The Cottage Cheese Lesson

As my time left in Israel ticks away at a rate which I am convinced is faster than three months ago (thank you, Warped Perspective), I like to reflect on my experiences and make lists of the plethora of new things I've done, things I've enjoyed, people I've met, and so on.  One of my mental lists is "Foods Israel Taught Me to Love," and I would like to share this list with you, in all its glory.  Enjoy!

Foods Israel Taught Me to Love

1. Cottage Cheese - I'm told the dairy products and white cheeses in Israel are better than they are in the U.S., but I come from the Dairy State so I feel this is a blasphemous presumption.  Still, I never dared to try this lumpy stuff when I was at home but was convinced to try it here.  Turns out I love the stuff (5% is my favorite), and I'm warned I will be disappointed when I go home.
2. Peppers - I don't know why, but I never really appreciated red, orange, and yellow peppers at home. I would eat them, but I would never choose to put them in something on my own.  I just didn't enjoy them as much.  Now, however, I love peppers.  One of my favorite things to do is slice them up and saute them with olive oil and a little salt and eat them just like that.  Maybe it's just that I never cared for green peppers, which are significantly less tasty.  When I get home, no more of this "saving a couple cents on the cheaper green peppers" business.  Bright, colorful peppers all the way!
3. Israeli Salad - Keep in mind that this list is about things Israel taught me to love.  Ever since my taste buds have accepted vegetables as a permissible food group, I have learned to enjoy salad in one form or another.  Generally speaking I don't like lettuce (tastes bitter to me), so I can usually only enjoy a regular salad with at least a minimal amount of salad dressing.  Traditional Israeli salad, on the other hand, is made with a base of finely chopped tomatoes and cucumbers tossed in olive oil, then people add what they like.  I have decided that not only have I become a master of making Israeli salad but that mine is the best (please ignore the yelling Israelis behind me - they don't know what they're talking about).  In addition to the necessary tomatoes and cucumbers, mine must have yellow, red, or orange bell peppers and a little bit of onion, plus salt and pepper.  I can make a full plate of this stuff in a little over five minutes if I have a good knife (still working on cutting my time), and this is a staple I will be adding to my diet in the U.S.
4. Regular, unsweetened yogurt - The trick to enjoying this is mixing it with honey.  At the beginning of the Ulpan I found a big jar of unused date honey which I quickly appropriated as my own and use to make a breakfast of unsweetened yogurt with granola.  Add some finely chopped apples or pears and I have myself a most delicious and healthy breakfast.
5. Shakshouka - Admittedly there was no teaching involved in this one aside from the lesson of its existence.  How is it that I'd never before heard of such a simple recipe?  Chopped tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions, and spices to make a sauce, then crack an egg into the middle of it and let it cook.  Fifteen minutes for heaven in a sauce pan.  
6. Tea - A year ago I hated tea.  Every single tea I ever tried I thought tasted like, well, hot flavored water, and that was not appealing to me.  Last semester I found an herbal tea that I fell in love with, but only because of its intense flavor and scent.  In Israel (and the Middle East in general), not liking tea is a sin even greater than not liking coffee (no matter the temperature outside), so in order to avoid the looks of shock and disgust upon turning down an offer for a cup of tea with dessert, I tried more.  As it turns out, it is actually quite permissible to add sugar and, if it's black tea, milk.  Tried a bit of that and Voila!  Another beverage in my diet.
7. Nana - Also known as spearmint, fresh nana leaves are added to either hot water or lemonade to make some amazingly refreshing drinks.  Though I like mint I never liked mint leaves in anything, but that's because the mint at home is usually peppermint.  Spearmint, on the other hand, is one of my favorites, and I love using it here.  Now to find a spearmint plant at home... At least I know that Wissotzky offers Nana Tea which, if not found in stores, I can order online.
8. Halva - I remember trying this sesame dessert once at home and hating it, but that was probably around ten years ago and I figured it might be worth trying again.  And y'know what?  If you can appreciate the somewhat gritty consistency it's actually really good.  Dangerously so.  The scale can attest to that.
9. Grated Tomatos - Yup, you read that right, and it's exactly what you think it is.  Take a few tomatoes, cut them in half, then run them up and down the side of a box grater.  What you get is a tomato-y pulp which is really good on its own or spiced with basil.  Unfortunately, the only contexts in which I've eaten this glorious condiment were with malawach and jachnun, and I'm not sure I'll be able to get those in the States.  But I'm sure I'll find some excuse to make grated tomatoes.  Maybe with blintzes?  A light tomato sauce for pasta?  A new chip dip?  Condiment for scrambled eggs?  The possibilities are endless!
10. Hard-boiled eggs - Just because this list needs an even ten, I'm including this.  I think this is one of those situations where my taste buds just changed, but Israelis love their hard-boiled eggs and now I do, too.  Interestingly enough, despite the fact that they often have hard-boiled eggs in their diet, I have never seen egg salad here.  Go figure.

So there we are, my list of 10 Foods Israeli Taught Me to Love.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go devise an intense workout plan and diet for when I get home...