#4: Ridiculously cheap and ubiquitous falafel
12 shekels dude. That’s not even $3 for a kosher (BADATZ no less) falafel in laffa bread. Each sandwich contains (no joke) about 18 freshly made falafel balls, as well as the usual stuffings (skip the freedom fries – that’s just overkill), hummus, tehina, chariff, salad etc. and then you can add as much onions, fried eggplant, mango sauce etc. etc. as you like. At the joint we hit, the owner kept passing around a bowl of even more falafel balls. We ate enough to feed a family. The particular joint we hit was at the bottom end of the Machaneh Yehudah market. Look for it if you’re ever there, it’s awesome.
Who’s we? Why pictured above is none other than mobius of Jewschool, me and Harry from the View from Here. Earlier I brought Ariela from Urban Achiever some instant soup because she was feeling ill and met up with our own Alli at Cafe Hillel. Ariela is at Hebrew U. and Alli is doing a short stint at Neveh before starting WUJS.
But yeah… Jewlicious and Jewschool met face to face and only a couple of falafel balls were hurt! Moby was actually pretty cool and he doesn’t know it yet, but I’ll be seeing him again tonight. Harry is unbelievable – the man knows things. More on that later!
Esther
2/1/2005
Glad you’re making strides toward that “United World Federation of Jewish Bloggers” idea…
You boys are so lucky to be able to eat whatever you want without dealing with a metabolism-as-nemesis. Although I have to say that even the idea of eating 18 falafel balls in one week, let alone in one sitting, makes me feel like a traitor to dieting women everywhere…
Which one of you is packin’ the TUMS?
Michael
2/1/2005
Actually, achi, I think an abundance of fantastic kosher falafel at insanely low prices is the number one reason to make aliyah.
Just think: every time you never get to the front of the line in the bank because you’re not pushy enough, every time some bureaucrat is feeling petulant and decides that they should screw you over, every time an Israeli is so breathtakingly rude to you that you want to cry…just hit up the falafel stand. Total comfort food.
Anachnu rotzim falafel, anachnu rotzim falafel akhshav!
ck
2/1/2005
Esther: Tums is for Mama’s boys…
Michael: You haven’t seen reasons #1-3. So wait before you pass judgement! But yeah – that falafel is good for the soul.
Dvorah
2/1/2005
I don’t s’pose you want to send some of that yummy flafel to Winnipeg???
*sigh* I’ve gotta start saving for another trip to Israel.
tiff
2/1/2005
Hmmm. I could do with some of that yummy falafel. But I disagree… A really delicious falafel needs fries! In fact, not telling someone that a falafel joint offers fries as a garnish (not even an extra!) is like grounds for divorce or something…
ck
2/1/2005
Well, fries can act as a nice filler but seriously, the 18 falafel ball number was an estimate. There was just so much falafel ball goodness that the fries were rendered unneccessary. I mean it was like a giant falafel tsunami in a pita. It was quite something to behold.
jess
2/1/2005
oooooooooooooooo u guys are making me hella hungry..aswell as desperate to go 2 israel..but i vote the shwarma over the falafel..with auborgines n taboulai in tel aviv..*dreams*
T_M
2/1/2005
What the hell? You guys are dressed for winter.
harry
2/1/2005
Jerusalem is not only the city of gold, but the city of cold.
ariela
2/1/2005
I would normally feel jealous of the 18-falafel laffa combo, but my sicky self is happy enough to be successfully downing the “Elite Instant Vegetable Soup – Lite” with the requisite “Shk’dei Marak” (gotta get my carbs somewhere, ya know).
I will also attest to Harry’s “knowing” of the “things.” He pointed out two new (new to me, anyway) chummus places, each within 5 minutes walking distance from my front door… I’ve already lunched at one of the places (name escapes me) and I was -not- disappointed.
The “United World Federation of Jewish Bloggers” indeed… : )
daphna
2/1/2005
Falafel? Oy, what tourists! Best culinary things about Israel:
and of course, Marzipan rugellah.
1) salad served as a side dish with every meal b/c we have the best veggies on the planet
2) Burger Bar on Emek Refaim-very cheap and extremely thrilling,
3)Oaf al ha’gehalim everywhere you turn (lots of good chicken in general),
4) homemade soup on Shabbat because how else does one make soup? From a packet? A can? Has v’halilah!
5) Good bread, and I have recently discovered where to get Russian bread and Ethiopian bread so extremely good bread
6) very good and abundant chocolate, including mounds and mounds of parve chocolate.
7) Kick ass dairy products which aren’t stoked full of preservatives (so they are tastier) and cottage cheese which actually has a layer of cream on the top (yummy!)
Hmmmm…this all gets me thinking what I should make for this weekend’s predicted “Jerusalem snowed-in Shabbat”. Soup and ruggelah and apple crisp. Lots and lots of ruggellah. One needs the energy, you see, to deal with the cold.
T_M
2/1/2005
Cut it out guys, you’re making me feel nostalgic.
Dvorah
2/1/2005
I think I’m gonna cry. I had shwarma the other night but it doesn’t compare to the real thing. Never mind the rest of the yummies in Israel.
/me gets ready to set up a budget to save for that trip.
Grandmuffti
2/1/2005
Muffti wants to know if you can find huevos as good as Cinquo de Mayo’s.
tiff
2/1/2005
So, back to my issue. Let’s say your special someone takes you out for falafel laffa and neglects to tell you that fries are a topping (this is not a given since the setting for this little story isn’t Israel). And then you find out about the fries when special someone bites into a big, fat, juicy fry-filled laffa that makes your laffa look wimpy and lame. Grounds for divorce, or what?
Michael
2/1/2005
And then you walk out in a huff, and smash your ketubah with your wedding ring, all because he didn’t tell you about the tchipsim.
…Sounds about fair, actually.
Daphna
2/2/2005
Whoa…don’t jump to conclusions here. Were they American style tschipsim, which are crispy and good or Israeli style, which are soggy grease laden potatoes and completely nasty? If he does not tell you about the first, it is cruelty, and grounds for divorce. If he does not tell you about the second, it is chivalry, and grounds for him deserving…ahem…thanks.
ck
2/2/2005
Daphna: Holy cow! Sounds delish! Just remember before you go off about the culinary delights in your home … I know where you live and I am still in town.
Daphna
2/2/2005
CK, you are more than welcome, especially since not only do I have a vase which needs to go up onto a high shelf *but* I also have a lightbulb that needs to be changed. (You know, your height has to be good for something.) And the menu is veggie chili and apple cobbler….
laya
2/2/2005
oooh, sounds yummy…i’m none too tall, but maybe you have a floor that needs to be swept?
Daphna
2/2/2005
Laya, you are more than welcome; get my number from CK and I won’t even make you clean the floor. You see, men need to feel useful. And I try to help them in that regard. Think of it as my mitzvah of the day.
Josh
2/2/2005
daphna
A friend from Jerusalem came to my wife’s shiva house with some Marzipan rogellach and I promise you that the family forgot they were in mourning for the time it took to empty out the box. I could not think of a greater mitzvah at that moment.
Daphna
2/2/2005
Marzipan rugellach rules. Now, does falafel have that effect? I think not!
Alli
2/2/2005
Whoa! I haven’t seen Alli’s name on here in a while. Glad she’s back.
Israellycool
2/2/2005
It is bad enough I am currently in Germany, but now all of you guys are getting together behind my back?
Oh, the inhumanity of it all!
Esther
2/2/2005
This is the second post I’ve seen in as many days where Marzipan rugelach were mentioned. (See Ariela the Urban Achiever for the other one.)
And not to be a grammar beeyotch in a second language, but isn’t “tschips” already plural? What gives with the “tschipsim”?
T_M
2/2/2005
It’s how Israelis say tschips.
daphna
2/2/2005
It pays to know your Hebrew grammer! Tschips, tschipsim! Falafel, falafelim! Incidentally, issue’im is understood by Israelis as well (only comes in plural though). I know this b/c it is a standard word whenever one talks about men. See, now you have expanded your Hebrew vocab.
celestial blue
2/2/2005
yay! I thought that was Harry I saw in that picture! talk about less than 6 degrees of separation! I saw him when I was in Israel too!
lolo
2/2/2005
dave, remember that time you made fun of me for sporting a trucker cap.. over a year ago? and then you told kenny, whoever wore trucker hats probably batted for the other team? well i see now why you guys are sitting so close. im happy youve finally found your soul mate, and that you still wear your nike cap.
tiff
2/3/2005
lolo, that was a wonderful comment. Him and trucker boy do make a nice couple. I’m glad to know that I’m am not the only one dave has picked on…I’m always hearing stuff from him like “i loooove your crazy, insane hair” or “that’s the weirdest pair of pants ever” or “what are those earings?”, all said with a his sweet smile…See, I’m onto him, and his fakey compliments. And really, should someone in a frayed, skanky nike cap even be allowed to comment on anyone’s appearance??? NO.