"Celebrity Chefs Birthright" Trip to Israel
Whenever you travel abroad, I hope you take the opportunity to taste as many different kinds of foods as possible - it's a wonderful way to learn, not only about the country’s cuisine, but also about its culture and its history.
Not long ago, our own editorial director of food, Sarah Carey, and our director of food development, Thomas Joseph, traveled to Israel for a "Celebrity Chefs Birthright" trip. The excursion was organized by culinary producer and entrepreneur Herb Karlitz, who wanted to expose some American chefs to the latest developments in the Israel food scene – new restaurants, flavorful wines, and of course, all the fresh fruits and vegetables. Sarah and Thomas joined other notable chefs, such as baker and restaurateur, Nancy Silverton, chef and TV personality, Marc Murphy, chef and restaurateur, Jonathan Waxman, chef and “Chopped” judge, Amanda Freitag, and chef and food writer, Ruth Reichl. It was a first time trip to Israel for many, and an amazing week-long experience for all.
Here is a selection of photos taken by Sarah and Thomas - enjoy. And visit their Instagram pages @sarahcarey1 and @tojo827 for more great food photos.
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- After flying to Israel aboard El Al Airlines, Thomas took this beautiful photo – a view of the Old City from the famous King David Hotel where the group stayed. The Old City is a walled area within the modern city of Jerusalem. Until 1860, when the Jewish neighborhood Mishkenot Sha’ananim was established, this area constituted the entire city of Jerusalem.
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- The Western Wall, Wailing Wall, or Kotel, known in Islam as the Buraq Wall, is an ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem.
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- Here is another photo taken in the Old City looking at the top of an ancient church.
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- Sarah and Thomas came across my signature on the floor of the King David Hotel. The floor has a long stone insert filled with celebrity guest signatures. I was asked to sign it when I was there in 2011.
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- On day-two, the group had a welcome breakfast reception at the King David Hotel. There was an array of cooked and raw vegetables, breads, spreads, fruits, juices, smoked fish, etc. Everyone loved it – Sarah had two plates.
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- The itinerary also included a country lunch at chef and writer, Hedai Offaim’s farmhouse. They all gathered around the large kitchen island, an old woodworker’s table. The entire spread was so beautiful and colorful.
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- Here is a closeup of a plate of fried eggplant.
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- These are some of the amazing cheeses, homemade breads, and a variety of spreads.
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- On the left is a platter of pickled veggies and a tomato salad below. The dark spread above is made from the charred skins of eggplant and tahini.
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- At night, the city’s stalls open for snacks and drinks.
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- During the next day, the group toured the Machane Yehuda Market – here’s a display of fresh fruit pastries.
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- There were “olives for days”.
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- Thomas took this photo of some Israeli bagels.
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- Here is one stand filled with beautiful dried fruits of all different varieties.
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- These are fruit teas of various blends. Everything is really colorful.
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- Sarah and Thomas snuck away from the market tour to enjoy a quick meal with friends at nearby Azura Restaurant.
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- This is kubbeh, or kibbeh, in beet soup. Kubbeh is a Levantine dish made of bulgur, minced onions, and finely ground lean beef, lamb, goat, or camel meat with Middle Eastern spices, often served in soups.
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- This is kubbeh in sour chard soup.
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- There were pots and pots filled with all kinds of delicious foods.
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- It was hard to resist trying everything – here’s their table!
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- They also ate at Majda – Sarah’s favorite spot of the trip – a lovely homey restaurant located in the village of Ein Rafa. This dish is fish with the edible green, mallow.
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- This is salmon kubbeh nya – fresh, raw salmon with eggplant, bulgur and pickled lemons.
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- This is a meat pie – full of warming spices and lamb.
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- This is braised lamb with couscous.
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- During a tour of the Shuk HaCarmel Market in Tel Aviv, Sarah and Thomas visited a Yemeni bakery where they were making breads.
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- Here they are being cooked on skillets.
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- These are cooked under a heated lid so it gets heat from the top and the bottom.
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- They enjoyed some Israeli breads at a Yemeni restaurant, where they stopped for some soup. Here are the condiments and bread they served with the soup – olives, onions, a fenugreek sauce, a spicy green sauce and some lemons.
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- On another day they group went wine tasting. Here is the view from Domaine du Castel, which is part of this Israeli wine collective.
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- The cellar is extremely organized and clean.
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- They tried a range of whites and reds.
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- Here is the list of wines. The collective is called the Judean Hills Quartet – they are making some delicious wines. The group sampled many throughout the trip.
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- Another stop was at Abie – a delicious restaurant, where almost everything is cooked over wood.
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- Here are some of the small bites they enjoyed.
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- Sarah and Thomas took a day trip to Western Galilee – to the city of Akko. Thomas had a falafel with lightly pickled lemons, tahini sauce and amba, a pickled mango condiment. He loved it.
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- This was the group’s guide though the market in Akko. His name is Osama Dalal. If you travel and want to get the most out of your trip, try to have guided tours – it is a great way to learn, and the guides are so helpful and knowledgeable.
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- They also saw many other trinkets during the market tours.
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- And here is a photo of some of the members of the group – they all enjoyed every moment. Big thanks to Herb Karlitz for organizing this wonderful adventure. Visit his Instagram page @karlitz_co for more photos.
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