a way of life. You stuff anything into a pita. You can stuff the whole lunch into a pita. You can stuff schnitzel , french fries, salad, it goes all in a pita and it's actually sort of movable, a movable lunch, moveable table. But what we have here in the pita is actually quite interesting and unique. And it shows for me yet another aspect of, of Israeli food culture. It is called "sabih." Anybody familiar, except the Israelis here in the audience.
So five-minute hummus. We're going to make matbucha, which is like a North African sort of condiment salad situation. And we're going to make zucchini schnitzel as well. And then we're going to put it all together.
Also, we're going to get started with our zucchini schnitzel . Have you guys all had schnitzel before? Steve, can you tell them something anecdotal about schnitzel in Israel?
What do they call them, like schnitzel arias, or something like that. And all they make are these schnitzel sandwiches either in pita or in baguettes. And they use the zhug, the all these different condiments to make what are, essentially, fried chicken sandwiches.
So when you get to that final step before you add the chickpeas, you're going to have a beautiful, well-seasoned sauce that goes with anything from zucchini schnitzel to fish to roasted meat. It's super versatile. We use it at the restaurant for almost everything.
I mean, when Jews first started coming back to Israel around the turn of the 19th century, it was primarily German Jews at that time, that wave of immigration, so that schnitzel was a dish that they brought over to Israel. They very used to veal, which wasn't really available when they got to Palestine.
Yeah. No, I like that. obviously, to schnitzel , to borscht, to blintzes, to you name it, by the way of Poland, I should say.
So, when there is this kind of intermarriage, automatically there is cross-over on the plate. So, schnitzel and couscous during one lunch, chicken soup that you can't really know where it comes from because it turns out that every Jewish food culture has its own version of chicken soup. And pumpkin, sort of, cross over from Balkan or Moroccan tradition right to Ashkenazi one and I think that's the whole beauty of that. So, thank that, I don't remember
Have you guys all had schnitzel before? Steve, can you tell them something anecdotal about schnitzel in Israel? I can. Please. I can.
Now, hipsters have started making schnitzels . What do they call them, like schnitzel arias, or something like that. And all they make are these schnitzel sandwiches either in pita or in baguettes.
And they use the zhug, the all these different condiments to make what are, essentially, fried chicken sandwiches. Yeah. So what led you to zucchini schnitzel ? I just feel like zucchini is delicious.
And it's become almost highbrow. Now, hipsters have started making schnitzels . What do they call them, like schnitzel arias, or something like that.
That way, the flavor's developed and it's not just one note. Also, we're going to get started with our zucchini schnitzel . Have you guys all had schnitzel before?
They very used to veal, which wasn't really available when they got to Palestine. And so chickens were a lot cheaper and a lot more widely available, so chicken schnitzel sort of became the unofficial tourist food of Israel. Many of us encountered it for the first time on a tour bus and it wasn't very good.
And you encounter it in museum cafeterias and tour groups. And then there is an awesome place right on the beach in Tel Aviv that makes these incredible schnitzel sandwiches that, I don't know, taste so good after you come out of the water.
And it was something that they actually used to teach. As each successive wave of immigrants came to Israel, they actually would have cooking classes and teach everybody how to make schnitzel . So something that started out as European and German became widely, widely adopted in the country.
Yeah. And also, you can eat them like, standing up in your bathing suit with no shirt on, which is a pretty amazing thing. But also, it's sort of become this iconic dish because everybody that's ever visited Israel usually ends up eating schnitzel . And it's become almost highbrow.
I feel like we always have it in our CSA. And I'm like, I can't do this anymore with you right now, schnitzel , or with zucchini. And I feel like you need something kind of exciting, and it's sort of a star.
But I have some of those vertical plate racks, or file folders. But I love going there for this time of year, good bib lettuce salad, pumpkin seed oil, and the schnitzel is fantastic.