If you are looking to add some international flair to your Thanksgiving table, Jerusalem is a good place to start.
The city’s diverse Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities have created unpredictable and exciting culinary combinations, the London chef and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi writes in the stunning new cookbook “Jerusalem.” The book, which Mr. Ottolenghi wrote with his friend and business partner Sami Tamimi, explores the history, culture and people of the city through its varied cuisines.
“Jerusalem is a fantastic place, and by that I mean it’s a place of fantasy,” Mr. Ottolenghi said. “There are so many layers of culture and history, almost placed one upon each other, that you start digging and find so many stories that are really the stories of the world.”
Both men grew up on opposite sides of the city in the 1970s — Mr. Tamimi as a Palestinian in East Jerusalem and Mr. Ottolenghi in Jewish West Jerusalem — but didn’t meet until years later in a bakery in London. Away from their birthplace for 20 years, they began to reminisce about the foods and flavors of their childhood. The result is a uniquely personal exploration of their cross-cultural childhood, told in recipes inspired by their mothers’ cooking, trips to local markets and the herbs, fruits and vegetables that surrounded their homes.
“Our first inclination was to cover everything, but we realized that would be impossible because there are so many communities and backgrounds of people in this city that it would be a cookbook of the world,” Mr. Ottolenghi said. “So now the majority of the recipes are just things we like to cook that have the essence of the city, the flavors, the aroma and the signature techniques. It’s a very private choice.”
Although food in Jerusalem is influenced by the incalculable number of cultures and subcultures that make up the city, there are some distinct food traditions, Mr. Ottolenghi said. Everybody uses chopped cucumbers and tomatoes to make a salad; stuffed vegetables are eaten regularly; and olive oil, lemon juice and olives are ubiquitous. Popular local ingredients include okra, cauliflower, artichokes, beets, eggplant, figs, lemons, pomegranates, plums and apricots.
For Well’s Vegetarian Thanksgiving series, the authors of “Jerusalem” offer three new recipes for your holiday table, including a flavorful stuffed eggplant, a roasted cauliflower and pomegranate salad and a radiant fig and sweet potato dish certain to become a new Thanksgiving tradition.
“Jerusalem”
Chermoula Eggplant With Bulgur and Yogurt
Chermoula is a mixture of spices used in North African cooking, often to season fish. Here it’s rubbed over eggplant, which is then roasted and topped with a Middle Eastern salad of bulgur wheat and herbs, something like tabbouleh. “It’s a hybrid that could only happen in Jerusalem,” said Yotam Ottolenghi, an author of the new “Jerusalem” cookbook.
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons finely chopped preserved lemon peel (available in stores)
2/3 cup olive oil, plus extra to finish
2 medium eggplants
1 cup fine bulgur
2/3 cup boiling water
1/3 cup golden raisins
3 1/2 tablespoons warm water
1/3 ounce (2 teaspoons) cilantro, chopped, plus extra to finish
1/3 ounce (2 teaspoons) mint, chopped
1/3 cup pitted green olives, halved
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
3 green onions, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
Salt
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. To make the chermoula, mix together in a small bowl the garlic, cumin, coriander, chili, paprika, preserved lemon, two-thirds of the olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Score the flesh of each half with deep, diagonal crisscross cuts, making sure not to pierce the skin. Spoon the chermoula over each half, spreading it evenly, and place the eggplant halves on a baking sheet, cut side up. Put in the oven and roast for 40 minutes, or until the eggplants are completely soft.
4. Meanwhile, place the bulgur in a large bowl and cover with the boiling water.
5. Soak the raisins in the warm water. After 10 minutes, drain the raisins and add them to the bulgur, along with the remaining oil. Add the herbs, olives, almonds, green onions, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
6. Serve the eggplants warm or at room temperature. Place 1/2 eggplant, cut side up, on each individual plate. Spoon the bulgur on top, allowing some to fall from both sides. Spoon over some yogurt, sprinkle with cilantro and finish with a drizzle of oil.
Yield: 4 servings
“Jerusalem”
Roasted Cauliflower, Hazelnut and Pomegranate Seed Salad
The roasted flavors of cauliflower and hazelnuts, combined with the fresh pop of pomegranate seeds, make this a particularly memorable salad for your holiday table. Cauliflower and pomegranate are popular foods in both Arab and Jewish communities, and the sweet and sour combinations in this dish capture the flavors of the region.
1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets (1 1/2 pounds total)
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 large celery stalk, cut on an angle into 1/4-inch slices (2/3 cup total)
5 tablespoons hazelnuts, with skins
1/3 cup small flat-leaf parsley leaves, picked
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds (from about 1/2 medium pomegranate)
Generous 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Generous 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix the cauliflower with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some black pepper. Spread out in a roasting pan and roast on the top oven rack for 25 to 35 minutes, until the cauliflower is crisp and parts of it have turned golden brown. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool.
3. Decrease the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 17 minutes.
4. Allow the nuts to cool a little, then coarsely chop them and add to the cauliflower, along with the remaining oil and the rest of the ingredients. Stir, taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly. Serve at room temperature.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
“Jerusalem”
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Fresh Figs
This dish takes inspiration from a city where fig trees grow in abundance. “Growing up, there were tons of fig trees around, and we would eat figs dry or fresh in fruit salads,’’ Yotam Ottolenghi said. “We wanted to celebrate those memories and came up with this recipe.”
4 small sweet potatoes (2 1/4 pounds total)
5 tablespoons olive oil
Scant 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
(you can use a commercial rather than
a premium aged grade)
1 1/2 tablespoons superfine sugar
12 green onions, halved lengthwise and cut into
1 1/2-inch segments
1 red chili, thinly sliced
6 ripe figs (8 1/2 ounces total), quartered
5 ounces soft goat’s milk cheese (optional)
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Wash the sweet potatoes, halve them lengthwise, and then cut each half into 3 long wedges. Mix with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and some black pepper.
2. Spread the wedges out, skin side down, on a baking sheet and cook for about 25 minutes, until they are soft but not mushy. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
3. To make the balsamic reduction, place the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat and simmer for 2 to 4 minutes, until it thickens. Be sure to remove the pan from the heat when the vinegar is still runnier than honey; it will continue to thicken as it cools. Stir in a drop of water before serving if it does become too thick to drizzle.
4. Arrange the sweet potatoes on a serving platter. Heat the remaining oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the green onions and chili. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring often to make sure not to burn the chili. Spoon the oil, onions and chili over the sweet potatoes. Dot the figs among the wedges, and then drizzle over the balsamic reduction. Serve at room temperature. Crumble the cheese over the top, if using.
Yield: 4 servings
Reprinted with permission from Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, copyright © 2012. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.
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