Modern Jewish food is driving the gastronomic world crazy. About a year ago, Israeli chef Meir Adoni opened the Nur restaurant in New York, spoiled by rating establishments, but none of my American friends were able to get into it. I dined there myself only thanks to my personal acquaintance with the owner.

However, during my last two trips to Berlin, I was not able to sit down in the evening at Neni, perhaps the most fashionable establishment in the city, which is run by a Sephardic family from Vienna; I was lucky to book a table only for lunch. The Mogg restaurant in the building of the old Jewish school for girls, which now educates Berliners in the field of shakshuka, hummus, chicken soup with matzbols and pastrami, is also always crowded.

Paris and Vienna are simply obsessed with the savory, almost street food of Tel Aviv resident Eyal Shani. There is always a long queue at his Miznon. And when I go to London, I book Palomar a month in advance, which was opened in Soho by a team of Jerusalem chefs.

What is the secret of all these establishments? Warm atmosphere and gastronomic excitement! Many of the dishes only look familiar, like Jerusalem's famous burnt cauliflower, but sound fresh and are served with unexpected sauces, accompaniments and the kind of sophisticated casualness prized in the world's most famous gastrobistros. As Haya Molho, founder of Neni, says, modern Jewish cuisine embodies the main global trend - a mixture of traditions and multiculturalism.

"After World War II, European Jews again wandered across the continent. And thus our eclectic immigrant cuisine was born. My parents are from Romania. My father was a dentist and moved from city to city. During these lean years, he was often paid not in money, but in food. Sometimes bags of tomatoes, eggplants and herbs accumulated at home. Using old family recipes, my mother prepared aromatic sauces from vegetables, with which even yesterday’s bread went well, and invited neighbors. They were very different people, spoke unfamiliar languages, and became close friends at the table. A lot years later, from here came the concept of Neni, where dishes based on a mixture of tastes are served in the center of the table for all eaters."

The concept turned out to be in demand, especially in megacities where people lack home warmth. As Yossi Elad, one of the creators of Palomar, says, the main thing in food is schmusen, which in Yiddish means “soulful communication.” Because real food, he adds, is full of stories: it tells where we come from, where we stand, where we are going. And they stand in Palomar on the “heels of grandmothers”: they came from different lands and brought their gastronomic stories, which their grandchildren now tell in their own way.

This is why the queue in Soho stretches out in the rain and cold, and the lucky ones who find themselves in a cramped room sit at the bar around the open kitchen or at tables in the hall, from where the bustle of the chefs is also visible: it feels like they are not working, but dancing around, having a wonderful time. Here you just want to eat everything. And baked octopus in tahini sauce with sweet tomato confit, and creamy polenta with mushrooms, asparagus and truffle aroma, and Persian-style oxtail stew, and Yemeni bread with various dips.

Israel, until recently traditionalist in plan, is now itself becoming a center of new culinary trends and gastronomic tourism. Pita with falafel and shawarma, meze with hummus and tabbouleh or the famous Israeli breakfast with shakshuka and yoghurt labneh - all this simple food has been teasing, beckoning, and burning in any eatery for decades.

What kind of eggplants are there, for example! No one cooks them as deliciously as Sephardic Jews. In general, eggplant is their best product. After all, when the Moors brought these vegetables to Spain in the 9th century, Europeans did not yet know how to cook them, and the fruits were also bitter. And eggplants were thrown at the gates of the Jewish ghettos in mockery. But Jewish mothers learned to rid the strange vegetable of its bitterness with the help of salt. Charcoal-roasted eggplant in Israel is traditionally served with sesame tahini paste and pomegranate seeds, which give its silky texture a rich, explosive flavor and vibrant appearance.

True, no one here really cares about aesthetics: the design of even quite gastronomic establishments is still elementary. You often come across different-sized cutlery and plates, nice, but never well-trained service. And Tel Aviv itself is still very atmospheric, growing rapidly, but unkempt, almost abandoned in places, and few people here are fashionable and well dressed.

Israelis have always had other preferences - food and warm communication. And today it is these values ​​that have become in demand all over the world. It is no coincidence that statistics show: young people now prefer to spend money on experiences rather than on new things, and in the family budgets of Americans, for example, expenditure items on travel and gastronomy are much larger than on the purchase of expensive clothes

Today in Israel, fashionable restaurants have begun to appear, focused on creative cuisine, the soil for which has long been ripe. After all, Jews came to Israel from Russia, Morocco, Egypt, Poland, Iraq, Yemen, England, Spain, Germany, France, India, even China. And they brought with them the cuisines of their countries, which mixed with each other and adapted to local products and wines, the quality of which was constantly increasing. Fusion, as we know, is the most nutritious gastronomic environment.

Western internships for local chefs also helped. Some lucky ones got a job with Rene Redzepi in Copenhagen Noma, with Alain Passard in Paris L "Arpege or in New York Nobu. Young chefs brought home even more new tastes and aromas. And now in fashionable Tel Aviv restaurants you can find shakshuka with foie gras, tabbouleh with bulgur popcorn, and even in street cafes in Tel Aviv you will come across pita with Thai or Indian curry Well, yes, the Israelis are a receptive, fun and creative people.

In London, Yotam Ottolenghi became the first star. Then the food world heard about the Jerusalem restaurant Mahane Yehuda, located in the market of the same name. Here, like Ottolenghi, they do not keep kosher, they cook seafood, pork, and meat in milk sauces, but the food always retains the smell of home, the aromas of the Promised Land and the recipes of several generations of people who came from Southern Europe, North Africa and Middle East. That trendy Palomar from London's Soho is a subsidiary of Mahane Yehuda, and now it's wowing the European food scene with advanced orange wines and creative takes on traditional mezes, falafel and hummus.

In the last couple of years, restaurants of new Jewish cuisine have also appeared in Moscow, one of the popular ones is Mitzva Bar. And Meir Adoni told me that he dreams of the Russian market.

To understand the very warm and unifying atmosphere of Israeli cuisine, try making at least the simplest hummus. By the way, this is an excellent Lenten dish: it is made from pureed chickpeas, tahini, vegetable oil, garlic and lemon juice. Hummus spread is one of the most common spreads in the world. It can be both an appetizer and a separate independent dish.

True, hummus contains one irreplaceable ingredient, which is not always easy to buy from us - tahini, sesame seed paste. Some enthusiasts make it themselves: dry 100 grams of sesame seeds in the oven, then pour it into a blender and grind, gradually adding olive oil, half a glass will be just right. But ready-made tahini is easy to find in online stores. Also have some dried and crushed aromatic cumin on hand: this is an optional element, but it greatly enhances the taste.

The chickpeas must be soaked in the evening, covered with a large volume of water (by weight it should be twice the weight of the peas). The next morning I wash it, fill it with fresh water and let it cook. As soon as it boils, skim off the foam, reduce the heat to low and add a teaspoon of baking soda: this is an old trick to make hard legumes boil faster and turn out tender. From 250 grams of dry peas, approximately 600 grams of boiled peas are obtained. But you don’t need to salt it, otherwise it will become stale.

It will take an hour and a half to two hours to cook, but you don’t need to stand over it. Only towards the end I squeeze the lemon juice and finely chop the parsley. I strain the peas through a colander. I put in a blender: peas, 200 grams of liquid tahini (if it is thick, you need to dilute it with water and stir), 100 ml ice water, 1.5–2 teaspoons salt, 4 tablespoons lemon juice (you can add zest), 4 cloves garlic, a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil, a little pepper. You should get a very delicate cream (if it’s too thick, add vegetable oil and ice water), which I always season with cumin, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and finely chopped parsley (or cilantro), and pour with olive oil.

Hummus is best eaten with a bread flatbread (pita): you roll it up like a ladle and scoop out the paste. There are many creative options for hummus: with beets, roasted peppers, pumpkin, avocado and fresh mint, very tasty with curry. But the simplest, classic one is also good. It is no coincidence that today it is served everywhere, from French to Uzbek restaurants. And Israel, Lebanon and Palestine still bitterly dispute the right to be called his homeland.

There was even a movie about this once called “Make Hummus Not War”. After all, it’s true that it’s better to throw peas at each other than bullets, and your favorite food should become a common destiny. Perhaps it is no coincidence that when pronouncing the English chickpeas (chickpeas) one always hears peace - peace.

The first mentions of the traditional Jewish dish hummus are found long before the beginning of our era. Leading culinary experts are still arguing in which cuisine this dish first appeared. Despite this, hummus is considered one of the Jewish foods. What you eat hummus with, how to prepare it, and many other interesting things we will discuss in today’s article.

• 1 Lecture on cooking
• 2 Traditional Jewish snack
• 3 Composition:
• 4 Preparation:
• 5 Hummus: homemade recipe
• 6 Composition:
• 7 Preparation:

Cooking lecture

Hummus is a cold snack dish that has a smooth paste consistency. In Jewish cuisine, this appetizer is prepared from legumes, in particular chickpeas. By the way, the first mentions of chickpeas date back to the reign of the pharaohs. It is believed that these beans were a source of male strength.

Today, chickpeas have gained great popularity and are increasingly appearing on our tables as a side dish. If you want to surprise your household and add variety to your home menu, prepare hummus. The composition of this classic snack dish includes six ingredients:

• freshly squeezed lemon juice;
• tahini paste;
• refined olive oil;
• garlic cloves;
• black allspice.

On a note! You won’t find tahini paste during the day; you won’t find this product on supermarket shelves. You need to visit an Arabic shop or prepare it yourself from cumin and sesame seeds.

Literally 15 years ago, hummus became known far beyond Israel, and today there are many options for its preparation. You can even make hummus from beans.

Chickpeas are known to have a number of beneficial properties. Firstly, these beans are a source of vitamins, vegetable protein, micro- and macroelements. Secondly, hummus has a beneficial effect on the digestive tract.

On a note! A 100 g serving of hummus contains about 400 kilocalories, so it is impossible to call this product low-calorie.

And one more important question. What is this snack dish served with? Traditionally, hummus is spread on pita bread, tortillas, or used as a sauce for chips.

Traditional Jewish snack

Homemade chickpea hummus is easy to make. All ingredients must be thoroughly ground in a blender so that the paste acquires a uniform consistency and is free of lumps.

Follow the established rules when cooking chickpeas. Initially, the beans are soaked in filtered water. It is best to leave them in water overnight. After cooking, the skin is removed from the chickpeas; this process is very painstaking.

On a note! On average, chickpeas cook for about two hours. But depending on the type of legume and the degree of chlorination of the water, this process can last up to 8 hours.

Compound:

• 2 tbsp. chickpeas;
• 20 ml refined olive oil;
• 50 g tahini paste;
• 3 pcs. garlic cloves;
• salt to taste;
• parsley - to taste;
• a pinch of cumin, coriander, paprika.

Preparation:

Hummus: homemade recipe

A snack dish made from chickpeas turns out to be extremely tasty, satisfying, piquant and healthy. It is best to choose yellow chickpeas. Don’t be lazy and after cooking, remove the film from each bean. This will make the hummus more homogeneous and fluffy.

The taste of hummus directly depends on the added spices and herbs. In addition to cumin and paprika, you can add turmeric for color and dried herbs.

Compound:

• 0.2 kg of Turkish peas;
• 3 g dried cilantro;
• 4 things. garlic cloves;
• 20 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice;
• 5 g finely ground table salt;
• 3 g each of turmeric and cumin;
• 3 tbsp. l. refined olive oil;
• 50 g peanuts;
• 2 g black allspice;
• 5 g red sweet pepper.

Preparation:

On a note! Today, the traditional recipe for making hummus has undergone many changes. Now on the tables you can find beetroot hummus, a snack dish made from pumpkin pulp, zucchini, Tofu cheese, tomatoes, and nuts. In addition to the base, we add traditional ingredients, including tahini paste.

If you are unable to find tahini paste, you can make it yourself. You will need the following ingredients: cumin and sesame seeds. These products are fried in a hot frying pan and ground until smooth, adding refined olive oil or sesame seeds. Without tahini paste, you cannot prepare true Jewish hummus. Bon appetit!

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To tell the truth, a person who has at least once visited the Levant (Israel, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon) and tried this achievement of local cuisine will also go nowhere without hummus. You miss it, you sing its praises, you start cooking it with your own hands literally just after returning from the airport. Fortunately, all the products for its preparation are also inexpensive in our latitudes.

Hummus is a common Middle Eastern pureed cold snack made from chickpeas (lamb peas) with tahini (sesame paste). Often quite spicy. Always a very delicate, uniform consistency, slightly oily. What distinguishes it from ordinary chickpea puree is precisely this very tahini (more about it below) and a special set of spices (more about them a little later).

Chickpeas are traditionally served with pita bread. Gastronomic traditionalists will even tell you that The only way to scoop up real homemade hummus is a bread “spoon” of pita bread. You tear off a piece, roll it up with a spoon, and scoop it up. However, it will also go great with pita bread, fresh bread or corn crackers. The worst thing is that it will also work without bread. With a spoon. Unstoppable.

In our area, hummus is still considered exotic. And in any Israeli home (no matter Jewish or Arab) it is just as likely to be found in the refrigerator as in ours - a piece of sausage, cheese or butter. And, of course, as happens with all such common dishes, each housewife makes homemade hummus a little differently.

Basic principles

There are six main ingredients in hummus: chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, black pepper. For some reason, many Russian-speaking recipe writers do not consider olive oil an indispensable ingredient. This is wrong: if you don't add oil, you'll have to double or triple the amount of tahini to achieve the desired consistency, and the dish risks becoming simply inedible.

In principle, an acceptable option is to leave some of the water in which the chickpeas were cooked, then you will actually be able to make the hummus quite tender. But - rather watery than oily.

So we, following the Israeli and Palestinian housewives, recommend not to discount olive oil, and pour it quite generously, without sparing it: a good half a glass for half a pan of hummus.

Not canonical, but repeatedly tested in practice, we would recommend adding a small piece of butter as soon as you remove the chickpeas from the heat and add salt. The texture of the puree will become softer and more delicate.

Important clarification: you need to make hummus from still hot chickpeas. Then the oils will mix better with the puree, the seasonings will be better revealed, and the structure will be more uniform.

Many people recommend peeling the skins from already cooked chickpeas. In principle, you don’t have to do this if you boil the chickpeas very well (until the peas begin to fall apart), and then grind everything thoroughly with a blender.

But let's get back to the ingredients. Firstly, probably not all Russian housewives know what “tahina” is (aka tahini, aka tahini or sesame paste). Tahini is a thick, oily paste made from ground sesame seeds. It is used mainly for making hummus and falafel, and is also included in some sauces. The simplest one, popular throughout the Levant, is tahini + lemon juice + garlic + black pepper + paprika + a little cold water. You can also add cumin, chili pepper, parsley. And eat it with pita bread or fried/baked meat.

There is no hummus without tahini. Basically, if you make chickpea puree without it, it's all It will still be amazingly tasty, but not hummus.

By the way, try experimenting and adding tahini to our more traditional bean puree. Not much, literally one tablespoon for 4-5 servings. The taste will not change radically (and we don’t need that), but it will become more interesting and expressive.

It may well happen that you won’t find tahini in stores you know. And if there are no Arab stalls nearby, and no one you know is going to the Eastern Mediterranean in the near future, you will have to try to make it yourself. You won’t get completely real tahini at home, but it’s better than nothing at all. Fry sesame seeds (about a glass) and a little cumin in a dry frying pan. Grind well in a mortar with olive or sesame oil (the second, of course, is preferable).

Lemon juice is also an indispensable condition. Half a pan of hummus will take at least a whole lemon, or even one and a half to two. However, this is a matter of taste.

Next are the spices. At the very least, black pepper. But any Israeli housewife here will only sniffle: it’s boring! After all, there is also cumin (aka cumin), savory (not to be confused with thyme), ground dried ginger, ground chili pepper, coriander, paprika!.. And who’s stopping you from putting a little cumin in there, for example? Or a couple of teaspoons of whole sesame seeds? Or even take za’atar, a popular spice mixture in Israel. It is based on za'atar (a type of oregano, close to marjoram or hyssop), sesame and thyme. It comes with sumac, barberry, coriander... It goes perfectly with any legumes (lentil soup, pea porridge), so it has a perfect place in hummus.

Spices in grains (coriander, cumin, cumin, sesame...) are best first lightly heated in a dry frying pan. And then grind in a mortar or grind in a coffee grinder. Dry herbs (oregano, marjoram, savory...) can also be heated a little, but only a little, so that the unnecessary smell of burnt grass does not appear.

By the way, fresh herbs will also work: parsley, dill; not canonical, but interesting - cilantro. Just grind a little and very well.

With “accessories”, that’s all, actually. But we forgot about the basics.

Chickpeas are a tricky thing. Depending on how much water is chlorinated in your city, what type of peas you got, what time of year it is, or simply what mood the chickpea god is in today, it will cook from two to six to eight hours. In clean water - longer, in tap water - a little faster. Soaking overnight is almost mandatory. Many people recommend adding a couple of teaspoons of soda to the cooking water to soften it. We ourselves do not use this method out of a strange superstition, but we share the information. You need to pour a lot of water, two to three times more than peas, otherwise it will boil away - in about six hours!

How much chickpeas should I take? To “try” one glass is enough for you; the chickpeas will boil quite strongly. And once it goes, you’ll figure out the quantity yourself.

Actually, you will have to “figure it out yourself” with absolutely all the quantities. Proposing proportions is pointless. Different varieties of chickpeas, different acidity of lemons, different freshness of spices... Plus personal preferences. Some people like a lot of garlic, while others cannot tolerate it at all.

For the same reasons, it is impossible to guess in advance with the amount of oil. Sometimes literally a third of a glass is enough for a soft, tender puree, and sometimes chickpeas absorb a lot of it, and the puree continues to remain thick even after a good two hundred grams.

But overall it looks something like this:

Ingredients.
Required:
chickpeas (a couple of glasses)
tahini (2-4 tbsp.)
lemon juice (0.5-1.5 lemons)
garlic (1-5 cloves)
olive oil (80-200 g)
ground black pepper

Variable:
butter
savory
ground dried ginger
ground red pepper
cumin (cumin)
coriander
marjoram, za'atar, hyssop
sesame
paprika
caraway

Additive options:
parsley dill
pine or pine nuts
fried mushrooms
whole cooked chickpea grains
grated cheese
thin slices of cucumber
finely chopped sweet red pepper

Preparation:
1. Wash the chickpeas and soak in warm water overnight.
By the way, if the room is hot, by the morning the chickpeas may begin to smell slightly sour, and a white foam will appear on the water. Don't be afraid, just rinse the peas well under running water.

2. Boil the chickpeas until tender (until the peas break easily and the skin comes off). Add salt at the very end.

3. Prepare spices: heat, grind.

4. Drain the water (or let it boil down). You can leave a little in the pan.

5. Add chopped garlic, butter, spices. Grind with a blender.

6. Add lemon juice, tahini, olive oil. Grind again. Grind until pureed until there are no whole peas or lumps left.

7. If desired, add finely chopped herbs and blend well again.

To the table!

Traditionally, hummus is a cold snack, but believe me, it is also divinely delicious when hot.

In Levantine countries, hummus is usually served like this: put it on a flat plate, spreading it in a thick layer with a small depression in the center. Sprinkle with paprika, sometimes sumac, and herbs. Sometimes a little olive oil is poured into the cavity, a handful of unground boiled chickpeas and/or other additives are added.

Place pita (ideally warm), chopped cheese, vegetables, and herbs on adjacent plates.

A curious version of hummus - laban-ma-hummus - is made in Palestine and Jordan: in it, tahini is replaced with natural yogurt (often goat's), and olive oil with butter.

Another version is called the funny word “masabcha” (or “mashavsha”) and consists of whole boiled chickpeas in a warm sauce of diluted hummus with tahini, olive oil and chopped garlic.

The main difference between masabcha is the whole grains, which are cooked even longer than for hummus, and become even more tender and soft.

In our deep conviction, hummus is an almost perfect dish, and in every way case - self-sufficient. But the idea of ​​making balls out of it and frying it in vegetable oil is so old and so popular that it’s impossible not to mention it.
These balls are called “falafel” and occupy a dominant place in the street fast food of the Middle East. Yes, in general, let’s be honest: in Europe and America there are already, in general, almost as many falafel stalls as there are hot dog stalls. Nothing strange, given the spread of vegetarianism.

Making falafel at home, on the one hand, is strange and pointless - this is, after all, street food, but on the other hand, well, why not.

At the same time, we can experiment with canned rather than raw chickpeas.

Ingredients:
1 can (340 g) canned chickpeas
small red onion
3/4 tbsp. chopped spicy herbs (mint, cilantro, parsley)
1 tsp. ground cumin
a pinch of salt
ground black pepper
3/4 tbsp. breadcrumbs
100 g goat cheese
flour for breading

Preparation:
Drain the chickpeas. Blend chickpeas, onions, spices and herbs.
Add chopped soft goat cheese and ground breadcrumbs and blend again with a blender.
Place the resulting mass in a bowl, cover with film and place in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Form the chickpea mixture into small balls. You can flatten them a little to make “cutlets” - this will make it easier to fry. Roll the balls (cutlets) in flour.

Pour refined vegetable oil (2 centimeters) into a deep frying pan with a thick bottom, heat and fry the falafel in it until golden brown. Place on a paper towel to drain excess fat.

Serve immediately, with a side of fresh vegetables, lettuce, tzhin sauce, pita bread and lemon wedges.

And please don't eat falafel cold.

Don't like fried food? That's right. Better stuff eggs with hummus. Both tasty and healthy.

Ingredients:
6 boiled eggs
2 tbsp. l. hummus
1 tbsp. l natural yogurt
½ tsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. l. ready-made adjika (sauce, not dry spice)
a pinch of salt and hot red pepper

Preparation:
Cut the peeled eggs into halves. Remove the yolks, mash with a fork, mix with hummus, adjika, cumin and yogurt. Fill the egg whites with this mixture.

Place the eggs on a plate, sprinkle them with toasted pine nuts and crushed red pepper. Or - pepper and finely chopped parsley.

and falafel, charoset and challah - these names are pure poetry, and the food itself, according to the old joke, is the national sport of the Israelis.

In the blessed country they know what the taste of life and the taste of real food are. However, for some, many Jewish dishes seem strange at first. But the process of addiction is very fast, so much so that a pleasant addiction is formed. Try it yourself!

Hummus

Chickpea hummus recipe with garlic, cilantro, cumin, sesame and paprika.

What do you need:

• 400 g chickpeas
• 1 lemon
• 6–7 tbsp. spoons of olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/2 tbsp. spoons of cilantro
• 1/2 tbsp. spoons of cumin
• 1/2 tbsp. spoons of paprika
• 2 tbsp. spoons of sesame

How to make hummus:

1. Soak the chickpeas, then cook until tender.
2. Place chickpeas in a blender adding all ingredients. Turn into a homogeneous mass. Let it brew.
3. Hummus is ready.

Bon appetit!

Falafel

Recipe for chickpea falafel with coriander, cumin and parsley.

What do you need:

• 500 g chickpeas
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tbsp. spoons of coriander
• 1/2 tbsp. spoons of cumin
• 1 tbsp. spoon of chopped parsley
• Olive oil to taste
• Salt, black pepper to taste

How to cook falafel:

1. Peel the carrots and onions and cut into large pieces. Boil chickpeas until tender. Mix all ingredients in a blender.
2. Use your hands to form identical meatballs from the resulting mass. Fry them in a frying pan with oil on both sides until golden brown.
3. Falafel is ready.

Bon appetit!

Eggplant puree "Hatelim"

Recipe for Hatselim eggplant puree with garlic.

What do you need:

• 3 eggplants
• 2–3 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt, black pepper to taste

How to prepare Hatselim eggplant puree:

1. Wash the eggplants and bake in the oven until cooked. Cool slightly.
2. Peel the eggplants, cut them, place in a blender and puree. Add a little sugar, salt and pepper.
3. Hatselim eggplant puree is ready.

Bon appetit!

Matzo

Homemade matzah recipe.

What do you need:

• 1/2 kg flour
• 250 ml water

How to cook matzo:

1. Sift flour through a sieve. Carefully pour water into it. Mix well.
2. Roll out very thin flatbreads. Make frequent pricks with a fork.
3. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 180 degrees.
4. The matzo is ready.

Bon appetit!

Chocolate matzo pudding

Recipe for dark chocolate and red wine matzo pudding.

What do you need:

• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 50 g dark chocolate
• 6 pieces of matzo

How to make chocolate matzo pudding:

1. Melt the chocolate in a water bath.
2. Mix water and wine. Soak the matzo with half the liquid. Mix the other half with chocolate.
3. Place pieces of matzo on top of each other, brushing with wine and chocolate mixture.
4. Chocolate matzo pudding is ready.

Bon appetit!

Apple kugel

Kugel recipe made with egg noodles, cottage cheese, apples, cinnamon and raisins.

What do you need:

• 350 g egg noodles
• 100 g butter
• 2 apples
• 1 pack of cottage cheese
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp. spoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tbsp. spoons of raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon soda
• Salt to taste

How to make apple kugel:

1. Boil the noodles. Melt butter and mix with noodles.
2. Peel the apples, grate them, add to the noodles. Put cottage cheese, sugar, eggs, raisins, soda and a pinch of salt there. Mix everything. Place in the form.
3. Bake for 1 hour at 170 degrees.
4. The apple kugel is ready.

Bon appetit!

Challah

A recipe for fluffy homemade challah.

What do you need:

• 5 cups flour
• 5 tbsp. spoons of sugar
• 2 glasses of water
• 1 teaspoon yeast
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil

How to prepare challah:

1. Mix yeast, eggs, sugar and vegetable oil. Add flour.
2. Knead the dough, grease it with oil, cover with a towel and leave for two hours in a warm place.
3. When the dough has risen, divide it into three parts, decorate each with a snake made from a strip of dough. Leave for another 2 hours.
4. Bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees. Do not open the oven immediately, wait 10-15 minutes so that the challah does not sink.
5. Challah is ready.

Bon appetit!

Prakes

Recipe for cabbage rolls in tomato sauce.

What do you need:

• 500 g beef
• 75 g rice
• 1 egg
• 1 onion
• 70 g sugar
• 1 tbsp. spoon of tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon citric acid
• 1 tbsp. spoon breadcrumbs
• Salt, black pepper to taste

How to prepare prakes:

1. Blanch the cabbage leaves in boiling water until soft and beat lightly.
2. Boil the meat, pass through a meat grinder, add boiled rice, chopped onion, salt, pepper, egg.
3. Wrap the minced meat in cabbage leaves.
4. Mix crackers with tomato paste, citric acid, sugar. Add some meat broth. Salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the cabbage rolls and simmer over low heat for 10–15 minutes.
5. Prakes is ready.

Bon appetit!

Haroseth

Charoset recipe made with apples, dates, walnuts, almonds, cinnamon and red wine.

What do you need:

• 1 apple
• 1 cup dates
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• A pinch of ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp. spoons of red wine

How to prepare charoset:

1. Pass all ingredients through a meat grinder and mix. Add wine. Leave for 1-2 hours to soak.
2. Haroseth is ready.

Bon appetit!

Fennel salad with parsley

Recipe for fennel salad with parsley and pepper.

What do you need:

• 750 g fennel
• 100 g parsley
• 3 tbsp. spoons of olive oil
• 2 tbsp. spoons of vinegar
• A pinch of pepper
• Salt to taste

How to make fennel salad with parsley:

1. Finely chop the fennel heads. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Drizzle with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.
2. Fennel salad with parsley is ready.

Bon appetit!

Hummus is a very tasty chickpea snack that belongs to Jewish cuisine. The classic dish is prepared with tahini sesame paste, resulting in a kind of dip sauce. It can be served with a variety of vegetable and meat dishes, spread on pita bread, bread or toast. Here are the best classic hummus recipes.

Classic hummus - general principles of preparation

Classic hummus is made from boiled chickpeas, also called chickpeas. But there are also alternative versions of the sauce, which is made from beans; one of these recipes is below. In order not to delay the cooking time of the peas, they need to be well soaked, it is best to pour cold water in the evening. In this case, it will take 50-60 minutes to bring the chickpeas to complete softness.

What else is put in hummus:

Lemon juice;

Olive or other vegetable oil;

Sesame paste.

All ingredients are ground to a smooth paste. It is convenient to do this with a blender. But they often use a regular meat grinder, passing the food through it several times. Spices are added at the very end so as not to overdo it and to adjust the desired taste.

Hummus is served with herbs, but sometimes a small amount is added inside before chopping. Here you need to be careful not to spoil the color. If you add too much parsley, the sauce may turn green.

Hummus: classic recipe with tahini

The classic hummus recipe contains sesame tahini paste and lemon juice. These ingredients cannot be replaced with anything. Spices can be chosen to your taste.

Ingredients

150 g chickpeas;

1/3 cup tahini paste;

4 tbsp. l. lemon juice;

1 tsp. fine salt;

1 tsp. chopped parsley;

2 cloves of garlic;

0.3 tsp. paprika;

10 ml olive oil.

Preparation

1. The day before, pour cold water over the chickpeas so that the peas swell well.

2. Drain this water, pour the peas into a saucepan. Pour in clean water and boil until soft. The chickpeas should knead easily when pressed. Drain the broth and cool.

3. Peel the garlic cloves and cut in half.

4. Squeeze the juice from the lemon, measure out the required amount.

5. Grind the peas and garlic through a meat grinder twice.

6. Or beat it all to the consistency of a homogeneous puree.

7. Add salt, paprika, tahini paste and stir thoroughly. You can use a blender again, the flavors will combine even better.

8. Transfer the hummus to a serving plate.

9. Drizzle olive oil over the sauce. You can use any other vegetable oil instead.

10. Sprinkle with parsley, chopped very finely. Let's serve the dip!

Hummus: classic recipe with sesame seeds

It is not always possible to purchase sesame paste, but it can be prepared from ordinary raw seeds. Only white sesame is used. Also, the classic hummus recipe contains various aromatic spices; if desired, the number of types can be reduced.

Ingredients

200 g chickpeas;

3 tbsp. l. sesame;

0.5 lemon;

3 cloves of garlic;

Paprika, cumin, coriander, pepper mixture;

3 tbsp. l. olive oil;

0.5 bunch of greenery and a little for decoration.

Preparation

1. Soak the chickpeas in cold water until well swelled. On average this will take about eight hours. Then put on the stove, boil until soft, drain the water.

2. Place sesame seeds in a dry frying pan and fry until golden brown. It is very important not to overcook the seeds and stir them regularly; there should be no scorching, burnt seeds will spoil the taste.

3. Cooled sesame seeds need to be crushed in a coffee grinder or blender. Add olive oil, stir. The result is practically the paste that we need.

4. Add some fresh herbs to the cooked chickpeas, add all the spices according to the list, add about a third of a teaspoon each, and add salt.

5. Squeeze the juice from the lemon. If the citrus is small or simply not very juicy, then we use it whole.

6. Peel the garlic, cut it in half and add it to the mass.

7. Beat it all with a blender until it becomes a homogeneous and fluffy puree.

8. Add the prepared sesame paste and beat again.

9. Transfer the hummus to a serving bowl. To prevent the puree from drying out on top, you can sprinkle it with additional oil. Decorate with sprigs of greenery.

Lazy hummus: a classic recipe made from canned chickpeas

Canned chickpeas are a great alternative to boiled peas. This product allows you to prepare the sauce very quickly and reduces the time at the longest stage of soaking and cooking.

Ingredients

2 cups canned chickpeas;

1 tbsp. l. lemon juice;

5 g fresh garlic;

20 ml oil;

20 g sesame paste;

Spices and herbs, salt.

Preparation

1. Drain all liquid from canned peas and place in a mixing bowl. If a meat grinder will be used for grinding, then transfer it to any convenient container.

2. Add peeled garlic, pour in lemon juice, add spices and add olive oil.

3. Beat with a blender for a couple of minutes until the mass turns into a homogeneous paste.

4. If you will use a meat grinder, then do not add liquid ingredients yet, pour in after chopping the peas and garlic.

5. Add sesame paste, salt, beat everything together.

6. Transfer to a bowl or salad bowl and garnish with herbs.

Hummus: classic recipe with vegetables

This classic hummus recipe makes extra use of roasted vegetables. The sauce turns out to be delicate, lighter, but very tasty and aromatic.

Ingredients

200 g chickpeas;

One onion;

Three cloves of garlic;

0.5 lemon;

One carrot;

0.3 cups sesame paste;

30 ml oil;

Herbs and spices.

Preparation

1. Prepare peas in the standard way: soak well, add water, boil until soft, drain from liquid and cool.

2. Chop the onions and carrots.

3. Pour oil into the pan, add vegetables. Cook over slightly less than medium heat. Vegetables should not brown quickly; you need to bring the pieces until soft.

4. Combine peas with vegetables, add garlic to them. Grind the mass in any convenient way. If you use a blender, it will turn out especially successful: fluffy, homogeneous, creamy.

5. Add sesame paste, add juice from half a lemon, but more is possible. It's better to try and add to your taste.

6. Pour in spices: salt, pepper, you can add paprika, aromatic herbs, cumin. If you want to give hummus a brighter color and emphasize the presence of carrots in the appetizer, then additionally add turmeric.

Hummus: classic recipe with avocado

Avocado is a very healthy product, and it can also be a wonderful addition to classic hummus. To prepare a snack according to this recipe, use a soft and ripe fruit, then everything will turn out at its best.

Ingredients

200 g dry chickpeas;

1 avocado;

2 tbsp. l. lemon juice;

1 clove of garlic;

1 tbsp. l. ground sesame or paste;

1.5 tablespoons of oil;

0.5 tsp. ground cumin;

Salt and pepper;

Parsley, flatbread for serving.

Preparation

1. Prepare the peas according to all the rules: soak, boil, cool. If you don’t have time for this, then use canned chickpeas, but double the amount, that is, take 400 grams.

2. Peel the garlic and add it to the peas.

3. Cut the avocado along the entire perimeter to the very pit, scroll through and separate the halves. We stick a knife into the bone and take it out. Scoop out the pulp with a spoon, leaving a thin skin.

4. Puree all the prepared products with a blender or twist a couple of times through a meat grinder, using a strainer with the smallest holes.

5. Add lemon juice, add sesame paste or simply add ground sesame seeds.

6. Add salt, add cumin and pepper. Mix the sauce thoroughly.

7. Transfer to a convenient bowl. Since avocado is an oily fruit, no additional fat was added. But you still need to sprinkle the dish on top; one tablespoon of oil is enough.

8. Decorate with herbs and serve with flatbread cut into pieces. By the way, hummus also goes well with thin pita bread.

Hummus: a classic bean recipe

If it is not always possible to find and buy lamb peas, then beans are sold in any store, and they are also cheaper. For hummus, it is advisable to choose white varieties; the size of the beans does not matter.

Ingredients

250 g dry beans;

2 cloves of garlic;

2 tbsp. l. olive oil;

1 tsp. lemon juice;

Salt and pepper;

0.3 cups of bean broth;

1.5 tbsp. l. ground toasted sesame or paste.

Preparation

1. Soak white beans and boil after swelling. Drain the liquid and cool.

2. Grind the beans along with fresh garlic cloves.

3. Add a little bean broth to the mixture, pour in lemon juice.

4. Add olive oil to ground sesame seeds, stir and add to hummus.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir thoroughly with a spoon or beat again with a blender until the mass resembles a homogeneous pate.

6. Serve with flatbreads, vegetables and herbs.

Is the hummus too thick? You can dilute it with additional olive oil. If you don’t want to increase the fat content of the sauce, then pour in a little meat or vegetable broth, you can use carrot or other vegetable juice, they also turn out delicious.

It is believed that chickpeas should be cooled in the same water in which they were cooked, supposedly this has a positive effect on the taste of the snack.

If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can safely add dry chopped vegetables to hummus. Its quantity is easier to regulate.

The finished sauce can be combined with a variety of products, changing the classic taste. The following additives are especially popular: cheese, cottage cheese, walnuts and pine nuts.