Food News and Views May 8, 2008: The Other Side of Israel
Food and Dining Radio Show – 5.8.08
Linda Gassenheimer (LG)
Fred Tasker (FT)
Joseph Cooper (JC)
Lin Arison (LA)
LG: Great wine, excellent olive oil, cozy bistros…do you think of Israel? This is the Israel Lin Arison writes about in the wonderful story she tells about the unknown Israel entitled A Love Story in Mediterranean Israel. When your late husband retired as chairman of Carnival Cruise Line you both moved to Israel. But while here you brought to life the National Foundation for the Advancement in Arts and the New World Symphony. What was it like moving to Israel?
LA: At first it was very bleak. I didn’t speak the language or understand it. I felt like I was in a vacuum. I kept waiting for someone to save me and take me back.
LG: You had traveled there, but living there is a different story.
LA: Yes, but after a while I realized it was my new home and I was going to be there so I started exploring to find out what was Israel. Boy was I surprised
LG: When I moved here from London you contacted me. Your love of good food was enticing. This love seemed to help you in Israel. Take us on a tour of the Israel you discovered.
LA: I have to tell you that it’s very interesting that, in those days, nobody knew there was good food in Israel. Once I started exploring I understood that people outside of Israel people don’t realize what amazing food there is. They have the basic products that are grown there. But now Israelis have been traveling a lot and they have bought back to Israel wonderful restaurants. They are better than elsewhere. When people ask “what is the best restaurant,” I think of Israel.
LG: Fabulous restaurants in Tel Aviv?
LA: Yes, I had told Jane Woldridge (travel editor at the Herald) that she should come. I took her on a tour and she did a travel section on the unknown Israel. I took her to Mesa in Tel Aviv and it looks just like the Delano. They have the most amazing food like foie gras with chocolate. They used to send the foie gras to Paris; that’s where Paris got most of its livers.
LG: Others in Tel Aviv?
LA: When I first came there, there was Soph Frishman. It was on the beach at the end of Frishman Street. They made fish in a way where they actually fried it quickly and then baked it. So you have crunchy skin and soft inside of the fish. The fish was fresh and delicious.
LG: My mouth is watering now. I was very surprised to find Israel produces 6-7,000 tons of olive oil a year.
LA: It’s the tastiest most delicious kind. I had an olive oil tasting and I actually sensitized myself to know when an olive oil was a already mildewed. I could taste the difference in the olive oils – they are exquisite. You can drink them.
LG: I noticed in your book that it was a very lonely experience at first. You started driving into the countryside and finding farms. Tell me about your trips.
LA: I took a guide and a jeep and we initially went up to Rosh Pina. This was a laid back, artistic place.
LG: Where?
LA: About 2.5 hrs near Lebanon. I got there and immediately felt I could live in Israel because it was Mediterranean. There were red roofs and stone walls. I knew there that I had found home. It was there that I began my turnaround. I found a marvelous place called Blue. It was a restaurant on the beach with floor to ceiling glass. I could stay there for hours and hours where I could read and write. It was my haven in the beginning.
LG: Tell us about the goat cheese.
LA: Well, I worked my way very slowly to the top of the Judaen mountains. Up there is a fellow with a long white beard, long white hair and he raises goats. His name is Shy Selzer. He took Israeli cheese from bland and experimented. He discovered how to age them and have them taste like gorgonzola and different cheese in the world, but it’s all goat cheese.
LG: Artisan bread makers.
LA: There was someone on that mountain top that made bread in a taboon.
LG: What is that
LA: It’s an outdoor oven. Incredible smells come out of that. My husband’s grandparents had a farm in the north. His father was actually expected to be a farmer but ran away to Turkey to be a businessman. He got caught up in the Turkish army, but that’s a whole other story.
LG: We’re talking with Lin Arison about the unknown side of Israel. It’s time for a short break.
[break]
LG: We’re back. We’ve been talking with Lin Arison about the unknown side of Israel. Far from the front pages of the Love Story in Mediterranean Israel. But it’s dinner in minutes time. We’ve been talking about Mediterranean food so today’s dinner in minutes is Mediterranean Snapper with Greek Salad. If you want the recipe see my website www.dinnerinminutes.com. If we wanted to make it Israeli you could put some goat cheese in it.
LA: When I moved to Israel I thought I’d import French wine for dinner. Then my editor said it’s changed. I said “show me.” We went to the Golan Heights winery and I was absolutely amazed. We had a picnic after that and I said “this is the most exquisite wine.” They’ve actually won prizes all over the world.
FT: I’ve spoken to Israeli wine makers and they hope that, if there is a land for peace settlement, that they can still get them to grow the grapes and continue making wine out of them.
LG: Lin Arison has been giving us a wonderful look at Israel. When you went to farms did you hear guns in the background?
LA: No, not at all. People who visit say it feels safer than anywhere else. It’s not like that at all.
LG: So it’s not like what we read in the news?
LA: Yes, it feels so safe.
JC: Is there a lot of hustle and bustle?
LA: The minute you land you know you’re alive. It’s a small country and everything is fresh and in front of you. So there is a hustle and bustle but it’s more of an aliveness.
LG: Are most restaurants kosher?
LA: No, and you actually have shrimp and pork and all of those things. The restaurants in hotels are kosher because of an economic thing – like for wedding and parties. But most restaurants are not kosher.
LG: I read about a shrimp farm in Israel.
LA: Yes, and pigs are grown there but they stand on slats so that they don’t touch the holy ground.
LG: Well you experienced Israel from a whole new vantage point. How do you spend your time now?
LA: Yes, when my husband Ted was very sick he asked me what I’d do and I told him I’d finish the apartment in Israel. I want the family to go and spend time there.
LG: Travels with Van Gogh and the Impressionists; discovering connections. Tell us the basis of this book?
LA: The basic thing is the relationships of all these impressionists with each other. Part of what I realized is that I want to reconnect with young artists and make them visible. They are weirdos like the impressionists were.
LG: thank you for joining us.
you hear guns in the background?
LA: No, not at all. People who visit say it feels safer than anywhere else. It’s not like that at all.
LG: So it’s not like what we read in the news?
LA: Yes, it feels so safe?
JC: is there a lot of hustle and bustle?
LA: The minute you land you know you’re alive. It’s a small country and everything is fresh and infront of you. So there is a a hustle and bustle but it’s more of an aliveness.
LG: Are most restaurants kosher?
LA: No, and you actually have shrimp and pork and all of those things. The restaurants in hotels are kosher because of an economic thing – like for wedding and parties. But most restaurants are not kosher.
LG: I read about a shrimp farm in Israel.
LA: Yes, and pigs are grown there but they stand on slats so that they don’t touch the holy ground.
LG: Well you experienced Israel from a whole new vantage point. How do you spend your time now?
LA: Yes, when my husband Ted was very sick he asked me what I’d do and I told him I’d finish the apartment in Israel. I want the family to go and spend time there.
LG: Travels with Van Gogh and the Impressionists; discovering connections. Tell us the basis of this book?
LA: The basic thing is the relationships of all these impressionists with each other. Part of what I realized is that i want to reconnect with young arts and make them visible. They are weirdos like the impressionists were.
LG: thank you for joining us.