I’ve done food tours in New York with Urban Oyster and knew that I would love to go on a food tour in Israel. Thanks to Twitter and @funjoel – my cousin and I had the opportunity to have a food tour thru Mahane Yehuda with Joel.

Please meet Joel!!

Joel is originally from the New Jersey and is now a licensed guide in Israel. He’s also a foodie and knew exactly where to take us in Mahane Yehuda, which is a popular food market in Jerusalem.

Here are the highlights.

Jachnun Bar: (30 Ha Egoz) This is a Yemenite restaurant that recently opened in the market.  I ordered a Fatut salad and would order this again in a heart beat. I loved the texture and the originality of this dish. What is Fatut? small pieces of malawach fried with egg, cheeses and toppings. Joel brilliantly described it as “kind of like matza brei”.

Halva King: (10 and 72 Ets Hayim St) These guys sell a gazillion types of halva (pure halva – not sugary, processed halva) AS WELL as a gazillion flavours of tehina. I was so impressed with how they make the tehina (see the photo) – that I purchased a container of tehnina to take home!! This is indeed AUTHENTIC tehina.

Manou Bashouk. At this restaurant we enjoyed a sliver of some meat pie. I say a “sliver” cause we were so full from lunch!!

Oozi Eli: At this store, we were introduced to some interesting combination of natural juices. i.e Gat juice, Almonds and Dates, Lemon Mint and Etrog, Passion Fruit and Goats Milk and more. We even shmeered some lotion on our necks in the hopes that we stay young and youthful forever!!

We even visited a family member of the Dr. Laffa owners. What a small world!

My cousin has lived here for 4 years and said (early on in the tour) “I would have never found these places”. Clearly Joel was instrumental to our  tour thru Mahane Yehuda. It would not have been the same visit without him.

I am also eager to connect Joel with many of my foodie friends and other friends who visit Jerusalem on a regular basis. Fun tour guides are hard to find and Joel was definitely fun and knowledgeable. Once again, I’m thankful to twitter!!

Our night ended at a restaurant that was suggested to me by three separate Toronto foodies (@rosieschwartz, @abeworno and @foodie411). Once again, my twitter friends guided me to the most amazing restaurant in Jerusalem called MachaneYuda (10 Beit Ya’akov St) The menu changes daily so I’m not going to list exactly what I ate as there is a good chance that it wont be on the menu the next time!!  What I can tell you is that the flavours, execution, presentation, service and atmosphere will be flawless!!

There is a reason why this is one of the top restaurants in the country!

Sadly my trip to Israel has ended.  I’m really really sad about leaving but know that I will be saving my loonies for another trip soon!   However my  vacation continues and the next blog post will be about my food adventures in Barcelona! Stay tuned.

For more information:

Joel can be found on twitter (@funjoel) or on facebook and has a great website too.

 

 

 

Four years ago, I visited Israel for 16 days and really toured the country. I visited the Dead Sea, Sefat, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and more.  The trip included visiting many great museums, hiking, walking thru underground tunnels,  and I even participated in an archeological dig. Honestly, I didn’t stop moving.

This trip is very different. I’ve been  visiting friends, hanging out with cousins and bumping into old friends. It’s been a totally different type of vacation.

Even thought I didn’t visit any museums on this trip, I did manage to “play tourist’!!  First on my list was to visit Jerusalem and visit the Western Wall.

Did you know that many people who visit the Western Wall insert little prayers into the Wall?

I also spent some time visiting Herzeliya Beach and Tel Aviv Beach.

While in Tel Aviv, I went to an arts and crafts fair that takes place every Tuesday and Friday called Nahalat Binyamin and purchased a gift for my kitchen!! Don’t you think this is the best gift for a food blogger?

Here’s a pretty decent view of Tel Aviv as seen from the 18th floor of the Tel Aviv Sheraton.

I’ve also enjoyed the beautiful weather. In Israel, you are always guaranteed to see the sun everyday for the entire summer. Sweet.

Can’t complain about picturesque days like this either.

 Sadly my trip has almost come to an end but I know that I will come back to visit in the near future.

For more information about Israel please visit www.GoIsrael.com

 

Let’s just say that there is no shortage of amazing food in Israel. Here’s a sample of what I’ve been enjoying.

1. Shakshuka (Full House, 198 Ahuza St, Ra’anana, Israel). This dish is made with tomatoes, eggs, onions, red peppers and a special blend of spices. I asked around for the best Shakshuka in Ra’anana and this restaurant came highly recommended. See the green vegetable in the bowl? I thought it was a green pepper. WRONG. It was jalepeno. Lesson learned.

 2. Hummus. Sadly we just can’t get hummus like this in Toronto. This is the real deal. Again – it’s from Full House.

 3. Beer!! I discovered that a microbrewery does exist in Israel and it’s called Jem’s. The founder of this bar/restaurant had a dream and made it happen. Congratulations Jeremy!

  4. Root Salad. My cousin took me for a beautiful lunch in Herzilaya at a restaurant that overlooked the beach. We certainly did enjoy the atmosphere and the salald!!

6. Fatoush Salad: I ordered this salad from Bread Story, (86 Dizengoff, Tel Aviv). Again, many thanks to my cousin for the recommendation! Loved everything about this salad.

 7. Cheese:  Discovered an amazing gourmet food store in Ra’anana called Basher Fromagerie   (89 Ahuza). Naturally I gravitated towards the cheese that was not only colorful but flavorful too!

 

Can you tell that I’m having a great time in Israel? I only have a few days left before I continue my travels to Barcelona where I will continue my food adventures!! #happydance

On my first day in Israel, I went to a beautiful shopping centre. However I didn’t buy anything. But when my friend took me to Eden Natural Market in Ra’anana , I couldn’t stop buying stuff.

Here’s what I went crazy for:

DRIED POMELO

DRIED ORANGE:

DRIED STARFRUIT:

OLIVE OIL WITH ZATAR:

PAPER TOWELS (my mom brought back ONE roll last year and loved it. I was smart (or am I crazy? LOL) and bought FOUR rolls) 

SALAD TOPPINGS

 I bought other stuff too: dried bananas, dried apple with cinnamon, dried pineapples and more. It will freeze beautifully and I know I will enjoy using them in recipes or serving them to guests.

Wonder what goodies I’m going to find next week when I visit Mahane Yehuda in Jerusalem with @funjoel?

Background: I went to Tel Aviv University and lived in the dorms for four years. (1984-1988). I returned to visit in 1996 and in 2009. On my last visit I went to a restaurant in Jerusalem that left such an impression on me, that it was the first thing I did in Jerusalem on my current visit. I went directly on a bus from the Central Bus Station right to Caffit, which is located in the German Colony.

Actually that’s not exactly true, I ordered a beautiful cappuccino from Aroma Espresso, that was perfectly located at the Central Bus Station and THEN got on the bus that would take me to Caffit!!

I knew exactly what I was going to order when I got to the restaurant. Check out the ingredients in this Sweet Potato Salad. 

 

When the salad arrived, it looked and tasted exactly like it did in 2009. Our friendly waitress told us that this salad has been on the menu for the last 12 years! I hope it’s on the menu FOREVER!!

Sadly I didn’t order anything else cause I was too full to have anything else!! Infact, 8 hours later – I’m barely hungry even though TWO of us didn’t eat the entire  salad.

If you visit Jerusalem, please put this restaurant on your list. Pretty Please!!

Caffit, Emek Refaim 35, Jerusalem, 02-563-5284

Had another quick visit to Ottawa so I could celebrate Father’s Day with my amazing Dad. I arrived on Friday at 6:30 pm and left on Sunday at noon. However this still gave me enough time to devour these goodies!

a) CHOCO FRITO Doughnuts from SuzyQ Doughnuts (991 Wellington St. W). There are no words to describe these doughnuts. They are THAT good. Just imagine the salty, crunchy, pieces of Frito Lay with just the right amount of chocolate, on top of a yeasty delicious doughnut.  It’s a FREAKIN’ AWESOME combo. PERIOD.

b) Golden Palace Eggrolls (2195 Carling Aveune). These eggrolls are unique to Ottawa – they have burnt ends and full of pork and cabbage (not bean sprouts). I love dipping them into the hot mustard and the plum sauce. The restaurant itself is totally out of a time warp but the eggrolls are simply epic.  PS many people I know take these eggrolls back to Toronto and freeze them.

c) Candied Ginger from Michaels Dolce; (Ottawa Farmers Market). This ginger was so good that I noshed on half the packet on my way back to Toronto. I can’t stop thinking how I would like to make an apple crisp and cut these strips into smaller pieces so I could incorporate it into the recipe. I will bringing back 3 of these packets next time. One packet is NOT enough.  P.S. his jams rock as well. I encourage you to check out his website to learn more about Michaels Dolce products and where you can buy them.

d) Maple Syrup Cones (Byward Market). I did not buy one of these .75 cones on this particular trip..but I really did want to!! I have such fond memories of these cones from my childhood. Have you ever had one? On this particular occasion my tummy was not happy but my eyes were!!

e) Deep Fried Pickles and Beer from the Big Rig Brewery and Restaurant (2750 Inis St.). I’ve always wanted to try this restaurant and finally I got there!! YAY. The beer scene in Ottawa has really exploded so   I was all too happy to check out these deep friend pickles and a flight of beer, on a gorgeous Saturday evening.

   

When I returned from Toronto, I made a huge Kale Salad. I try to lead a balanced life. Can you tell?

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to play tourist in my hometown, Ottawa. I visit this amazing city almost every 6 weeks for the last few years but this particular weekend I got to know Ottawa in a different way!!

I started off the weekend, by attending Nepean High School 90th Anniversary Celebration. I haven’t been thru their doors since 1984 so it was kind of neat just to be inside the building again. Oh the memories!

Sadly not a lot of people were there from my year (sniff…)

On Saturday, my mom and I REALLY played tourist. We boarded a double decker bus  (at the corner of Elgin and Sparks St) that is operated by a company called Lady Dive.  This 75 minute tour (which leaves every hour on the hour) is truly the best way to see the city as you can Hop On and Off at a variety of stops, such as: Museums, Parks, Galleries, the Byward Market, the Parliament Buildings, Rideau Hall and more.

Our tour guide was entertaining and certainly knew his stuff. My mom and I were amazed at what we learned in such a short period of time about important landmarks in our own city! We loved every minute of this double deck bus tour and would certainly recommend it to visitors.

Playing tourist meant that I got the chance to visit the Tulip Festival TWICE over the weekend. I simply could not stop taking pictures. See what I mean?

And more…LOL

For more info:

Lady Dive Tours:  Reservations-  613 524 2221  PS. many tour options are available so please visit their website to learn more.

Tulip Festival – May 3 to 20th,2013  Ottawa/Gatineau

Ottawa Tourism

 

This past weekend I went to Montreal to visit a good friend and to visit Jean-Talon Market. I had NO other agenda. It also helped that I had a friend do the driving!! (thanks M)

The trip started off with a quick visit to Buster Rhinos in Whitby. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich (as always) but also had the opportunity to try their EPIC BBQ ribs. Why oh why have I never tried these ribs before? Will now be ordering both items. It will not be a discussion!

When I went to  Jean-Talon Market, I bought the following:

-Lime Basil Macaron: not sure I tasted the basil but was pretty happy with my macaron

-Bourgot:a member of the conch family and not easily found in Toronto

-Quebec Beer: was not easy to select from the massive selection but I did it. LOL. Bought a gluten free beer…go figger.

-Non Homogenized Cream : haven’t tried it yet but something tells me it’s going to be wicked. Can you see the numbers: 45%

I also picked up:

-a few new cheeses: La Tome A rudy, Mont Vully and a few more

-Australian Fingerlime : definitely hard to find this in Toronto

-Almond Croissants from Kouign-Aman :I’ve been here on my last trip but HAD to return to get my dose of these freakin’ amazing croissants.

-Pear and Coriander yogurt: sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Can you tell I like unusual flavour combinations?

The trip continued with yet a few more purchases:

–Cafe In : for a much needed cafe au lait!!

-Sorry can’t remember where the olives were from but they are stuffed with ORANGE PEEL. Never seen this in Toronto either

–Chez Louis: Purchased black garlic on my last trip and went back for another bulb. Can’t wait to roast this bulb and serve it to guests.

As you can tell, I had an amazing time wandering thru Jean-Talon Market. No shortage of goodies here!!

Please note: Also came home with four bagels from St. Viateur and a tub of butter from La Ferme de Patrimonie! Don’t get me started about this butter…it’s that good!

For More Information:

Buster Rhinos Southern BBQ: (for da best bbq) 2001 Thickson Road, Whitby, ON

Koenig Aman Bakery : (for the freakin’ amazing croissants) 322 Mont Royal Est, Montreal Quebec

Jean-Talon Market:

Les Delices De La Mer (for the bourgot)

Le Marche des Saveur  Du Quebec (for local Quebec beer , cheese,and other local goodies)

Fromagerie Hamel; Butter, Cream, Cheese

Chez Louis (for unusual produce)

Brulerie aux Quatre Vents (for the macarons)

Coffee: Cafe In

 

I thought it would be fun to squeeze in one more trip to Buffalo before it snows. We went on Sunday – just like a working day – we left at 8 a.m and we were home by 5 p.m. It was perfect.

We hit Target first (of course) and then we hit Wegmans. (of course). Plus we managed a quick quick trip to the Outlet Mall (i.e we were there for less than an hour)

Here’s a few highlights!!

a) Dum Dums: Basically they are lollipops that come in a variety of cool flavors….rootbeer, mystery flavor, cotton candy, mango, watermelon, blue raspberry, strawberry shortcake, banana split etc. After reading their (fun) website, I discovered they are family owned private company that has been making candy since 1906!!

b) Chex: I started of buying 1 bag, then 2, then 3 and now I’m up to 4. Sadly the flavor I wanted (chocolate)…WAS ALL SOLD OUT. Can u believe? I was not happy. As you can see, I am now trying a new flavour.

3. We love the Bauble water bottles so much that we decided to buy the water jug. We needed one. Not sure if you can find these here. Anyone know?

4. M&M Dark Chocolate Mint and Hershey Kisses in Pumpkin: HEAVEN. Kicking myself that I didn’t buy more

I used my Wegmans card with pride and knew that my $100 worth of groceries was money well spent.

I’m already looking forward to my next trip as I bought ONE pair of jeans at Target that I’m loving and of course I’m saying to myself “Why didn’t I buy more”.

 

Summer is officially over. It’s sad. As much as I like the Spring and the Fall…there is nothing like sunny skies and warm temperatures. Not to mention there is just so much to do in the summer.

When I look back, I made the most of my summer and travelled to the following places:

-Niagara on the Lake, Pillar and Post

–Westin Trillium House, Blue Mountain

–Arowhon Pines

-Canada Day in Ottawa

– Visiting Sandbacks Provincial Park

-Camping at Island Spirits

-Montreal

-Buffalo

-Cobourg Beach (twice)

-Glen Kelso Conservation; (sadly I only went once this summer)

I also took advantage of “summer in the city” and went to use the pool at the Sheraton Centre three times!! I seriously can’t complain about Summer 2012.

But now I can start to look forward to all the wonderful things Fall represents:, the leaves changing, visiting Chudleighs, fall clothes, baking apple crisps, and making fall soups.

Here’s to an amazing FALL.

p.s I was suppose to post this on the last day of summer (which was on Friday Sept 21st but silly me…got distracted, for a change)