Buy the book at Amazon!

I love presents. I wish I could post my address on the blog so that you all can send me gifts. But that would be creepy

This week, I finally finished reading “My Life In France” by Julia Child & Alex Prud’Homme. It was quite the delightful read. Not knowing much about the legendary Mrs. Child (beyond the common knowledge of her tv show and Dan Akroyd SNL skit), I learned that she was one of the most positive, humble, and full of life people I have ever read about. The book chronicled Julia’s most formative and exciting years of her life; those she spent living in France during the late 1940’s and 50’s with her husband Paul Child. In those years, she fell in love with France and it was where she developed her passion and curiosity for the cuisine which eventually made its way back to the U.S. and onto our television screens.

Enough about the book – which I am explicitly recommending- and back to my point. In the book, Julia’s first French culinary adventure begins with a dish she continuously references throughout her life: Sole Meuniere, which is sole filets in butter. This classic French dish begins with flour dredged sole sauteed in a butter sauce and finished with lemon [and parsley].

I did not set out to make this dish tonight for dinner. In fact, at the market this evening I was looking for tilapia or sea bass to take home. But alas, red snapper was on sale and jumped out at me. I brought home the snapper filets, looked in the pantry for a dish idea, and ended up snagging the flour! Then the butter! And the lemon! And I quickly realized what I was doing- my subconscious was telling me to make Sole Meuniere [actually- Red Snapper Meuniere].

I won’t post the details of this recipe, b/c I just winged it with “My Life in France” in the back of my mind. Here are some photos though.

I love it when you are simply drawn to preparing a dish without even knowing it.

Merci, Julia.

I ate this delicious and hearty soup at Mordoch in Jerusalem in January and have found the recipe! Here it is, from the book “The Foods of Israel Today” by Joan Nathan. It is a great book, I highly recommend getting it on Amazon or at your local library.

Kubbeh Soup from Mordoch

Yield: 8-10
12 cups chicken broth
2 celery stalks with leaves, cut into 2 inch chunks
5 small zucchini, cut into 2 inch chunks
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Juice of 2 lemons
12 kubbeh
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil/dill

- In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil
- Add the celery, zucchini, salt and pepper, lemon juice, and kubbeh. Cover and simmer 25 minutes or until the kubbeh are soft.
- Add the basil or dill and adjust the seasonings of the soup, adding more lemon juice if needed.
- Simmer a few minutes more and serve immediately.

Kubbeh (meat dumplings):
2 cups bulgur
2 cups semolina
1 tsp salt
½ medium onion, chopped fine
1 tbsp olive oil
½ lb chopped beef
2 tbsp pine nut
¼ tsp allspice
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Soak the bulgur in warm water to cover for about an hour
- Squeeze the bulgur dry and mix with the semolina and salt, kneading well with your hands, adding water as necessary to form a dough.
- Sauté the onions in the oil until translucent, then add the beef. Sauté about 5 minutes, breaking up the meat until it is cooked through. Drain off any excess fat.
- Add the pine nuts, allspice, and chopped parsley.
- Divide the dough into 12 rounds about 2 ½ inches across. Dip your hands in cold water and tunnel out the center. Insert a tsp of the meat mixture into the hole and form a round ball. Refrigerate for an hour.

Check out my OTHER Kubbeh Soup Recipe, here!

From Publishers Weekly
Gur, founder and chief editor of Israel’s leading food and wine magazine, Al Hashulchan Gastronomic Monthly, offers an enticing look at the evolution of Israeli cuisine. Part cookbook, part history, this collection with full-color photographs throughout paints a tantalizing and vivid portrait of the nation’s culinary heritage and present-day gastronomy. Recipes include classics such as Falafel, Challah, Classic Jewish Chicken Soup, and Traditional Chopped Liver, as well as the less-familiar Figs Stuffed with Bulgur and Cranberry Salad, Citrus Semolina Cake, and Mina del Pesach (Passover Matzo Pie). Recipes are easy-to-follow and are grouped under salads, the street and the market, simple pleasures, grill, Shabbat and holidays. Detailed sections on the Israeli breakfast, olive oil, coffee, cheese and wine complement the recipes and give context to the important role these play in the Israeli diet. Additional information on open air markets, fishing in Israel and Israeli Shabbat add to the book’s appeal. A section on special ingredients identifies the unusual, although most are easily obtained and will be at least somewhat familiar to most cooks. Beautiful and comprehensive, this book will become an immediate favorite with anyone with even a passing interest in Israeli cuisine. Full color photos.

Review
“It’s a real joy to discover that a great and vibrant gastronomic culture has emerged in Israel out of the varied legacies from the old Diaspora communities. The Book of New Israeli Food is splendid, engagingly written, with delicious recipes and stunning photographs. Stories, features, and background information give a fascinating insight into life in Israel, the enthusiasm of home cooks, the creativity of chefs, and the passionate endeavors of bakers, winemakers, and olive oil and cheese producers.”
–Claudia Roden, author of The New Book of Middle Eastern Food

“Finally, a book about Israeli food that is modern in its approach and comprehensive in its scope… [With] beautiful photography, an attractive format, plenty of useful recipes, and some food stories to boot, [it] is a perfect gift… Warmly recommended.”
–Israel Aharoni, Yedioth Ahronoth

“Filled with delicious recipes, Janna Gur’s gorgeous new book puts Israel on the culinary map–exactly where it deserves to be.”
–Bonnie Stern, author of Bonnie Stern’s Essentials of Home Cooking

Pre-order “The Book of New Israeli Food: A Culinary Journey”

About the Author, Jana Gur:

Janna Gur was born and raised in the former Soviet Union, and immigrated to Israel in 1974. Trained as an editor and literary translator, she is the founder and chief editor of Al Hashulchan Gastronomic Monthly (On the Table), the leading Israeli food and wine magazine, widely read by professional chefs and amateur food enthusiasts. Ms. Gur has been involved for the past five years in editing and developing formats for books published by Al Hashulchan Gastronomic Media.

After a quick peruse, I noticed that EVERYTHING seems to be stuffed with meat. And I can’t wait to try out all the recipes!
Here is a standout: Artichokes stuffed with meat. MMMM

This book received a perfect five star rating from Amazon readers. Please buy it, here.