like chicken breast, lean pieces of steak, fresh fish and homemade burgers you will be eating minimal amounts of fat. Add in vegetable skewers, fresh salads, corn on the cob, baked sweet potato and fruit salad for dessert, you'll become the perfect picture of health. To top it off, eating a meal outside in the sunshine with good company is also great for your mental health. How’s this for a relaxed atmosphere? Picture a picnic blanket filled with colourful food and happy people laughing and eating together. Perhaps a casual game of Frisbee/footy/madkot (depending what country you are from) going on in the background – what could be better?

Unfortunately, it’s not all fun and games. There are a few health risks that come along with BBQs. Cooking meat at extremely high temperatures won’t only ruin the taste and texture of the meat, it can also produce chemicals that have cancer-causing properties. To get a little technical, when the meat is cooked at high temperatures, the amino acids (proteins in the meat) react with something called creatine. This reaction forms a dodgy substance called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) that have been thought to increase cancer risk, particularly stomach and colon cancer. The longer the meat is cooked for, means more of these heterocylic amines are produced. The smoke produced from the burning coals also exposes the meat to cancer-causing chemicals.

Then there is the potential of undercooking the chicken on the barbie, which can result in uncomfortable situations. Ever had a really bad stomach ache after a BBQ, with the irrefutable knowledge that the meat was cooked wayyy too quickly? It is also really common to use cheap, unhealthy cuts of meat such as sausages, pre prepared burgers, chicken wings and lamb chops, paired with bread and a couple of beers or cans of coke (no salads included, except for maybe a mayonnaise-laden coleslaw). Top that off with sitting out in the sun for hours, exposing your skin to UV rays and cancer risk – remind me of the original scenario I painted?

So maybe that was two extreme (or not so extreme) examples of BBQs. The point is, they have the potential to go either way, you might just have to put in a little more effort to make them healthier (as usual).

Also, here are some ways to reduce the formation of HCAs:

• Clean the grill
• Trim excess fats from foods
• Avoid flare ups from the grill, as they increase HCA formation
• Try to avoid overcooking the food, the black, charred bits are the largest source of HCAs
• Use marinades that contain olive oil and lemon juice, as well as fresh herbs like oregano, sage, thyme and rosemary – as these can also reduce the formation of HCAs

So here is to an upcoming summer of beaches, barbeques and breakthrough moments. And for everyone else in the Southern Hemisphere - apologies, you'll have to wait 6 months..

I’m not sure how this song quite fits into the theme but just roll with it…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pNlMgH2p-Y

Pregnant with a Matzah baby? Learn how to stay regular during this disastrous week:

While the week of Pesach is a time of irregularity, there is one thing that remains regular. People complaining about their bowels and the like. The phrase "Let my people go" takes on a whole new meaning. Somehow the gastrointestinal system does not appreciate the change in diet and responds in a negative manner. Fear not. Here are some ways to combat this and keep those bowels happy.

#1 Feast on Fibre

Dietary fibre is the stuff found in foods like wholegrain bread, cereal, oats, brown rice, lentils, legumes and wholemeal pasta. Amongst its many benefits it helps to prevent constipation and keeps your lower intestine in tip top shape. Unfortunately, a large proportion of the foods that are high in fibre are banned during Pesach - making it a little more difficult then usual to fit it. So what are the high fibre foods that you can eat during Pesach? Fresh fruit and vegetables, cooked fruit and vegetables, dried fruit and vegetables and nuts. But not fruit juice. Try to keep the skin on the fruit and vegetables as that contains majority of the fibre. As you can see – lots of choice!

There is also wholemeal matzah which is a great option (seems to have a lot more flavour than the plain matzah) and if you’re really struggling, marry a Sephardi and then you’ll be able to eat brown rice, lentils, corn and all the good stuff.

#2 Keep your body moving:

Exercise is your digestive systems best friend. It helps by moving the food through the large intestine and can assist in the contraction of your intestinal muscles. After sitting through one or two (depending on which country you live in) Seders, go for a walk, boogy to some Pesach music, go on a Matzah hike – or  do any form of physical activity that you enjoy really.

#3 Liquid fun:

Water, water, water. Drink it. Lots of it. And by lots of it, try to aim for 8 cups or 2 litres a day. If you really hate water, any fluid is ok – including tea, coffee, milk and juice. But try to stick with water. Liquid adds fluid to the colon and bulk to stools, making it all easier to pass through. Try and avoid drinking too much caffeine and alcohol as these can dehydrate you.

#4 Natural laxatives:

Both pears and prunes are high in fibre, however pear juice and prune juice have also been shown to improve constipation due to some natural laxatives they contain. Pears contain something called pectin, which has a mild laxative effect while prune juice contains a natural sugar called sorbitol. Similar to fibre, it helps to soak up any water it comes across. It also contains a compound called dihydroxyphenyl isatin*, which acts as a laxative by stimulating the contraction of the intestinal wall and increasing fluid secretion.  

* note – scientific jargon

#5 Medicinal action:

Real laxatives, in the tablet form. If you are still suffering after trying all these tactics, you may need to go to a more drastic form. Laxatives can help with constipation but remember to read the instructions carefully and watch out for the insides of your stomach starting to feel like a punching bag (based on anecdotal evidence).

And finally – it’s only one week. Before you know it, your stomach will be celebrating its own freedom.

Meat and milk – What’s the problem?

Judaism seems to disagree with it. Keeping meat (fleishig) and milk (milchig) seperate is one of the guiding principles in what we like to call as “Kashrut”, Jewish dietary laws. That’s right. It means we can’t eat a bunch of regular people foods like Chicken Parmesan (or parma for the aussies), cheese burgers, lasagna or pepperoni pizza. Even sipping on a cappuccino while eating a chicken sandwich or spreading garlic butter on a piece of steak is a no-no. Meat and milk are kept separate, to the extent that in many Orthodox Jewish homes you will find two sets of plates, cutlery, cups, serving dishes and sometimes even two ovens, two stoves and two sinks. To make things even more complicated, some families have a third set of dishes for foods that are neither meat or milk, otherwise known as “pareve” – neutral (e.g fruit and vegetables).

There are also differences among the Jewish people as to how long one waits between eating a dairy product and a meat product. Some wait 1 hour, 3 hours, 5 hours or even 6 hours – but this will also depending on whether or not the person is eating dairy after meat or meat after dairy. Sounds complicated? Only just a little bit. Welcome to the Kosher world.

And all this originates from a verse in the Book of Exodus (Shemot) which forbids “boiling a kid in its mothers milk”. Don’t freak out. This is not referring to cooking children (although that should also be forbidden), but rather baby goats. From this simple one-liner the dietary laws around meat and milk developed into three main principles.

1)    No cooking meat and milk

2)    No eating meat and milk

3)    Not even getting any benefit from a cooked mixture of meat and milk.

That last one sounds a little strange, it means you would be unable to own a restaurant that served cheeseburgers even if you didn’t cook or eat them.

Just to confirm – meat refers only to meat and poultry from kosher animals, not fish (although some groups of Jews avoid eating fish with cheese for a different reason).

One of the motivations behind this principal is the ethical aspect it represents. Using the milk of an animal to cook its babies is somewhat inhumane and pretty disgusting if you think about it.

And here comes the nutrition aspect:

People are always trying to come up with reasons as to why we keep Kosher. In ancient times, it may have been more obvious that keeping kosher had a positive impact on health, but in modern times it’s hard to support this notion. On the flip side, there are more and more people that choose to buy Kosher products for the supposed health benefits, so go figure...

When it comes to the topic of mixing meat and milk together there is some evidence that claims eating the two together interferes with digestion. The other benefit I guess, is that any restriction on your diet usually (but not always) results in eating less. Meat and dairy are both quite high in energy/calories so avoiding one of the two in a meal should make the dish lower in calories, you would hope.  It also happens to be quite convenient for any vegetarians – if a dish contains any sort of dairy, you can be certain it is meat free. The same goes for any lactards – a dish with meat in it, means they can enjoy it without any worries. Despite these possible benefits, and any other suggested reasons for this Mitzvah – the simple explanation is that we keep kosher because G-d told us to, even if we don’t fully understand why. Not an uncommon theme in Judaism.  

Growing up in an Orthodox home, I was never tempted to eat dairy and meat together. It wasn’t something that appealed to me, probably because my taste buds had never encountered this mixture before. It did however, become particularly challenging for me, when as part of my degree I did a unit on practical cooking skills. First thing I had to make? A caesor salad with bacon and cheese (which apparently wasn’t a problem since bacon isn’t considered “meat” in the Bible). Next thing I had to cook? Chicken stuffed with pesto. Even though I wasn’t eating the food, I had to use substitutes in many situations. The problem was, I never knew which version was better.

So that brings me to my next point. I’ve come up with a few of the classic meat-milk combos that seem to be so popular around the world, and suggested an alternative for the Kosher population that are just as good, or maybe…even better. This is without using soy products and fake meat or cheese.

Cheese burger – the classic meat-milk mixture. Simple alternative – swap the slice of cheese for a grilled portabello mushroom. Healthier and more flavoursome (speaking from a biased point of view). Unfortunately (or fortunately in my opinion) the Kosher McDonalds in Ben Gurion Airport, in Tel Aviv has closed down. Sorry guys.

Lasagna – funnily enough, growing up I only ever had vegetarian lasagna with cheese. The concept of having a “meat-lasagna” never occurred to me. Alas, google a lasagna recipe and the traditional recipe requires minced meat, mozzarella cheese and a white cheese sauce. There is always the option of going veggie, or using weird soy protein meat substitute (which surprisingly tastes great). But moving away from fake food, you can simply make a “white sauce” with margarine, corn starch (to thicken it), coconut milk, fresh garlic, salt, white wine, and any optional minced vegetables for extra flavour (e..g mushrooms, onions, celery). Granted, it is a little more complicated – but definitely worth it!

Pepperoni Pizza – something I’ve always wanted to try but never have, is cracking a whole egg onto a pizza and baking it. Alternatively fry an egg, cut it up and place it around the pizza – let me know how it works out.

Spaghetti bolognaise (spag bol) – Instead of serving with parmesan cheese, sprinkle basil and parsley on top.  Ok, it may be different in texture, colour and flavour but still sprinkle-worthy.

Chicken parmesan – In majority of these dishes, I’ve suggested dairy replacements. In this case its easy – why eat chicken parmesan if you could have eggplant parmesan? And if you can eat eggplant parmesan, why not zucchini parmesan, or carrot parmesan, or pumpkin parmesan? Ugh...that does sound kind of gross. Maybe just put a dollop of chummus on top of the chicken, make Zohan happy.

Cream of chicken soup (is there such thing?) – It might be an Australian product, but adding a can of creamed corn to chicken soup is delicious. Another option, that may sound strange but happens to taste great – is adding rolled oats to chicken soup. It makes the soup a lot more creamier and thicker.

I hope that this has provided some culinary inspiration, rather than a sense of hopelessness at the limitations that come along with Kashrut.  

Gefilte Fish: ge·fil·te fish (g-flt) n. Finely chopped fish, usually whitefish, pike, or carp, mixed with crumbs, eggs, and seasonings, cooked in a broth in the form of balls or oval-shaped cakes, and usually served chilled.

A Jewish legendary food. Somehow it hasn't crept into this blog until now – I guess better late then never? Also, I should point out that this blog has been in operation for a year already! Yay!

So. Gefilte Fish. Kind of like meatloaf, but with fish. Let me paint you a picture. Think of a slightly whitish-greyish oval shaped fish-sponge with a boiled sliced carrot on the top for decoration. It makes no apologies for being one of the most ugliest foods. Commonly consumed with a dollop of chrein (horseradish – blog article link), it is enjoyed by Ashkenazi Jews all over the world on a weekly basis, although as a child I was always terrified of it. One of my friends accidently served gefilte fish in her chicken soup, thinking it was matzo balls – needless to say, it was not a pleasant experience.

A little bit of history…                                                                                                          

The translation of the Yiddish word gefilte is “stuffed”. Back in the Talmudic period,  our sagely Rabbis encouraged eating fish at the Sabbath meal because of its aphrodisiac effect. They believed the tantalizing aroma of the fish at the Sabbath table would support couples in fulfilling the command to be “fruitful and multiply”, specifically promoted on Friday night. On a completely different note, the Hebrew word for fish, dag, numerically corresponds to the value of seven. This reflects the commandment of working for 6 days during the week, and resting on the 7^th. We picked up this custom, and Jews in Eastern Europe used to make a mixture of chopped fish, stuff it back into the skin of a fish and boil it. Hence the name for stuffed fish. They weren’t too creative with the names of their dishes back then.

As was common with dishes in the old times, anything that stretched the limited resources that were available was a plus. Gefilte fish was a cheap form of fish, and at the same time, it prevented the transgression of removing bones on the Sabbath (which falls under the category of “Borer”, separating the bad from the good). With time, Jewish families stopped stuffing fish altogether, and simply formed the fish mixture into balls for boiling or steaming. Less work, I guess. Onions were added to help with preservation, since refrigerators weren’t too popular at the time. Different European countries adopted the different flavours for the fish. While Poland enjoyed a sweet variety of gefilte fish, Lithuanians preferred horseradish and pepper.

Now you can buy prepared frozen logs of gefilte fish, cans of gefilte fish, or just pop into your local deli for a slice.

Fun Fact: New Jersey-based Manischewitz packs 2 million pounds of fish annually for its several varieties of gefilte fish!

A Spot of Nutrition…

The basic ingredients in gefilte fish include ground fish (usually whitefish, carp, mullet or pike), onions, carrot, salt, sugar, oil, eggs, matzo meal and spices. For quite some time now, fish has been put up on a pedestal as one of the most healthy foods out there – mainly because of its high omega-3 content. Omega-3 is an essential (i.e. our body can’t make it on its own but needs to get it from food) fatty acid, found in fish and plant oils. With it, comes a plethora of health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, hypertension and alleviating symptoms of joint pain, depression and ADHD.

Unfortunately, it is mainly the oily fish like tuna, salmon, mackerel and herring (a positive for the popular smoked herring at a Kiddush) that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, absent in the traditional gefilte fish (although there is a variation that contains salmon).

Do not fret, white fish is not too shabby either.

Fish build a significant amount of muscle due to their active swimming life, making them low in fat. White fish are also rich in Vitamin B3 and B6, awesome for promoting healthy skin and eliminating toxins. They have a fair amount of iron, phosphorus, selenium and iodine (good for the immune system and function of the thyroid).

Finally, white fish contain less toxins than oily fish. Because our rivers are polluted with chemicals and toxins from industrial plants and factories, fish end up feeding on polluted plants. A lot of the chemicals are fat/oil-soluble, which means oily fish have higher traces of toxins compared to white 

fish (which only contain oil in their livers).

On the down side, canned gefilte fish is high in salt. Maybe the carrot on the top makes up for it? 

Australia Day

 A tribute to Australian Cuisine. 
*Spoilers alert: There is not an ounce of Jewish-ness to this blog post.

This week bears significance for Aussies. The 26^th of Jan is Ostraya (Australia) day. Not unlike any other Australian public holiday, we celebrate with fireworks, beers (pronounced beeahs) and barbeques. What is the reason for such celebrations you may ask? It is the official national day for Australians, commemorating the arrival of the Captain Cook and his Merry Men – the First Fleet from Great Britain to the Land Down Under back in 1788 (a very young country we are). We celebrate all things Australian, and like every other culture – food just happens to be a part of this.

Lets try an experiment: I say Australian cuisine – you think:

Meat pie?

Vegemite?

Weetbix?

Shrimp on the barbie?

Beer?

While it all sounds great, it isn’t exactly sophisticated or, “cuisine” like. More like a conglomeration of random foods that happen to be enjoyed by Aussies. So this brings me to my next point, what is Australian “cuisine”, and how did it develop? Sorry, not much nutrition included here…

It all started with the Indigenous Australians, where bush tucker was their primary source of nourishment. Animals that were hunted included kangaroos, wallabies and emus, as well as snakes, lizards, witchetty grubs and moths. For some strange reason this cuisine hasn't carried through till today - although it isn’t uncommon to find kangaroo and crocodile sausages sold in local markets and delis. If anyone knows of a Kosher version, please let me know.

Then the Brits came along and took over the Island of Oz. This brought about a whole new selection of food types. Salted meats, roast beef, lamb chops, damper (aussie bread), tea, butter, potatoes in any shape and form, beer and plum pudding. Food was pretty bland and tasteless.

But our cuisine didn’t culminate at the Aboriginals or the British. Instead, it exploded through the wave of immigration after the second World War. Primarily, those from China, Greece, Italy, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Europeans brought us espresso coffee – which has become the post popular beverage ordered in restaurants and cafes around Oz, something I really miss in Israel. Pasta is another dish that was brought to us by the Italians, as well as spag bol (spaghetti bolognaise) and souvlaki, a Greek specialty.  Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants have become popular venues for locals to eat at, while ingredients such as lemon grass, cardamom and Asian greens are readily available all over.  

Now Australia offers a diverse range of eateries and ingredients. All this aside, there are a few iconic Australian foods that remain prominent in our culture.  Here are some that spring to mind, but there are many, many more.

         Vegemite: offer this to any non-native Australian, and they may mistake it for chocolate spread (Yes, I have tried this before). Surprise them. They will be disgusted by the immediate hit of the salty-yeasty flavour vegemite gives off. Just to throw in a tiny bit of Judaism (not to get totally off topic) – I’ve used vegemite in a cholent before, and it happened to be a hit. It is more commonly eaten with margarine and cheese, although I like it with avocado, cucumbers and lettuce (you may not want to try this at home).

-          Lamingtons. Easy to make yourself: Sponge cake, cut into small squares, dip in melted chocolate, dip in coconut. Voila! If you want to get complicated you can put a layer of jam/cream in between two squares. Lamingtons were named after Lord Lamington (great name) who was the Governor of Queensland. The Lamington was created by accident, through a maidservant of the Lord. The servant dropped the Governors favourite sponge cake into melted chocolate by mistake. Not wanting to waste food, Lord Lamington suggested to dip the cake into coconut to avoid having messy fingers. Everyone loved the “accidental” dessert, and it became a success.

     Fairy bread – a favourite amongst the kiddies, even though I happened to have hated it as a child. I remember the disgust I felt as a 6 year old girl in school, when I opened my lunch box to discover I was given a fairy bread sandwich. I threw it out immediately. The concept however, is quite cool: White bread, butter and 100s and 1000s (otherwise known as sprinkles) sprinkled all over – creating a colourful, exciting lunch for anyone under the age of 10. Sorry, no nutrition there.

-          ANZAC biscuits: the acronym coincidentally stands for, Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, which was established in World War I. Apparently these biscuits were sent by the wives of soldiers overseas because the ingredients last for a while and keep well during transportation. The biscuits are made with rolled oats, flour, coconut, sugar, butter, golden syrup, baking soda and water. On a side note, the term “ANZAC” is protected under Australian law and can only be used with the permission of the Minister for Veteran Affairs.

-          Pavlova: an iconic Australian dessert. No relation to Pavlovian conditioning, instead it was named after the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova, following a tour she did in Australia and New Zealand. Also called, “pav” – it is a meringue-based desert, topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit like strawberries, passion fruit and kiwifruit. I say, be creative and add whatever you want. I’d go with chocolate, banana, figs and caramel sauce. Too much?

-          MEAT PIE! A real classic. Show up to any footy game (Australian Football – AFL, NOT American football) and the waft of meat pies will result in instant salivation. Minced meat packed inside pastry, dunked in tomato sauce (American version: ketchup). No cutlery needed, just your mouth. Check out this blokes guide on how to eat a meatpie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfSv4ZqkNJg

-        Damper – Australian bread. Israelies have pita, we have damper. It’s identifying characteristic is that it’s baked in the coals of a campfire. Mm.. burnt bread, the best.

All this Australiana talk has made me nostalgic…and possibly hungry