By Dan Garwood, North American Coordinator
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Make your own cheese
Fresh, unripened cheeses are a staple of Israeli diets, so it’s no wonder they make it into an Israeli break fast! Plus it’s light, tasty, and makes a great alternative to cream cheese on that American break fast staple, the bagel. This recipe takes just a few minutes of cooking time followed by an hour-and-a-half of waiting for the liquid to drain. It keeps well in the fridge, if you want to make it ahead.Easy Homemade Goat Cheese from Carol Goodman Kaufman (Forward)
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Cold soup for this unseasonably hot September
Israelis use cucumbers for more than just classic Israeli salad! Cucumber and yogurt soup is popular across the Middle East, and is perfect for breaking fast. The dairy-free version is delicious too!Cold Cucumber Soup by Elisheva Margulies (My Jewish learning)
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But Israeli salad is still awesome
Seriously, what’s not to love about chopped tomatoes and cucumbers, fresh herbs, and light olive-oil-and-lemon dressing? -
Upgrade your babka with delicious almond cream
Is babka the greatest Jewish baked good in the world? Yes. Yes it is. This recipe fuses Eastern European babka with almonds, a Middle Eastern staple. As a bonus, the recipe also includes an Iraqi Jewish recipe for sweetened almond milk to go with it.
Almond-Cream Babka and Almond Milk by Vered Guttman (Haaretz, subscription required)
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Serve nature’s candy to celebrate a sweet new year
Dates, the quintessential Middle Eastern dried fruit, are delightful on their own. But stuff them with cheese and they’re amazing. Stuff them with your homemade cheese and you’ll impress everyone!Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese by Rivka Friedman (My Jewish Learning)
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**Bonus Reading: The Bagel’s Complicated Journey Into Israeli Cuisine
