"Jerusalem: A Cookbook" Celebrates Diversity, Shares Passions

Preface: When I wrote this piece, the Palestine-Israel War was but a far-off thunder. Now more than ever, we need collaborative efforts like "Jerusalem: A Cookbook" to lead us to peace. 

I love to cook, and it particular to experiment with different ethnic foods. I like to recreate the dishes we sample from different cuisines. I try to tie in not just the ingredients and cooking styles themselves, but the entire milieu in which they developed. Here's a great cookbook for exploring the varied cultures in Jerusalem, written by men from two sides of the city: Jewish and Muslim. This book would make a great Christmas or Hanukkah gift.   

We've tried New Orleans creole, Louisiana Cajun, Polish, Russian, Indian, African, Jamaican, South American and others across the globe. My own favorite styles are Indian and Mediterranean. I follow the Mediterranean Diet. Knowing that, my youngest son mentioned a cookbook he'd heard about on NPR. The book "Jerusalem: A Cookbook" celebrates religiously and culturally diverse city of Jerusalem through food. I'd forgotten his suggestion until, perusing new books at Barnes & Noble, I happened on it. When I said how intrigued I was, Jake quipped, "That's the one I was telling you about!"

 

The "Jerusalem Cookbook" authors, both natives that city, are agemates. But they came from opposite poles of the religious (and geographic) Jerusalem map. Yotam Ottolenghi (author of "Plenty" and restauranteur of Ottolenghi fame) is from the Jewish west side while Sami Tamimi, is an Arab from eastern Jerusalem. Not only do Ottolenghi and Tamimi share recipes and historical information from their own backgrounds, they include cultural tidbits from the myriad of heritages represented in this most "flavorful" city. Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, Coptic and Armenian Christians, eastern Orthodox, Muslims and many more call this ancient and pivotal city home. From these many traditions, "Jerusalem: A Cookbook" combines different elements into one wonderful feast.

As a teacher, I always plug for the educational. Beyond a cookbook, "Jerusalem" is a comprehensive, stand-alone social studies unit. The pictures are eloquent and evocative. Along with recipes, "Jerusalem" gives local bioscopes, is jam-packed with historical, anthropological, traditional and cultural detail. And it is relatable and even funny sometimes. I recommend any teacher of world history or world religions invest in a copy.

"Jerusalem: A Cookbook" touches a nerve with me on a deeper level. I have my own faith, but love to explore the faith backgrounds of others. I'm concerned when our differing ideologies interfere with our treatment of each other. I look for initiatives that promote common ground and social justice. I love how "Jerusalem: A Cookbook" focuses on shared passions not divisive differences. The "Jerusalem" cookbook doesn't homogenize because the city doesn't either. It turns diversity into a one big party! It blends similarities into a tasty multicultural salad where each flavor is identifiable and honored. And what better medium to share of ourselves than food?

How to Make Vegan Veggie Burgers for Lent and Weight Loss

Cookouts are great for anyone who isn't on a vegan diet, fasting from meat,  trying to  lose weight or eating gluten-free. Veggie burgers make great alternative protein sources, but they're pricey. $6 for 9 ounces of veggie burger is pretty steep. How about whipping up some delicious veggie burgers from scratch? They're so good that even the omnivores will be demanding seconds. Here are some optional ingredients. 

Beans: The basis of most veggie burgers is beans. Select vegetarian refried beans, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, turtle beans (aka black beans) or lentils. If you use dry beans, cook until very tender. Mash the beans into a nice soft paste.

Avocado, Egg or tofu: As with meatloaf, a veggie burger may contain egg to hold the burger together. You can substitute tofu to create a solid burger for your vegan or egg allergic diners. 

Grain: Grain also holds the burger together and provides a complex carbohydrates. Couscous is a quick cooking grain that you can add to your veggie burgers. Cooked brown or basmati rice can be blended into your burger. Oat bran, coconut, or almond flour work well also. My favorite is gram or besam (chickpea flour). All of these but couscous are gluten-free. You can add mashed avocado as a binder, too. 

Nuts and seeds. Make veggie burgers from ground walnuts, almonds, peanuts or pecans. I like to use up mixed nuts in my veggie burgers. Favorite seeds are sesame, chia, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. 

Vegetables: What would a veggie burger be without veggies? Choose your favorites. Mine are shredded carrots (vitamin A), green and purple cabbage, Portobello mushrooms, sweet or  Vidalia onions (selenium), broccoli, green (red, yellow, orange) pepper, cilantro, celery, radish (daikon and regular), garlic, watercress, cauliflower, alfalfa and spicy (clover, radish, broccoli) sprouts

 

Salsa. No time to chop or dice? Blend in a good natural salsa like Newman's Own (Artichoke-Lime is my favorite) or Muir Glen.

Spices and seasonings: Bragg's Liquid Amino ( healthy salt substitute), pepper, smoked paprika, ginger, cumin, turmeric, celery salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, dill. 

Sub water for lemon or lime juice and blend all ingredients. Fry in light olive oil or avocado oil. 

 

Here are some regional veggie burger variations:

German: Add a touch of sauerkraut, apple, caraway seed and onion to your veggie burger base.

Mediterranean: add pesto, tomato and mushroom into your burger base.

Southwestern: add salsa, corn, colored peppers, cumin and cilantro to your bean base.

Central African: blend beans with ripe plantain or bananas.

Middle eastern: blend in couscous, chickpeas, tahini, besam, cumin, eggplant and garlic. Serve with homemade hummus. 

Creole: garlic, onion, paprika and Tabasco sauce will make your veggie burger dance.

Polynesian: Add molasses, pineapple, pepper, onion, ginger, lime juice and sugar to your veggie burger.

Thai: Blend in peanut butter, liquid amino or soy sauce, ginger, bok choy, water chestnuts, mandarin oranges and brown sugar.

Shape the mixture into patties. Grill or griddle in a small amount of olive or avocado oil. Think "outside the hamburger" and have some fun with these delicious oh-so-healthy veggie burger options! Eating like this was part of how I lost 100 pounds without weight loss drugs or surgery.