Catit Goes Vegan…for a night.


Uber Chef Meir Adoni is about to go where no Israeli  “celebrity” chef/restaurateur has gone before. On the 1st of March, Catit will offer a special vegan menu at a “special” price of 320 NIS per person.

To get the full impact of this special menu one must understand that the usual menu is a meat and fish eaters playground. Veal brain (sorry about that), calamari, lobster ravioli and lamb osso buco are the norm. But on the 1st of March the menu will include a tomato confit filled with organic wheat, mango salad with cilantro, almonds, quinoa wrapped in smoked avocado (?), tempura tofu, pea sprouts in a soy and mirin vinaigrette etc. Your meal will be accompanied by sourdough breads, mineral water, olive oil and a warm drinks which I think means tea.

Chef Meir Adoni

Considered one of Israel’s most interesting culinary experiences, a meal at Catit is also amongst the priciest in the country. In an interview with Ori Shavit of  Vegans On Top , Meir Adoni revealed that any vegan who wishes to dine at the restaurant only needs to give 24 hours notice and full menu will be prepared for them. In addition, after Passover a “popular priced” vegan menu will be offered at Adoni's Mizlala eatery on a regular basis at about 175NIS per person.

Catit, 4 Heichal HaTalmud St

03-510-7001

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Stovetop Roasted Eggplant…on a hubcap.


One (of the many) cooking skills that I have yet to master is the perfectly roasted eggplant. Have you ever noticed that smokey flavor and smell when you taste an eggplant dish in a Middle Eastern restaurant or as we say in Israel a “Mizrachi” restaurant?

I’ve been told by numerous women that the taste and smell comes from slow roasting the eggplant on the stovetop. If you’ve ever tried this at home you’ve dealt with an exploding eggplant, eggplant juice all over the place, possible stains on your stovetop or worse.

Earlier in the week I was at the Supersol in the Glilot Junction.  The market has gone through an extensive renovation and is now HUGE! In the produce department there was a display of kitchen gadgets which I usually do my best to ignore for fear of buying another useless utensil.  Example:  avocado slicer. Anyway, a flat green box caught my eye  “Stovetop eggplant roasting pan”. 79 NIS later I was the proud owner of this special pan.

It looks like a hubcap and comes in two pieces. The bottom piece sits atop the burner and has a little ring around it that you should keep filled with water. I roasted two eggplants and yes, the thing works. And no mess on my stovetop. After the eggplants were charred and cooled I easily removed the skins and proceeded with my recipe (see below). Great taste, no mess but not so easy to clean. Not going to worry about it shining again.

I searched for the pan on line but couldn’t find it. In the meantime, you can pick one up at Supersol in Glilot for 79NIS.

Baba Ghanoush Recipe

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs minced garlic

2 tbs Tahina

½ tsp salt

2 tbls olive oil

½ chopped onion, fried (optional)

What to do:

Make two small slits on either side of eggplant. Cook the eggplant on the burner (either you’ve lined the stovetop with foil or are using the special pan mentioned above). Turn the eggplant every 5-7 minutes as needed until the skin is black/charred and the eggplant is soft.

Let the eggplant cool before attempting to peel off the skin.

Combine the eggplant and all of the remaining ingredients in the food processor or chop by hand.

Serve with toasted pita.

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