Shepherd's Pie

**I wrote this post at the end of last winter and I am only posting it now! I wanted to write a post so badly about the pivotal role of rain in this country and how exciting the first rain fall is and I had such a difficult time doing it! And then I remembered this post and how I had already wrote about the rain! So here is my thoughts on rain and Shepard's pie from the end-of-the-winter perspective. 

The difficult thing about living in Israel is needing to listen to everyone from the US bemoan their terrible, freezing weather, while you are sitting outside in the strong, beautiful, Ramat Beit Shemsh sun watching your children play on their riding toys and color with chalk. It’s really an exercise of patience, but I’m slowly getting used to it.

Crock pot Turkey Meatballs

I feel like people don’t use recipes for meatballs. Whenever I would ask people for their meatball recipe they would be like, “Oh it’s so simple! You just crack an egg into your chopped meat, add some breadcrumbs, make ballies and place them in a pot of boiling marinara sauce.” Regardless of the easy peasy recipes- that don’t actually require a recipe-my meatballs always failed.

Yapchik

With a title and a picture like this, I need to do a lot of explaining, which will be my pleasure, really.

 Yapchik is a polish cholent. Its main difference from traditional cholent is that it lacks beans and barley. The best description of yapchik would be to call it a meat potato kugel. It’s truly decadent, in a manly sort of way. It’s made in a crockpot or pot and cooked overnight. Grated potatoes on the bottom, a layer of meat in the middle, and grated potatoes on top.

Meat with Hummus

Remember I mentioned in previous posts that I often get bored of my recipes? Remember I mentioned that I often crave recipes that are different and exciting?

Meet this recipe! It says different and exciting all over it J

I first encountered this appetizer at my friend, Aidel’s house over Rosh Hashana (holiday celebrating the beginning of the Jewish calendar). It’s just like Aidel to have funky and inspiring food on her table. She is a food guru, after all! When I asked her for the recipe, she told me that she had eaten it in a restaurant and merely replicated the dish. I wasn't about to start jotting down a recipe that she had created from her own taste buds.

A couple months down the line, we received an invitation from a lovely family in Ramat Beit Shemesh, the Rapps, to come join them for Shabbos lunch. When we sat down to our meal, she also placed down the beautiful and exotic meat and hummus dish. When I saw Sara Rapp during the week, I asked her if she by any chance had the recipe to the meat and hummus appetizer. I was waiting for her to say something like, “Uh I do, but I’m not allowed to share it with you.” I was glad when she carelessly replied, “Sure. I’ll send a picture text.”

Now we have it, the Meat and Hummus recipe. It’s super easy, super non-traditional, and super delicious!

I would advise you to not serve this recipe to picky guests. I once served it to a table full of seminary girls and they just started the dish down! Seriously. However, we have also served it to couples who loved it as much as we do.