Happy birthday, Israel!

In 60 years, so many accomplishments to be proud of…

I hope the next 60 years bring true peace to Israel and allow it to prosper even more, materially, as well as spiritually!

So I invite you to a virtual visit of Israel, along with a taste of Israel…

The falafel virtuoso:

Falafel recipe: (thank you Gabi Levy, from the Israeli embassy)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup dried chickpeas.
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• Oil for frying

PREPARATION:

Place dried chickpeas in a bowl, covering with cold water. Allow to soak overnight.

Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. Add baking powder.

Mash chickpeas, ensuring to mix ingredients together. You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste.

Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Slightly flatten.

Fry in 2 inches of oil until golden brown (5-7 minutes).

Serve hot.

Gabi’s tricks:

Let mixture sit to blend flavors

Add baking powder ½ hours before frying

Nehama’s tip: do not eat falafel when going out on a date, there is NO elegant way to eat it… ;-) bon appetit!