Tel Aviv 2014-The Malabie Days

Tel Aviv is a wildly vibrant and constantly moving environment. Every time I go, I discover something new. Malabie was my new culinary fetish from this year's holiday visit.



My first hit of malabie was while returning to Hummus Asli in Jaffo (see former blogpost).
At the end of the meal we were served malabie. It is a milk pudding, covered with radioactive sweet red sauce, rosewater, peanuts, pistachios and coconut, or some variation thereof.

After Amnon, Irad and I each had a portion, Amnon and I ordered another one. It was that good! Thomas Keller (of French Laundry and Per se fame) started a whole new food movement with the contention that after three bites of any food one exhausts the freshness/pop of the taste, so no need for more.

Not so malabie. One is not enough. Three bites is just the awakening stage.

And we discovered there is a place called the Malabi-ah right around the corner from our apartment!!! A few steps out our doorway, open seemingly 24 hours a day as we visited it after breakfast and after midnight.






It is a dumpy little third-world looking, well, to call it a storefront would be an exaggeration.  You either sit inside a little porch, or go out to the tables in the street. Many of which have chess and checker sets to keep you occupied while savoring your malabie.

You basically get your malabie—customized at the counter —you choose your flavor of radioactive red (classic, cinammon lemon, and two other flavors I can't recall)



















and choose your toppings—peanuts, sugared peanuts, coconut, toasted coconut and homemade cookie crumbs.

And because Tel Aviv is so hip and really not third world at all despite its grunge, grit and deterioration (the romance of decay,) there is even VEGAN malabie! And a malabie punch card so that your 10th one is free.


Needless to say our visit was punctuated with frequent refueling trips to the Malabiah.

More San Francisco

 Leaving San Francisco by ferry

We took the ferry to Sausalito for the 4th of July. We ran to catch the very last ferry of the day at 6:45 pm. Things always feel better when you work for them!

It was a beautiful evening and we could see the entire skyline as we moved across the water, along with the fog rolling over the city. But it was perfectly clear on the water.

Angel Island State Park seen from Ferry

Sails at Play

The Ferry Look

Arriving in Sausalito

I had never been to Sausalito before and it was picturesque and charming.  In an interesting blurb on  this colorful area I read about a local history that encompasses, "dons, extravagant fiestas... Portuguese boat builders, Italian fishermen, Chinese shopkeepers, rail yard workers, ferry crewmen, and dairy ranchers,...Out-of-town rumrunners, local police, basement speakeasies, backyard stills...painters, sculptors, dancers, writers, musicians, mask makers, bohemians, hippies and houseboaters." You know. Colorful.

We had a lovely dinner at Sushi Ran,
one of SF's great sushi restaurants. They were amazingly creative with their vegetable appetizers and did a stunning vegan sushi selection for Irad. Again too dark for good pics.

We used Uber to get back. We pretty much Uber-ed to get everywhere and it was an amazing convenience. As they promised, "With just the push of a button, Uber will connect you with the closest available driver in town, ready to pick you up in minutes. You’ll see a photo of your driver, the car they are driving, and even watch them on the app as they drive toward you." It was like having our own (interchangeable) private driver wherever we went, and several of the drivers were really warm and friendly. Some of them added personal touches like stocking their backseats with mints or packages of gum. Since we are hip deep in a tech company, we constantly interviewed the drivers about their experience with Uber, marveled at the business model and success of the company. Beyond global village, it is the new networked village.

On Saturday morning I returned to the Ferry Building to meet Jackie for walking brunch. The Farmers' Market was amazing!

  

We could go to a restaurant, a stand or just cruise through samples!

Lots of samples

Fresh produce, baked goods, prepared foods and flowers galore. I have never seen so many beautiful and unusual flowers available in one place, and so reasonably. I got myself a small bouquet of sweet pea flowers for our hotel room, and some large bunches of dahlia and some flowers I had never heard of that I can't remember now for Jackie to bring home.

Jackie's Bouquet Finds a Home

Fortunately I don't live in SF or I'd be back obsessively every Saturday for more of these giant oreos (Can't remember name of bakery farm-stand. Jackie?)

In the afternoon Yuval and I went on a little shopping museum spree. The standout shopping store was Flight 001,

a store dedicated to travel technology, luggage and gadgets. I turned Yuval on to compression packing, which subject I will save for another blog. I consider myself mildly expert in packing.

 de Young Museum designed by Herzog & de Meuron

We went to the de Young museum in Golden Gate park for a remarkable museum experience. Yuval, who was an architect in a past life and a fan of Herzog & de Meuron, gave me an impassioned tour of the building, its special construction, views and approaches.

 detail of facade, constructed in Kansas City, perforated so that no two panels are alike, in homage to the digital age of pixels

He is very good at communicating his knowledge and love of things he cares about and makes an amazing travel companion. Everyone should have the experience of being introduced to this museum by Yuval. 

We spent some time up in the Hamon Tower appreciating the incredible city views, park views, ocean views, and Marin county views, in this city of views.

I loved the African and Art of the Americas galleries, where everything was set in the dark, in a bath of warm wood floors, walls, and ceiling, with spotlighting that made it all sparkle. It really felt like entering a mysterious and magical world of exotic art. I find that when I visit a museum I get more out of slowly taking in one or two areas than trying to see everything and just brain-blurring.

We sat in the  in the cafe, soaking up the atmosphere. It was closing but they gave us a cup of tea on the house so that we could enjoy the last few minutes. I find that sitting in a cafe after taking in a lot of amazing art is a great way to percolate the dream machine. Leads to great conversation. Walked out to Uber back to the hotel.

Sunday before our flight we were back at Blue Bottle for breakfast. I would be there every morning if I lived in SF!

 Eggs baked in toast

 The great windows and light

 Fabulous Coffee Making Apparatus

 A Bit of Mad Coffee Science

And that's the wrap. See you again soon, San Francisco.

San Francisco Food and Views

I joined Irad and Yuval in San Francisco for the holiday weekend while they are here for business. San Francisco alternates between thrilling and horrifying: there are so many beautiful parks, neighborhoods, architecture and magnificent views of bays, bridges and mountains—but every time I walk somewhere I am stumbling over homeless people, junkies and crazies. It is as if someone opened the doors to a giant asylum somewhere and all the inmates took to the streets. I counted 5 per block this morning as I walked for half an hour from my hotel to the Hayes Valley stores. It is hard to stay upbeat in the face of such abject misery and acute human pain.

However, the food here is amazing, and since Irad and Yuval have been working too much for any real expeditions I have mostly been sticking to the hotel where I am enjoying the views from our windows. On the 28th floor with a corner room and ceiling to floor windows it is something like being in a glass boat in the heavens:

The expeditions we have taken so far have been confined to meal times and have hit on several foodie spectaculars.

The first amazing experience was walking to the Ferry Building and eating at the Slanted Door, one of San Franciscos favorite Vietnamese restaurant. But the part of the meal that will stick in my mind (and my waistline) was ice cream at Humphrey Slocombe.

  I chose (clockwise from the top) Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee, Malted Milk Chocolate and Black Sesame. I couldn't finish this enormous bowl, but I certainly did my best.
It was accompanied by more stunning views:

 Dinner was at a restaurant I have been hearing about for years: Millenium, a vegan superstar, creating vegan food before the east coast even knew what the word "vegan" means. Its goal is to create complex, layered, rich food that makes meat obsolete. Yuval brought me the cookbook several years ago as a gift after his first time there, and though I often look at the pictures I have never had the courage to take on any of the amazingly detailed and complicated recipes. I was looking forward to someone else cooking them!

Our experience there was somewhat curtailed by the singularly bad luck that the light right over OUR table was burnt out, so that the food was mostly in deep shadow. For that reason my photographs did not really come out after the appetizers, because as the day got darker, so did our table. But since the appetizers were my favorites anyway, I will post them.

Crusted king Trumpet Mushrooms

Arborio rice & sesame dredge, cabbage & carrot salad with lime vinaigrette, toasted red lentil chaat, methi-sweet soy Manchurian dipping sauce

Braised Romano Beans charred cherry tomatoes, basil, lemon zest, bread crumbs, chile

Pistachio Stuffed Dates
orange, cinnamon, Aleppo chile

Stuffed Squash Blossoms
lemon-sage tofu cheese, zucchini & nopales escabeche, corn masa sope,
smoky black bean puree, strawberry-habanero salsa, avocado

 At this point my pictures are not very attractive but we had:

Braza De Reina Tamale chard & corn masa, toasted pumpkin seed, chile poblano & Christmas lima bean filling, sweet corn, roasted pepper & cherry tomato stew, lambsquarter greens, tomato-habanero sauce, avocado, radish & jicama salad, cumin toasted pumpkin seeds
Cornmeal & Thyme Crusted Zucchini mousakka spiced mushroom & pistachio duxelle, whipped roasted garlic butterbeans, shaved fennel, orange & red frill mustard salad, green olive salsa verde, pistachio-cinnnamon toasted bread crumbs
and for dessert:				Peach Cheesecake cashew filling, thyme-macademia nut crust, lavender-red wine-pluot compote, peach syrup, macadamia lace cookie, fresh blackberries Chocolate Almond Midnight almond cashew crust, chocolate filling, espresso ganache, white chocolate mousse, raspberry sauce, almond bark

My favorite was the Crusted King Trumpet Mushrooms - really delicious! As usual, I enjoyed the appetizers more than the mains. I think my approach to dining should just be to always eat a collection of appetizers, tapas style. I enjoyed this kind of eating as a one-time interesting and tasty food adventure, but I wouldn't go here every week if I lived here, or even every year. It is over-constructed and heavy-handed for my taste. I like simple dishes that feature the natural flavors of food. This was a lot of bells and whistles and the palate and brain simply tire and it all blurs into one enormous amount of food.

Speaking of simple food, this morning's breakfast was an absolutely fabulous five star experience. Blue Bottle Coffee! Wow! If I lived here I WOULD eat there every morning. Simple space, big windows, bright light, excellent coffee and amazing food. Line out the door.

 Starting with the basics, coffee and a "strawberry buckle"

  According to my barristo, Blue Bottle's creator and coffee roaster, James Freeman, married a premier SF pastry chef, Caitlin Freeman, and she now provides all the pastries. Now THAT is a marriage made in heaven.

Strawberry Buckle (seasonal) was so good I bought two more before I left, boxed them and sent them to my foodie sister.

 Poached eggs on thick bread were to die for. Simple IS best

I supplemented with a little raspberry compote jam, ladled out of a pot. I am going to try and make this at home.

 

Nothing like a good cup of coffee in the morning!

And great companions to enjoy it with. Good Morning San Francisco!

50th Birthdays and Our Appalachian Trail: 4th of July Tribute to one tiny part of American landscape

A little reflection on an American hike for the 4th of July!

I am a couple years past my 50th, but one of my sisters is coming up on it, which lead me to some reflections on turning 50. Like most of the big birthdays, 50 is a milestone that freaks us all out. At age 48 I dreaded it, and at age 49 decided it was coming regardless so I might as well welcome it with open arms: If you can't beat 'em, join em. Keep your enemies close. When the going gets tough the tough get...oh never mind. I decided to come up with a year of small celebrations, to put "someday" plans into action.

My husband was also turning 50 so some of these plans involved him. One night as we were discussing the pending birthdays I recalled my adventurous Aunt Karen telling me when I was a teen-ager that her goal for her 50th birthday was to walk the Appalachian Trail. I sat up and said, "Let's walk the Appalachian Trail!" I knew Irad would love the idea.

With three kids and one and half full time jobs we weren't about to spend seven months walking the AT, but we could spend a week. We always spend a week in Vermont during late August at Family Camp (one of our most cherished traditions) so we decided to hike in to Family Camp that year. Amnon would drive his younger siblings there to meet us.

So we packed the car for the kids and flew ourselves out to the trail. For me it was a week long experience of being completely cut off form civilization, worrying only about putting one foot in front of the other, finding water, which soup we were eating on any given night, and where to set up camp.

All of this was a delightful departure from our normal lives and we both enjoyed it. The main take-away for me was how different time feels when you completely change the way you spend a day, and how easy it is to just keep walking:

 And to try and notice the world on the way:










But for Irad it was not just the week of hiking—it was the weeks of planning and reading and buying high tech equipment that I think he enjoyed every bit as much.

Even before we finished the hike Irad had us make lists of everything we needed to change in our equipment, what worked and what lacked, in preparation for the next year's hike. I felt satisfied with the small taste of it we had experienced for one week, but Irad's interest had just begun. So the next year we read a slew of books by and about the AT Trail by AT hikers, most of them pathetic literary blunders (apparently another effect of hiking the trail is the need to write your book about it!)
But the one stand-outs was A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail Bryson doesn't actually hike the entire trail, but he collects a fascinating amount of information about the trail setting it historically and sociologically, dips in enough to get the flavor of the hiking experience, and brings along his friend Katz for hilarious comic relief. There was some value to reading a bunch of the others, including people with dogs, who were seven feet tall, who had heart attacks along the way, and who hiked the trail barefoot with a sister, (we divided them up between us) as the cumulative information really gives a lot of information about the entire trail, and the similarities of experiences that emerge give an idea of what to expect.

And before the hike we had both read Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (Vintage)
which was a fabulous preparation for the hike as well as a well written personal quest story. We often referred to it as if Cheryl were a friend we had dinner with before leaving. "Remember when Cheryl lost her...," or, "This reminds me of the time Cheryl...", or even, "Cheryl was right that..."
Irad recruited our son Aryeh to do the hike with him the following summer. They chose a more southern piece of the trail in Virginia that is supposed to be quite beautiful and challenging. Aryeh, who is a high school athlete, absoutely kicked Irad's butt on the physical parts of the hike, especially the mountain climbing (did I mention it can be very physically demanding?) but he found the endless days of hiking monotonous.








So now Irad is a yearly AT hiker. Eventually he plans on completing the entire trail, piece by piece. I expect him to live a long long life so fortunately there is also the Pacific Crest Trail on the West Coast and the Contintental Divide in the Rockies to add to his list!

And one last thing I did for myself was beginning 6 weeks before my birthday I decided to write a poem a day. I didn't actually write a poem a day, but the days I did write poems it was a great feeling and I really liked the short collection I wound up with. If I had successfully done the full 42 days I had intended to self-publish a little book of poems on some interesting handmade papers (Amnon knows how to bind books). Perhaps that is a project I can still complete someday. Not to become a poet, just to continue to scratch that little itch I have to create. Here is a sample.

Rumi

Reading Rumi

Craving Chocolate

One nourishes the soul

The other the body

But which does which?

And bottom line, reaching 50 is a lot to celebrate and we are lucky to still be here on this Earth with all the people we love.