As a foodblogger I suppose it should come as no surprise that I tend to associate my travels with what I’ve eaten. For example, I remember the bolognese sauce I enjoyed the first time I visited Florence, Italy, and the roasted rabbit I savored on my second trip there. I remember the Bucnica & Krafne I ate in Croatia and the crema catalana I tried in Spain. My husband laughs at this, but it’s true. When someone asks “Have you ever been to [location here]?” more often than not I’ll respond along the lines of “Yes! They had the best [food item here] at [restaurant here]!” I can’t help it. It’s what I do.
I mention this quirk because there are two things I want to share with you in this post. First, photos of some of the food I ate in Israel, which I promised I would upload to the Internet in a previous entry. This is by no means everything I sampled, but it is some of the tastiest! Alas, I couldn’t take photos of every dish because let’s face it, I could only embarrass my dining companions so many times. 
Click here to view the photos, then click on the individual images in order to reveal the description that goes with them. Also, if you didn’t see my photographs from the Makhne Yehuda market in Jerusalem, you can see those here.
Shakshuka straight from the stove. Look at that steam!
The second thing I want to share with you is a recipe for shakshuka, which is a scrumptious egg and tomato dish I developed an affinity for in Israel. The name is a combination of North African & Hebrew words and means “all mixed up.” It can be made for any meal but is most popular at breakfast where it is eaten with thick slices of toasted bread and sometimes labne. As the name implies you can add pretty much anything you want to it, including meat, but the most famous version is simply a mix of a spiced tomato base and poached eggs. When I ate this in Israel it was served in two ways: either the waitress brought a small skillet with shakshuka in it to the table, along with a side of bread and labne, or it was dished onto a round piece of sliced toast. I personally prefer the skillet method because I like dipping my bread into the sauce. Also, is it just me or is shakshuka a super-fun word to say? Go on, say it. Shak-Shu-Ka!
Shakshuka
Adapted from “The Foods of Israel Today.”
Ingredients: Makes 6 servings
- One 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- One medium sized yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons of salt (in other words, how much salt you use depends on how salty you like your food to be.)
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 large eggs
- Black pepper to taste
In a medium saucepan or skillet add the onion and fry over medium-high heat until soft, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, salt, paprika, pepper and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes over low heat. Stir occasionally.
Break the eggs over the tomatoes and gently break the yolks with a fork. Cover and continue to cook for about 4 minutes, until the eggs are set. Bring the pan directly to the table and spoon out the shakshuka over thick pieces of toast.
Alternate method: You can also make individual portions by lading some of the sauce into very small pans, ramekins or oven safe bowls and poaching one egg in each. You can also sprinkle freshly chopped parsley over the top if you like.
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This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 21st, 2007 by Ariela and is filed under Breakfast, Cultural, Jewish. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
42 Comments.
Wow, that looks really good!
looks great - I always like something to dip into as well - I can imagine it’s really tasty!
So true about Tomatoes!:))
Looks great,I will try this yummy dish err..Shakshuka! No problem saying that,after all I am from India! Can you say “Tripurasundarammanni”?! Quick!!!!HaHaHa!!
Fabulous! I had this in Israel a long, long time ago, and had totally forgotten about it. Thank you so much for bring this back into my kitchen!
That looks delicious!!
Oh I love this word “shakshuka!” It’s the perfect example of onomatopoeia. And it is fun to say, even if only in my head!
And I loved the pictures of the food from Israel! That ice cream cone looked so good.
Beautiful pics of the food!
And the shakshura recipe sounds intriguing, although tomato sauces and their acidity makes me a little nervous.
Oops, shakshuka….pardon my bad spelling.
Oh my! I love the way Shakshuka looks and love how fun it is to repeat. Since I just got home from work that photo makes me even hungrier. Reminds me a bit of a version of Mexican Huevos Rancheros. Of course, the sauce looks delicious and I bet it is very fun and satisfying dipping your toast into it and then quickly eating it. I want some. Your photo of Shakshuka with your friend Amy shows just how big the toast is over there…that is one serious slice of toast!
How delicious-looking is that? I love simple dishes with just a few ingredients, and eggs are the perfect food. Do you have any information on the history of Shakshuka?
Delicious! I love everythig in this recipe.
Paz
I am the same way. I can remember everything I’ve eaten somewhere and I also remember every outfit. My memory is always for food and clothes!
Just the picture itself is making my mouth water..! It seems like the perfect any-time meal and something that even I can make
Experiencing different cuisines is one of best parts of travel. I enjoyed your post. And I’ll enjoy this dish even more–I just love every ingredient in it.
Hi Ari! Your Shakshuka looks lovely - and I’m intrigued with the idea of poaching the eggs in something besides plain ol’ water! The gears are spinning now!
Awesome! Like Gilly, I’m loving the idea of poaching eggs in something more interesting than water!
I’ve come to the conclusion that if it’s fun to say then it will be fun to eat!
Shak-Shu-Ka! What a fun name, heehee. That looks incredibly delicious, and I think it might be similar in taste to something my mom makes , pretty much with the same ingredients but with hard boiled eggs. I think this one sounds much better though! Am like you, I associate a lot of my travels with the food I had or discovered there. The culinary discovery that comes with travelling, is one of my favorite things about it!
That looks divine. And get me some labneh…STAT!
I do the same thing- associate my travels with food! It’s great! This looks so hearty and delicious!
That looks fantastic. Dare I add that, like most foods suitable for breakfast, shakshuka also looks like a perfect snack after a night on the town. Also, I know exactly what you mean about being incapable of discussing trips outside of the context of what you ate. My wife and I have gotten to the point where we start planning our trips around our stomachs now. That way we can start talking about the food before going.
This reminds me of Spanish cuisine. It looks devine.
That sure is a nice satisfying word just as I’m pretty sure the dish is.
Eggs are my favorite breakfast food item because they keep you full for so long, but I always make them the same way. Can we say boring? Now I have a new recipe to try out, thank you!
Ariela,
I have been reading your blog since you mentioned it in Miami. I have loved reading the entries and have been salivating over the photos! I am so glad that you put up a recipe for shakshuka — it is one of my favorite foods and I haven’t been able to find a recipe that I like. I hope that you are doing well.
I am not a big fan of cooked egg dishes but I assure you that you might just converted me…this looks out of this world. Great write up too!
I love it! And here I was wondering what I was going to make for breakfast this weekend. One day down, two to go,
I love tomato and egg together. This looks very delicious ,Ari!
Oh, this is one great recipe. I love everything about it–the ingredients, the name, the photo. I want some!!!
I also remember my travels by what I’ve eaten. And forget architecture or landscapes, when I return home I find that most of my photos from the trip are of food.
i gain wonderful tidbits about what other people from different country eats for breakfast
i agree with you that when we travel, take pictures of the foods. it’s one of things that we would remember the most.
How is it you make Israel sound so cool? I never thought of it as a place to visit for culinary delights, but after reading your posts about your trip there I want to go!
The shakshuka does look yummy! I would love to visit Israel!
Yum! This looks great, very tasty and satisfying!
Falafel and frozen yogurt, both favorites!
With winter around the corner, I think I’ve just discovered a new hearty dish to warm my belly! This with a thick, toasted slice of sourdough might put me in food heaven!
Holy cow! This looks great Ari! You are totally opening up a new world of Israeli cuisine for me. I can’t wait to see what you post in the future.
Hi Ari! Ahla shacshuca
Perhaps because I’m still a little squimish, that Shakshuka thingo makes me recoil slightly though, strangely, it doesn’t prevent me from wanting to eat it. Sad no?