Yummy delights from Israel

I am continually amazed that each place in the world has come up with new and creative ways to combine spices and ingredients that make the most wonderful meals. The Middle East is no different and their food there was surprisingly irresistible. Other than Pita and Hummus I was not sure what I would be served, but if I was only going to eat Pita and Hummus for almost three weeks I was perfectly happy. So for your enjoyment I have some delicious new finds for you.



For breakfast in the morning they tend to like a more salty breakfast than generally found in the states and would eat cheeses, veggies, and this thick spread called labneh. I was told that you cannot have breakfast in a home in Israel without having labneh. One thing I learned is they love their yougurt here. There was yougurt served at breakfast, lunch and dinner and labneh is essentially a thicker version of yougurt, almost like Greek yougurt.



Sadly in our hotels the coffee was VERY hit or miss. I can honestly say I had some of the worst cup of coffee ever made while in Israel- but other times it was quite nice. I even came to enjoy a few cups of Arabic coffee which is the first time I have ever finished a cup of plain espresso. My favorite though was at this placed called Aroma. Aroma is like an Arabic starbucks but… Better (gasp*) I cannot explain why – other than you would have to experience it all on your own.



Lunch was the biggest meal of the day- though to me it seemed very similar to dinner. Once the outreach started we had schwarma everyday with either falafel or carved meat.



One day we had grape leaves and stuffed zucchini and squash called Kousa. Both were stuffed with a rice and hamburger meat mixture.



This was a very beautiful and tasty appetizer plate. I am sorry I cannot remember the names of all the little appetizers- but I assure you they were all quite good.



My favorite meal though by far was this. Sadly I do not know the name of it but it was wonderful. It was a mixture of Chicken, onions, and mushrooms stir fried together and served on this baked bread. I was sad I only found this one time- but that one time was worth every bite.



Desserts! The most common dessert was baklava. In Turkey the baklava was usually fully saturated in honey. I really liked the baklava in Israel because it wasn't quite as sweet and was stuffed with pistachios.



However- the baklava was nothing compared to this amazing new find. This dessert was like nothing I have ever tasted before. The dessert is called Knafa and if you are ever in a Middle Eastern restaurant this is a must have. Served warm the outside shell is a crispy crunchy perfection and the inside in filled with a delicious mild cheese and somewhere in between the shell and filling is this amazing sweetness. It’s actually oozing out of the crispy shell so a fork is recommended, cause the stickier the better. My oh My this was my favorite. I wish I could have you taste through my blog- but all I can leave you with is this picture and an assurance that it is fabulous!