It has been a big month since I last posted. Between National Elections, a surprise trip Nablus (in the north of the West Bank), a surprise trip to Masada (one of the great Nationalist symbols of Israel), and the recitation of Crossing of the Sea by the Children of Israel after their liberation from Egypt (a high point in the liturgical cycle of the Jews).
I have a lot to say about all of these events, but there’s a hitch. Every morning for the past six weeks I’ve woken up with a startlingly severe headache that is alleviated only with my first cup of coffee. I decided (after some soul searching) that it was time to cut down on my coffee intake. Nothing illustrates the addictive nature of coffee like trying to quit. I’ve spent a week in a slight haze, tired, grumpy and unable to focus on my studies, on life here, or on anything else. One of my friends, who shall remain nameless, pointed out that my grumpiness and confusion weren’t all that different from my normal state of being. I disagree; normally I’m grumpy because it is how I choose to relate to the world. Without coffee I am grumpy because I can’t access the “friendly” centers of my brain.
I’m told that this particular purgatory will pass within a few days. At that point my body will have gone through the worst of its withdrawal and will have readjusted to life without my favorite drug.
G-d I miss coffee. The things I would do for a cup right now… I’m not really proud of those things. Anyway, my ability to process complex politics, travels, or anything really at all has been compromised.
So instead, here is an introduction to one of my favorite Middle Eastern foods. Shakshuka. Shakshuka is a breakfast dish (or lunch or dinner). Like an omelet, Shakshuka can have many different configurations but always has several basic features. It always features cooked tomatoes and eggs. Sometimes it is made with meat, other times it is topped with cheese, and whatever fresh herbs happen to be at hand.
I’ve recently been experimenting with my own recipes and have come up with several. Most people use canned tomatoes to make shakshuka. Because we have decent fresh tomatoes all year here, I prefer to roast fresh tomatoes in the oven for a little while. The texture ends up being just like that of canned tomatoes, and the flavor far superior. If you don’t have good fresh tomatoes available (for instance if you live in the North Eastern United States in the winter) use canned tomatoes.
Following are two recipes; the first is for roasted tomatoes. Which are also great in pastas, sandwiches, quiches, or wherever you would use tomatoes. The second is for a basic shakshuka, which is easy to modify to your own tastes.
For the roasted tomatoes
10 medium tomatoes, cut in half and tossed in olive, salt and pepper
Roast the tomatoes, cut side down in a 350 degree oven for a half hour or until the skins blister and are easy to peel off. Then roast for another ten minutes. They should smell absolutely amazing at this point.
Paul’s Roasted Tomato Shakshuka (serves two)
4 eggs
1 medium onion chopped
1 yellow pepper chopped (yellow makes for the nicest color, but red and green also work)
10 roasted tomatoes or one 28-ounce can of good quality canned tomatoes, chopped
Garlic to taste (I like about five good sized cloves)
Cayenne, and Crushed Red Pepper to taste (Shakshuka should be SPICY)
Fresh Herbs, like oregano, parsley, chives, or basil, to taste
Olive oil
Heat two tablespoons of oil in a skillet big enough for all four eggs. When it is hot but not smoking, add the spices.
Let the spices cook for 15 seconds (they should be fragrant and the oil should turn red)
Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent, stirring frequently
Add the yellow pepper, cook for three or four more minutes, stirring frequently
Add the tomatoes and cook for ten or fifteen minutes over a medium heat. You may need to add a little water. The mixture should be loose, but not watery.
Add the fresh herbs, salt and pepper and more spicy if you need, taste
Take a wooden spoon and make four indentations (the mixture should indent a little), crack an egg in each indentation
Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on each egg, and lower the heat. The eggs will cook in about five minutes; you may want to cover the pan in order for the eggs to cook more evenly.
You can serve it in bowls, although it is much easier to eat right out of the pan
Modifications: Shakshuka is great if you add good quality (kosher, of course) lamb or beef sausage, or ground meat. Sauté it before you cook the onions, remove when cooked and add it back in with the tomatoes.
Shakshuka is also wonderful with cheese (if you don’t keep kosher you can even do both meat and cheese, although it seems like it might be overkill). Add the cheese just before the eggs, and maybe sprinkle a little more on top.
A final delicious modification is eggplant. Sauteed, roasted, however. It's just good.
Shakshuka goes great with coffee...
It is starting to be spring here, and that means that things are starting to blossom. The almond tree blooms about a month before everything else. My friend Meredith is miserable because almond pollen is apparently very allergenic (strangely I haven't felt allergic to it at all). I happen to think that almond blossoms are very beautiful. 
