For anyone foolish enough to go looking for a good, authentic, Thai meal in TLV, I have one thing to say:
“It’ll end in tears”.
Unless, of course, you go to “Beit Thailandi” (or, in English, “Thai House”.)

The entrance to the Thai House

This place is not only an old and venerable TLV institution, more than 9 years old, but literally the ONLY place in Israel which serves  delicious, AUTHENTIC, and REAL Thai food-
NOT the usual hideous hybrid between Kosher Chinese, and  the dumbed-down,
Israeli-ized ,“Pad Thai/Chicken satay” crap sadly served to the unsuspecting public in almost every other place claiming to serve Thai food in Israel.
Watch out, along with your order of “pad Thai”, they might try to sell you a “Rolex” or a used car, too!!!

“Thai House”, although virtually unknown to the TLV Local Dining Public, hilariously enough, is nonetheless packed every single night with European, American, and Asian tourists and expatriates, and, of course every single TLV chef and cook on their night off.
Not to mention the Thai ambassador and diplomatic corps from all over the Far East.
I mean- you can forget about getting a table here without a reservation at least a night ahead.
But mention this place to most of your local Israeli friends who are not “Industry” , and be prepared for a blank look, combined with a sound like, “Whaaaaa..???”

Now, let me warn you right off the bat- The service is horrible.
Bored, distracted, 20-something year olds will come with glazed eyes to your table and recite with all the interest of a donkey affected with ADHD, the party line, as related to spiciness, ingredients, etc.
If you interrupt her hypnotized monologue to say that you would actually like to have the food made as spicy as the cooks themselves eat, she may shake her head as if waving away mosquitoes, and repeat “ummm…but it’s spicy”

Very hot chilies!!!

Ahh.... lunch!!!

(this is my only complaint- even dishes listed as “spicy” are in fact, tame as a pampered housecat, and no pleading, threatening, or demanding for extra heat will get you anywhere- the only way is to keep ordering more and more extra fresh chilies on the side until they finally get the point..)

An ancient cat God at the Temple of the dawn

Some pampered market pets

But I digress.

Since when do I give a Monkey’s Uncle about bad service in TLV??!!
That goes without saying!! And I really couldn’t care less about the service when the food is as good as it is here!

Perfect Tom Yam- exactly sour and complex, served correctly with real Thai sticky rice…
Yum Neua- a delicate, yet intense salad of raw beef with naam pla, mint leaves, fresh chilies, and shallots, is one of my favourite dishes, both to make, and to eat, and at Thai House, they make it perfectly- and with the thoughtful and necessary plate of cucumber and white cabbage chunks served on the side to act as a palate-cleanser to cool you down between bites of this deliciously aggressive taste explosion…

The Green Curry? Sublime.
Rich, decadent green curry made with (yeah, it’s true!) coconut milk which the Thai cooks prepare by hand, fresh, themselves. Not from tins. It’s damn hard work, and well worth it, believe me!!

Making fresh coconut milk

And, one of their touches which no one else in town can match, the addition of the irreplaceable tiny, “Pea” eggplant- bitter, astringent, and absolutely integral to the perfection of this dish- In Thai culinary language, these eggplants are considered a medicinal ingredient, and it is no mistake that they are added to this rich, heavy, dish.. these eggplants have an enzyme which breaks down fat and cholesterol, making it much easier for the body to metabolize the rich coconut milk based dishes that they are traditionally served with in Thailand.

Thai green curry

By the way- they grow these themselves, at their own farm! plus a lot more special, authentic Thai vegetables for their exclusive use in their dishes- including really esoteric things  like bak Pong and Pak-kana, both delicious and healthy Thai vegetables, which have no substitute-
You simply must taste them for yourself!!
These are grown for the special dishes which are written on a separate page and given to those who really want a true taste of Thailand unavailable anywhere else..

We ate a kilo each and it cost us $5

Farang!!!

Forget about the wine list- No wines really belong with Thai food anyway, and order a Thai beer. For dessert the tapioca with coconut milk is perfect.. not too sweet, not “updated”, etc.. EXACTLY as you would get it in BKK..

I spent 12 days in BKK (Bangkok) last year while shooting “Duet”, and I can tell you- I spent every spare minute I had, eating, drinking, and exploring this incredible city of dreams..

Yeah that's really me!!!

An excellent soup place (of course we forgot the name)

The herbs.. the markets.. the delicacy, intensity, the sensuality and aesthetic beauty of everything- from the fish and shrimps piled up in the markets, to the unimaginable beauty of the incredible flowers, in every corner shrine..

Wat Sutat Temple

filled with the heartbreakingly beautiful bunches of huge pink and white lotuses.. the exotic 3am flower market with it’s displays of mountains of orchids..mounds of jasmine buds, roses, neroli and lotus..dripping with dew and surrounded by food sellers offering everything from bags of salt-and- pepper quails,  fermented chiang-mai sausages, crispy coconut tuiles filled with salted shrimps and chili paste…

Food sellers at the Flower Market

I lost myself happily in Thailand, I wandered down alleys filled with ancient shops filled with gold- plated Buddhist offerings.. dusty lanterns..rolls of silk and priceless gold jewelry.. hundreds- years old Temples and shrines filled with exquisite art, peacefulness,  with the scent of incense wrapping you like a silken veil..

The breathtaking Wat Arun

Contrasted surreally with huge, glittering shopping malls filled with the latest luxury goods and top- flight electronic gear, designer and couture clothes, both real and counterfeit, and above all, the scent, the taste, the crackling sounds of swirling life and the electrical feeling of scent, taste, sensuality, and culinary delights, which filled my senses at every turn.

lotus lilies!!!

I felt strangely at home and at peace in Bangkok.
I could happily live there.

For now, until I go back, I go to eat at Beit Thailandi.

The delicacy, discipline, and passion of this noble cuisine is respectfully recreated here..
In the confident and professional hands of Yariv Malili and his wife, the Thai-born chef, Lek Sunan.. who make every attempt to bring some of the magical Kingdom of Thailand here to us in TLV…And for that, I am truly thankful!

Sawasdee Kah!

Thai House
בית תאילנדי
8 Bograshov St.
Tel-Aviv
Tel: (03) 517-8568

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I’m sure everyone has heard the saying, “Any press is good press”, right?
Well- that may be true. Although after seeing the context of Tiger Woods’ name splashed all over every media format in the known universe today, I’m sure he would disagree.
However- in my case, my name is spelled completely differently every time my name appears in print.  Now this would be extremely useful if I was, say, a spy, a movie reviewer, or a money launderer.

However- since I am a chef, this causes me all kinds of angst.
First of all- without the intention of sounding like an Ungrateful Bastard, I really don’t see how it is possible for my name to be spelled in these recent variations:

Rima Olivera

Rima Aloe Vera (true)

Rima Oliver

Rima Olivier

רימה אוליוורה

רימה אוליברה

רימה אולוורה

“Ok!! What’s the big deal??!!  @#$!! Diva!  why are you complaining??! Get over yourself!! Jeez!”    
I can hear what you guys are thinking- what, you think I just fell off the turnip truck or something??!

Well- first of all, let me point out that as well as being a buzzkill, seeing your name constantly misspelled, is demoralizing. Not to mention, in a more tangible example, crappy for Google searches.

I mean, it’s not like my name is THAT difficult to spell!!
I mean, it’s not like I have THIS guy’s name: Bart Bruyninckx !!!
Yeah- it’s true- This is the Endive farmer who I met in Belgium while filming “Duet” Belgium, with Chef Felix Alen.

Now, as well as this poor guy probably never in his entire life, having the chance of seeing his name spelled correctly, happens to grow the MOST EXQUISITELY PERFECT tiny, baby Belgian Endives in the world, which he charmingly calls “Chiconnettes”. 

Bruyninckx Chiconnettes

As everyone knows (especially my old Crew) my favorite food in the world, is Chicory- That means, Radicchio, Escarole, Frisee, Puntarelle, and of course – Endives.

Rima Olvera Devilishly good

This weakness happened to be the reason why I was almost unceremoniously removed from an El- Al flight back home out of Belgium- Apparently, the entire box of Bart’s sulime “Chiconettes”, which I had stashed in my luggage, had an export label which was in numerous languages- including Arabic..
I was pulled aside, and grilled at length on why I happened to be travelling with something written in Arabic. Suffice it to say, after 2 hard shooting locations in a row, an ear infection which required my ear being punctured by a Frightening Belgian Doctor, so I could fly, I was in no mood for diplomacy.
I ranted, raved, told them to remove me from the flight, and had to give my Entire Jewish Family Pedigree in order to be allowed on the flight!!  And, it was a small price to pay in order to keep my precious Endives!!!

The Mighty Ones : Michal, Tami, Tal, Amnon, Naftali

Anyway- I seem, as usual, to have gotten off the track- and for that, I apologize!!

However- I hope very much when you email me to thank me for telling you about these ethereal endives, and why never ever to fly El-Al, you will spell my name right!!!

Sincerely-

Rima Olvera

Rima Olivera

Rima Aloe Vera (true)

Rima Oliver

Rima Olivier

רימה אוליוורה

רימה אוליברה

רימה אולוורה

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I can hear it already- a deafening roar of outrage and offense, at the very mention of the dreaded word- “Anise” !!
Well, sorry guys, but I am compelled to try to clear the wrongly slandered name of the sublime Anise!!

First of all, you might not be aware of this, but “All Anise Is Not Created Equal”- what I mean is, people have a tendency to say,  ‘I despise anise!” across the board, as if fennel, liquorice, star anise, aniseed, etc are all the same thing…

Well- they are not.
Most of you have heard of, if not taken a drink of, the legendary French liqueur Pernod, or Pastis- which admittedly, to a novice, or a hater, is, well, let’s just say “hardcore!!”.

Not everyone feels the same desire as I do to sit in a market in Provence at 6am, with the, ahem, “Rustic” companionship of the men of the woods and farms who have come to the market to sell their exquisite treasures, and after unpacking, sit in the market cafe, smoking non-stop, arguing over the day’s upcoming sporting matches, and of course drinking Pastis-

And you know what?
I don’t blame you!! However- I do blame anyone who refuses even to try Anise in food, or as an accent, in certain preparations.
You are really going to miss one of the more ethereal  sensory delights on the planet!!

Pastis is a subject which afficionados can spend hours discussing..
Suffice it to say, I do not have all day to spend on this topic-
Because, if I did, I would be late for cocktails, and my evening “Arak” (a Middle-Eastern anise liqueur of varying degrees of sophistication- from the highly refined and elegant arak of Lebanon and Syria, to the somewhat more proletariat versions produced in Israel.. “elite” (as pictured here, is cheap as chips (aprox. 5 dollars per bottle, and although blue-collar, delicious nonetheless!!!)

All of them potent, intense, and absolutely delicious mixed either with ice-cold water, or fresh squeezed red grapefruit juice- or  superb as a sherbert on a hot day! (or, at my beloved “Gabe’s”-mixed with cheap, artificial, grapefruit soda!! Yikes!!!)

Here is how to make a arak or pastis sherbert to die for!!
-take 1 cup half- and –half (1/2 cup each, heavy cream, half milk)
Scald in a pan with 1/3 cup sugar. (note: i do not think this sherbert should be too sweet. in fact i prefer it on the sour side. If you disagree, add more sugar, but remember not to add to much or your sherbert will not freeze completely)
Let cool to room temp.
Mix with 2 cups fresh-squeezed fresh pink grapefruit juice, and 2 shots of Arak, Ouzo, Raki, or Sambuca  (do not use Pastis or Pernod for this as it is too strong!!)
Chill thoroughly, then freeze in an ice-cream machine. Either serve immediately, or put in freezer til later, then scoop out and serve in highball glass with additional shot of Pastis poured over plus pink grapefruit segments and chopped fresh mint… Anyway, as usual, I digress:
Pastis (which by the way, is distilled from the Asian herb “Star Anise”) first appeared in France in the 1930’s,

following the ban on Absinthe, which was made from the totally different tasting European herb “Green Anise”- distilled to a dangerous 74% alcohol content, and made even more lethal by the addition of Wormwood,( “Artemisia Absinthia”which is a powerful soporific and hallucinogenic compound, with addictive qualities as well! However, in it’s defense, it was used in the middle ages as a water purifier and antibacterial!! 
Now that’s some Good Medicine!! Hardcore!!

Some of the paintings of Van Gogh, Manet, and Picasso, were done under the influence of Absinthe, and their increasingly erratic behavior now can be attributed to the brain-altering effects of Absinthe- otherwise known as “Le Fee Verte”- or “the Green Fairy”-

 
In any case, things got so out of control in the late 1800’s, that a total ban on the drink was ordered, and it took a while, 17 years to be exact, for  Paul Ricard, to formulate a drink which tasted similar, without using wormwood, and without the sky-high alcohol content of the forbidden, and sorely missed, Absinthe..

Today, 130 milllion liters of Pastis are sold in France alone- and this is not mentioning the enormous popularity of other Mediterranean anise liqueurs such as Greek Ouzo, Turkish Raki, Italian Sambuca, and my beloved Middle-Eastern Arak! 

By the way, everyone has their own favorite brands-  In France, the most popular being “51”, Ricard, or Pernod- and always served with a carafe of
ice-cold water to mix it with (usually 4-5 parts water to 1 part pastis-) The effect of it turning from clear yellow or clear, to milky white is the result of the decreasing alcohol level, due to diluting with water, and some of the components becoming insoluble- This is known as the Ouzo Effect..and it is beautiful..Like looking at a liquid Opal glowing with it’s own internal light…

Here are some excellent drinks to make with Pastis:

Mauresque: (“Moorish”) 2 shots Pastis, 1 shot Orgeat Almond Syrup, 1 drop Orange Flower Water, mix, pour over ice cubes in tall glass, top with soda water

Marie la Sanguine: replace vodka with Pernod or Pastis in a Bloody Mary

“Tomate”: Pastis with a splash of grenadine, with an orange twist and soda

One of the more delicious examples of anise I can remember was last year when we were shooting “Duet” in Istanbul.. 
Alon and I went after I finished for the day to an amazing small fish restaurant in the Taksim (the main promenade through the center of Istanbul) where there was not a tourist to be seen, only dozens of Turks, dressed to the nines, eating huge, outlandish platters of all kinds of fresh fish and seafood, and washing it down with bottles of ice-cold “Tekirdag Gold” Raki!!

Of course, we followed suit- and finished a whole bottle with our 2-kilo “Kalkan”- the mighty and aristocratic Bosporus Turbot!!

I still have half a bottle of that stuff which I carried home with me, and I treat it like gold!! Smooth as silk! Powerful as a upper left hook punch encased in a velvet glove!! Divine!!!!

by the way- the best way to enjoy  Raki is with chilled green melons, green or red plums, and Turkish Feta cheese -“”Yufka”- the very best Feta in the world.  Heaven!!!!!
 

Another thing I really love about anise liqueurs, besides the decadent buzz, and overall euphoria- and never with the aggression or melancholy that may strike you as when you are drinking gin, or vodka, I might add- is it’s absolute irreplaceable benefit to cooking- especially in dishes involving fish or seafood.

My mom, (who as all of you know, is world-famous for being one of the most exquisitely horrible cooks on the planet-)  hates and despises anise, fennel, and all it’s cousins with an almost religious intensity bordering on fanaticism..
Just the insinuation that anise may be lurking in a dish she is about to eat is enough to drive her into a rage, or tears!!
Nonetheless, this does not prevent me from slipping liberal splashes of Pernod into a Bouillabaisse,  or on top of a grilled lobster, and if she eats it, she proclaims it delicious!  If she only knew what she had just eaten, she would disown me!!

Just this week I made a strange, bizarre, and completely delicious confiture of forest mushrooms, in a star-anise gelee, which I served with a lamb “Pastilla”, for Omnivore….. Which was duly devoured by one of my best friends,
pronounced “delectable”, and then when confronted with a written menu mentioning the star-anise- he turned a ghastly shade of green and asked me, voice quivering with horror -“But you didn’t actually use star anise in that dish, did you?!”

The same folks who claim to despise garlic, yet when confronted with a bowl of perfectly made, delicate, melting garlic Confit, will eat it all and ask for more, are usually the same ones who will love a creamy, nutty, delicate, and gentle soup, made with nothing more than fresh fennel bulbs braised in olive oil, pureed, mixed with fish stock, some tangerine zest, a splash of cream, and some fresh mussels, and toped with a slice of Pan Levain fried in olive oil..  and chances are, they won’t even notice it is fennel unless you tell them!
Fennel, like garlic, loses all of it’s harshness and aggression when made into confit, or braised, grilled, or roasted..

Me and my old Hippy Dad used to collect wild fennel and use it to grill fresh chanterelles and porcinis from the woods, and to make tea from it’s flowers- which by the way, is extremely healthy and cleans the blood and liver and removes toxins from the body..

In short-  What I am trying to say here, is- “Give Anise a Chance”!!”
It may indeed be a stretch to think that everyone should be downing tall glasses of Pastis or Pernod..  And I’m not recommending that you do! or, maybe I am!!

What I am recommending is that those of you who hate and fear the stuff, try to be a little open minded, and use it in a way that you would use, say, saffron, or vanilla, or bay leaves.. All delicious, unique, and amazing flavours when used carefully and with restraint- which will bring out all the delicacy and potential of the dish it is in…. and yet, if overused, will overpower, and destroy it.

Here, to prove my good intentions, are directions for how to make a sublime Lebanese style Tabbouleh Beef Tartare..
And please! Trust me and add the arak/raki/pastis… you won’t feel it, but the complexity it adds to the dish is incredible..

First- soak 1/2 cup Bulghur Wheat in cold water til al-dente, drain, set aside.

Hand chop about 400 grams (about 1 lb)  fresh beef filet, finely.

brunoise 1/3 red onion

chiffonade 1/2 cup (packed- about 1 bunch) fresh mint leaves

chiffonade 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves

finely grate 1 clove garlic

juice plus zest from 1-2 big lemons

1 hot green chile (or to taste- can leave out if you want, but i think it’s better with..) minced

Mix all of these ingredients, kneading well with your hands, add sea salt/atlantic salt and plenty of fresh ground pepper to taste, plenty of extra-virgin olive oil, plus a big handful toasted pine nuts..

Form into a “patty” shape on a platter, score with a diamond pattern, then pour 1 shot  Arak, Raki, Ouzo, or Pastis over top, garnish with whole mint leaves, more pine-nuts, generous drizzle of olive oil and some edible flowers plus grilled Pita or toasts….

So til next time…I hope you will have taken the plunge and overcome your Anise Fears.. and don’t forget to thank me next time you are sitting around eating a huge plate of grilled fennel with orange and fennel seed vinaigrette, and Crottin goats’s cheese!!!

A’Sante!!!

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Well, I guess I don’t need to point out that I am not a typical girl-
I mean, I love shoes, and don’t mind a nice session of vicious gossip with my friends (99% of whom are a bunch of cooks- Men cooks I might add)
but that’s about the end of the similarities between me and a normal girl.

Itamar Davidov, Bishara Hinnawi, Mena Strum, Nitzan Raz

For one thing, I don’t own any jewelry, I drool over high-performance sportscars, I adore really aggressive sports and go out of my way to involve myself in truly nasty debates and discussions- and the more hostile they get, the better I like it.

The Gang

Bishara the "Meat Man"

But I guess the thing that really makes me doubt whether my chromosomes are in order, is my obsessive passion for KNIVES!!!!

Me and my Knives!!!

Now to be fair, I have been in the kitchen for 27 years, so it’s only natural that I should have accumulated a few knives over the years. But this goes way beyond a normal set of professional knives that every chef should own.

My knives are truly my most valuable possessions, and every chance I have to add to my collection- I do!
Alon has caught this disease as well now, and he is just as likely as me to be the one busting out the “beaucoup d’argent” for a really special one..

Alon cuts up a $700 fish with a Spanish fish knife!!!

When we are in Europe or elsewhere we always make sure to go to a few really top- end knife shops, and we usually discover a few hidden gems of our own, too!

Like the handmade, teflon-coated filleting knife from Finland we bought at
“Cotelleria Galli”, Via Spada 36R, in Firenze, Italia!

Now, I could really waste endless time on this subject, but bragging aside, I think it’s a damn shame that so many home cooks, even ones who are quite accomplished, and quite a few professional chefs too, NEGLECT their knives, or worse yet, don’t even bother to own a really varied set and don’t appreciate just how much better their experience in the kitchen will be when you are using the EXACT knife meant for the EXACT job!! 

This Maguro Tuna was swiming 12 hours ago, Thanks for airplanes!

Nothing gets on my nerves more that seeing someone sawing away at a tomato with a dull kitchen knife! Or trying in vain to thinly slice a piece of raw fish using a damn boning knife or worse yet a Chef’s knife, instead of a razor-sharp, Japanese slicer!!! Sacrilege!!!

Now, I can hear what you guys are saying right now: “What’s the @#$! big deal?! a Knife is a knife! as long as it’s sharp, there just isn’t that much difference!”

Moshe might look like a mass murderer here, but I assure you he is a nice guy!!!

NONSENSE!!!
Just as you wouldn’t wear a pair of 6” Christian Louboutin stiletto heels on the tennis court, using a knife for a purpose other than what it was intended for ruins both the ingredient you are working with, and your pleasure in the kitchen as well.

I will describe here a few general and specific types of knives, and why I think they are worth owning- and I sincerely hope you will take my advice and stop being cheap and lazy when it comes to knives! You will thank me!!

First of all- everyone needs a Chef’s knife.
This is the most versatile and necessary knife in the kitchen, and even though it’s true as with anything else ‘You Get What You Pay For”, in this case, you can actually buy a very effective and high-quality Chef’s knife which won’t make you have to take out a second mortgage, (unlike the really esoteric Japanese sushi and sashimi knives)

My Shun sashimi knife

For example, “Wusthof” (Germany) makes exceptional knives, and their new series “Culinar” is not only beautiful, but great fun to use, too.
http://wusthof.com//desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-74/52_view-99/categories-99 
I just bough a fish slicer in Prague a few months ago, and ever since then, all my cooks try to stael it every chance they get!!
Wusthof’s “Classic Ikon” series is also stellar and I tell everyone, if you can afford just one top-end knife, get this series’ Chef knife to start.
OVERALL GRADE:A

Wusthof "Culinar" series fish filleting knife I love it!!!

Zwilling J.A. Henckels makes many series of knives, and in fact I’ve been using Henckels knives for over 20 years, they are probably my overall favourite knife company.
http://www.zwilling.com/en-WW/Product-Range–sortiment/Knives–knives/Series-overview–serien.html
And up until recently, their “FiveStar” series was my top choice. That is, until they premiered their new “Cermax” series.
Made for Henckels, in Japan, by a centuries- old Japanese knifemaking firm, this is the god damn Ferrari Scuderia 16M Spider of knives!

The Cermax of cars!!!

 
It’s the wet-dream generator for all knife freaks!!! In short, it ABSOLUTELY SETS THE WORLD STANDARD for quality and performance. It blows any other knife I have ever used out of the water!!!! Made from high-tech Japanese MicroCarbide Powder Steel. It’s as sharp as a scalpel!!
However- it’s frighteningly expensive, extremely high-maintenance, and unless you are someone like me who needs a knife that won’t give me blisters after using it for 9 or 10 hours straight- this probably isn’t the right knife for everyone.

Cermax : The best knife I own

I don’t use mine that often, as I use it mainly as a tool to dominate and lord over other cooks, once in a while letting them test it to slice a green onion or something, after which they leave my kitchen, stifling sobs of jealousy and rage, and go home to throw all their knives in the trash in disgust!!!!!
However, their “Miyabi” series is similar in feel and precision, and at less than half the price, it is also an EXCEPTIONAL knife.
I own one, and it sure won’t be the last!

I used it for the very first time on camera shooting an episode of “Duet” with Chef Zdenek Pohlreich in Prague, and it cut through a huge chunk of meat like it was butter!
The director made us do the shot again because I said “Fuck!! This is GREAT!!”
OVERALL GRADE:A+

“Global” Knives: No doubt you have heard of this brand, because it has been overhyped and aggressively marketed to the point that every amateur cook, housewife, and many chefs seem to think this is supposed to be the world’s best knife.
To this i say, HAH!!
They are no better than a “Trophy Wife”- that is to say, it looks beautiful, but their annoying and superficial characteristics do not justify the investment in owning one.

I myself own a few, and if I make the mistake of using them to cut anything tougher than a bunch of parsley and the job takes longer than 10 mins, I have a nasty blister and a bad attitude.

I use them for NOTHING except chiffonading herbs, and I keep them razor-sharp, which helps. 
They are made from Molybdenum-Vanadium, which is a metal I  love, but not in these knives.. I must admit I find them beautiful, but …
OVERALL GRADE: C-

JAPANESE KNIVES:
Obviously, this is a category which could go on for hundreds of pages.
In general, Japanese knives for professionals are made from Damascus, or layered, high-carbon steel, and are fully or partially handmade.
They are precision tools for top professionals and are horribly easy to damage, very high-maintenance, and useless to anyone other than a specialized chef who really needs these tools.

This being said- I cannot live without my Shun yanagiba, my Masamoto sashimi knife, my “Takobiki”, and my Saiku vegetable knife.

however- I have decided life is not worth living until I get my hands on THIS:
A handmade, Suminagashi Deba ( called“ink on water”- because of the beautiful patterns of the dozens of layers of folded and pounded steel)

Suminagashi Deba : My next big life goal-to own this!!!

Now, as you probably have figured out.. I could beat this subject like a proverbial Dead Horse.
So before Alon beats me, for staying up all night writing about knives…I will leave you with the hope that I have at least given you a desire to go out and improve your knife collection.. And consider yourself warned!!! Once you start down this path of knife obsession.. There’s no going back!!!!!

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black rice fields in Laos

Ok!!  I admit it- I’ve been  little lazy in posting this part 2 of Rice Papers-
But I have a good excuse! It’s the holidays here, and, I must tell you-
I made the mistake of drinking RUM last night, and well, you know how that can end- And it doesn’t usually end in being able to write coherent sentences.. *ahem*

this photo may seem irrelevant, but this is Rick’s Cafe in Negril, Jamaica- I happen to love this place and I have been plenty drunk on rum many a day here!!!

Anyway! to get back to the point, which is Rice Papers and their various uses..

“Hanoi House Party” Omnivore last month

As I mentioned in part 1, I adore these things, and find them supremely versatile.
I have made all kinds of freaky things out of them, from the full-on old school classics from the Thai and Vietnamese kitchen, to weird variants of my own creation, for example, a delectable version of the Thai dessert of Sticky Black Rice and Mango- which I made into a springroll-

bruleeing mangoes for rolls

  (enclose the classically prepared sticky black rice (cook black rice, then add coconut milk to it in a saute pan and cook it til the coconut milk is evaporated..) diced fresh mango, plus a few threads of fresh ginger, cut in fine julienne..
Wrap in a rehydrated rice paper, and fry in hot canola or soy oil..
Drain, dust with powdered sugar mixed with pure vanilla powder or if you are lucky enough to get hold of it, pandan flavoured sugar.. Serve with dipping sauce of coconut milk reduced with sugar and a piece of bruised fresh lemongrass…

I think I used this photo in the part 1, but the point is, the leaves I am holding here with the orchids are Pandan leaves

*If you will excuse the digression, pandan leaves, which is the name for an Asian screwpine, are an amazing thing- a leaf which until it is heated, has no scent at all- and once it comes into contact with steam or heat- releases an unbelievable aroma similar to vanilla- it is used all over Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, for making everything from desserts (also Pandan leaf is used powdered for it’s vibrant green colour) to wrapping meats, fish, etc before steaming or grilling, And if you see these in an Asian market, or in Asia- BUY THEM and USE THEM!!!*

As for other fun and er, well, let’s face it, unhealthy things you can make from Rice Papers-
Delicious rolls made from a combination of minced pork, shrimpmeat, crabmeat, coriander, ginger, green onions, and seasoned with sugar, naam pla (fish sauce), fresh bird chiles, and white pepper, then wrapped and fried and served with  sauce of naam pla, lime juice, sugar, and chopped chiles, is DIVINE!!!!
It’s worth spending the whole next day in the gym!!

Another really cool thing about Rice Papers is the fact that they are completely transparent in both fresh and fried preps, and that makes it possible to make extremely beautiful things with them-

making herb and flower wrapped fish

 If you carefully arrange your herbs, flowers, etc in the center of the papers before rolling them- you will see the aesthetic arrangement of your ingredients in a delicate and lovely way-
And as you know, I believe that the beauty of the food is as important as everything else- because in any dish – you first SEE it, and if it is beautiful, you already are appreciating it before you even take a bite-

here is another really esoteric and  beautiful dish from Vietnam which I LOVE- it is called (rough translation) “Net Wrap Summer Rolls”
Here is a photo of me making the nets, and a finished roll, before frying:

These weird treasures actually don’t use pre- made dried rice papers, but instead, a “Net” that you make out of a thin batter made from rice flour, egg whites, and water- and then, by dipping your hand into the batter and then by dripping the drops from your hand into lace patterns in a hot, dry, nonstick pan- you create “nets” which you then fill with a mixture similar to the springrolls I described above..   and you serve then in chilled Iceberg lettuce cups-
You will not imagine how delicate and special the sensation is of eating the very hot, crunchy rolls, enclosed in chilled, crisp lettuce, and dipped in a sweet and sour lime juice and spicy chile sauce..  an absolute TON of work.. and worth every second..Heaven!!!!!!

Now listen! I could rant and rave all day about all the delicious things you can make out of Rice Papers.. but I think the best thing is for you to go out and get some, and try a few experiments of your own..
And don’t get discouraged if it’s hard to get the hang of working with them right away.. it takes a little practice, but like everything good in life- things that come too easy are seldom worth much..:)

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Rice papers-
(did u see  here before the very short clip we made in Bangkok of how they are made??)

In any case they are one of my favourite ingredients-
Not because of their taste, or their starring role-
(In fact, quite the opposite- their role is to stay in the background-
And to make all the things they touch, shine..
Like a great supporting actor…:)

Rima at Pak Khlong Talat (Flower Market), Bangkok

 Rice papers can be used for so many things, that are not just traditional..
but for really Avant-Garde uses as well-

hey!!!!! you guys have dirty minds!!!

Keep in mind that there are many kinds-
The kind to use  for “fresh” (i.e. not fried) dishes MUST be of the highest grade
(which means the absolutely thinnest and most delicate- These are the ONLY ones you can use to make “Fresh” preparations with them..)
This means- Vietnamese ONLY.

 
(I mean, if we are talking about dried, packaged versions…)

All the others (Korean and Thai) are simply TOO THICK to be used for these delicate preps!!
If you want to blow someone’s mind- and have the dish be 100% heart-healthy, delicious, and beautiful-
(and please don’t expect a photo here- I hate food photos and even though I can humbly say my food is some of the most beautiful in the world… NO PHOTO!!)
Here’s what you do:

Get hold of some top-grade thin Vietnamese rice papers..(go to any Vietnamese market in SF, NY, etc.. or in Paris, go to:
(WOW!!do NOT miss going here if in Paris!!!)

Tang Frères SA

48, Avenue d’Ivry
75013 Paris, France

01 45 70 80 00‎

01 53 61 16 03‎ – Fax

Dip them briefly in hot water until soft
(it should take 10-15 seconds or so! No more! Maybe less!)
Pat dry on tea-towel- 
in the middle put:

fresh mint leaves.
fresh Coriander leaves,
thin-sliced green onions- white and light green parts only!
Fresh poached shrimps, or rare beef, or seared fresh red tuna .

julienne fresh plums or mango.
crushed roasted cashews or peanuts .
Bean-sprouts.
Roll up like a mini-burrito!!

Serve with a light dipping sauce made of:

rice vinegar
soy sauce
fish sauce (best grade Thai only, please!!)
lime juice
sugar
fresh hot green chiles- bird, serrano, or jalapeno preferrably…
minced/grated fresh garlic-do NOT crush in one of those horrible crushers-
it RUINS garlic!!!!
minced coriander leaves

almost ZERO fat!! next to ZERO carbs!!!!!  Delicious!!!! 
I like to garnish these delicate and lovely rolls with loads of fresh mint and coriander branches, lime halves, and edible flowers…

edible Dendrobian orchids in Thailand

Tomorrow..

BIG, FAT,  FRIED, UNHEALTHY and DELICIOUS things to do with thicker rice papers…:)

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Khlong Toey-  This market is world class. And ZERO foreigners!!

I use these rice papers for everything, from wrapping fish, crabmeat and herbs..
To outrageous, esoteric mixtures of my own, from BKK to Vietnam..
And I need these delicate rice papers to enclose them all!!

I promise you that in the next few days I will show you how to use and enjoy Rice papers to the fullest!!!
And of course, you know you can contact me at any time if you need more specifics!!

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Hi again!!  did you miss me?! Did you run out last night in search of a plate of oysters?! hope so!
Well, as promised, I am continuing my post about oysters..

And one of the very best oysters in the world, in my opinion, is the Kumamoto.
It is a tiny oyster, and almost round.
It is now, like most oysters, farm- raised in the Pacific Northwest or in Europe- but it originated from Kyushu island in Japan.

Hog Island Oyster Company- In Tomales Bay- is where we used to get ours when I was a Chef in SF- and if you are over there, I really recommend a trip there! It’s amazing! Fun! and you can eat as many oysters as you want!

the Kumamoto’s flavour is creamy- almost buttery- and has no harshness or aggression whatsoever to it.  By the way, they go perfectly with sevruga, osetra,

or of course, if you have plenty of spare money lying around- Beluga- caviar.

And speaking of caviar, spare money lying around, and other APHRODISIACS- let’s briefly discuss the legend that oysters will give you a Tiger in the Tank in the bedroom!

it’s no secret they look and taste sexy…
but, well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but research pretty much disproves that eating them will turn you into a Sex-God.. sorry.. 
Although in the case  of the mythologically fantastic lover Cassanova, he was famous also for eating 50 oysters for breakfast every morning, so who knows!!!!

I don’t know why talking about sex reminds me of this place, but-
Next time you are in my home town of San Francisco, make sure that you go to my all-time favourite restaurant there :

Zuni:

1658 Market St San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 552-2522

Get at least 36 of them! And order a sapphire martini to with them! Trust me! I used to do it all the time!Sadly, it’s almost impossible to get Kumamotos outside of Japan or the States, so I have taken up eating Belons, or Fines de Claires- also absolutely top grade oysters, and carefully and proudly grown and harvested in Brittany and Marennes by people who have generations of history as oyster producers-Beautiful Breton

And when I’m in France- I have been known to devour them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! 
here are two places which you MUST go to-  if in Paris:

I was sitting in Paris for 2 days waiting for Alon to join me after a meeting in Zurich, and every night I sat there (by myself) and ate 36 Fines de Claires and drank a whole bottle of Sancerre!
they treated me like a God! You will love it!

And in the unfortunate event that you are ever in Nice:
(sorry, but it reminded me of Netanya! Not that there’s anything wrong with Netanya, mind you- but when in France, I like to feel like I’m in France!!)

We were there filming “Duet” with Chef Christian Plumail of the Michelin- starred “L’Universe”!
Oh La La!

Alon and I were lucky to find this place!
We ate perfect oysters and oursin every day there after I finished shooting!
while the rest of the crew was sitting in some tourist trap, eating 25-euro pizza! 
Why?!  because they do not eat oysters!! Ha!

Cafe Turin
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/France/Provence_Alpes_Cote_dAzur/Nice-100528/Restaurants-Nice-Le_Cafe_de_Turin-BR-1.html

Now- I gess you guys think I will be giving some sort of recipes, blah blah blah.
Sorry- as well as my hatred for recipes, I truly believe nothing more than a squeeze of lemon belongs on a fresh Oyster..
Oh- and maybe a spoonful of Tobiko caviar! (NOT the tiny, yucky,”mintay”  used for making ikra that is  sometimes passed off as Tobiko by unscrupulous sushi bars here!)

Tobiko is Flying- Fish caviar, crunchy, delicate, and excellent!
You can order it from Moshe! It’s damn cheap, too! it comes in Wasabi flavour as well! Yum!

Other than that- great company, and a great bottle of wine (or two!) are the only things you need to have a truly memorable Oyster feast!

Enjoy!!

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Bangkok, Thailand…

A wild, huge, exotic, sprawling, gaudy yet exquisite, ancient yet modern, and indescribably beautiful city!! A city of true contrasts..

Bangkok happens to be one of the more dynamic and exotic cities in the world- and something I find fascinating about it is, it is a city of extreme dichotomy- Saffron- robed monks calmly walking down the side of streets teeming with 10 lanes of traffic- giant high-tech skyscrapers, gleaming in the hot sun, beneath them, warrens of street-stalls and people living in small shacks and everywhere, the beautiful, ancient, gold- covered Buddhist Temples- surrounded by flowering gardens and filled with majestic and peaceful statues of the Buddha, in every imaginable setting..

Incense filling the air,  huge ceramic pots filled with pristine lotuses plopped right down in the middle of a dirty sidewalk.. amazing markets with every sort of unimaginable delight under the sun.. Even trained elephants! (this is not good-they take them as babies from the jungles, mistreat them, and make them walk through the impossibly crowded streets of BKK, begging for food . It’s also illegal, and needs to be stopped!)
Huge, world- class shopping districts selling everything from the latest haute-couture fashions straight from the Paris runways, to Lamborghinis and Ferrari dealerships in penthouse showrooms in air-conditioned highrise shopping mall complexes full of incredible luxury..
And outside,  ancient wooden street- carts selling fried quails, piles of fresh orchids, 2$ tennis shoes.. pad thai noodles.. knock-off i-phones…

market bangkok

Amazing, delicious food of every variety- from huge open-air markets where you can sit, point to what you want (no one in these local places speaks english)
Listen!- we sat at one place, we were literally the ONLY “farang” (foreigners) there- and we must have eaten about 2 kilos each of LIVE shrimps, fresh clams.. fresh fish.. all cooked by us on an amazing bronze brazier they set down on the table which also had a built- in channel with water in it on the outside of the little grill- so all the juices from all the delicious things you were grilling ended up in there and made a delectable soup which you then added handfuls of Thai basil and chiles to and devoured.. and what did this feast cost us?? the equivalent of about 4$!!

We were there for a week, shooting “Duet”, and I guess I can say now, wow, that was some wild shoot!
First of all, BKK is HUGE. So if your hotel is “across town” you better believe you will be in some outlandish traffic!
I mean, it’s a hell of a lot better than Mumbai, because the city is organized a lot better, and there is an incredibly, spotlessly clean “Skytrain” that brings you to lots of places in no time, but it’s not everywhere, so..)
For example, they have some huge intersections where if you miss a traffic light, the next one will be in 13 minutes! Yikes!
Still, it’s still surprisingly easy to get around, unless you happen to make the horrible mistake of trying to go anywhere during rush “hour”..
Just don’t tell any dodgy taxi drivers to take you to “The Fish Market” !
You’ll end up in some seedy tourist restaurant where they’ll charge you 100$ for a frozen fish, and expect you to take home one of their, er, “escorts”, as well!
Have the front desk at your hotel write down the address in Thai, of the place you wish to go to- and DO NOT take gypsy cabs sitting outside of the regular parking areas of the hotel! You’ll be sorry!  they’ll bring you to their uncle’s tailor shop! or their cousin’s strip club! or to a “ladyboy” brothel!
You can take them going back to the hotel, because you have the address- but  not shopping, to a market, restaurant, etc..

We were due to start shooting the next day at a location that was in the infamous “Kaosan” district- which is, sad to say, nothing but a horrible, tourist-infested area full of tawdry tourist pubs complete with local girls-n-boyz ready to provide er, any “services” that could be asked for, hideous, tacky outdoor bazaars filled with nothing but cheap crap and souvenirs, and knee- deep in the worst grade of backpackers, stoned, broke kids on endless “holiday”, and nasty fat eurotrash on sex-vacations.
In short- if you are ever in Bangkok, and I sure hope that you are-
AVOID the Kaosan!
It’s really a SHAME that so many people I know have ONLY been to the Koasan when in Bangkok, and then they think that that is what Bangkok is like!
Not True!!  most locals who live there have never even set foot there- and neither should you!

Describing the shoot, and what happened over the days that we were filming, is another whole story- and I promise to write about it later-
Let’s just say it started by us being on location at 6am (which means, getting up at 4am) and piling all of our gear (which is A LOT) plus me and the whole crew, and driving across town- only to find, as I was standing in front of a Temple, ready to do my first stand-up of the day, pumped full of rocket-fuel grade Thai concentrated  energy drink (which btw has NO relation to the silly stuff called “red bull” sold elsewhere- this stuff is serious!!) covered with makeup and ready to work!!

Only to find.. The camera is not working! And that means, we have to leave, go with our local Thai field producer (Nam- and what a great guy and a pro he is!) to a local TV/film production studio where they rent gear for all kinds of shoots going on in BKK.. and our camera is a huge, expensive, Panasonic full HD cam!
it costs a fortune per shooting day! and it weighs a ton!
In short- finding a replacement Cam turned out to be a day-long affair which concluded with us having to rent one- which hilariously enough meant that it CAME WITH a guy whose sole job was to accompany us where ever we went and make sure the camera NEVER LEFT HIS SIGHT!  what a job!
but, he had to also put up with Tal and the crew’s wisecracks all day, so he should have asked for hazard pay!

Well in any case, that was not the way we wanted to start that shoot! And there’s many more wild stories by far than this- But that is for another post called “Behind the scenes of Duet”!
Now- I could go on endlessly about Bangkok.
As a matter of fact, we stayed there 12 days, and I could have happily spent another couple weeks there!
We happened to be there during the Chinese New Year- and I tell you- this was one of the luckiest things that could ever happen, because Bangkok has a HUGE Chinese population, and this is the most important celebration of the year! I felt terrible that the crew missed it (we had just finished filming and they all left- Alon and I stayed another 5 days) because it was one of the MOST INCREDIBLE  sights I have ever seen!

Every single Temple open, covered with lights, thousands of people going in and out, bringing huge offerings of incense, fruits, food, flowers- clouds of incense filling the air- firecrackers exploding everywhere! All the streets closed off and filled with giant stages with incredible shows of dancers, acrobats- lion-dance troupes rampaging down the streets, to the sound of clashing symbols and huge drums! thousands of food stalls selling every delicacy under the sun!

We were eating octopus fritters like they were going out of style!! fried quails! coconut crepes! giant shrimps! some crazy kind of fermented spicy sausage!
Alon even ate a fried bug! Video attached! (not me- No way! I’m not Anthony Bourdain, for pete’s sake!)

There were mountains of flowers! Lanterns! and a 4- block long DRAGON DANCE!! we even saw them getting ready!

And- you wouldn’t believe it- there must have been easily half a million people packed into the district this celebration was going on in- and we didn’t see a SINGLE OTHER WESTERNER!!
Why??!  it was the most incredible thing I have ever seen!

And the huge food market (Khlong Toey) where all the locals and restaurants go to buy everything from live fish and frogs to whole pigs,

live and dead cickens, eels, quails- and every kind of herb, fruit and vegetable you can imagine- Same thing! No Westerners! Our hotel was even trying to convince us not to go there- not for any sort of safety concerns, it’s absolutely safe!
But because of their misguided desire to give good service, and they can’t fathom a “Farang” actually wanting to go to to the local market! They think all you want to to is go to the shopping malls!
But I insisted, and sure enough, the merchants were all damn shocked to see a “lady farang” going around the market with a big smile on my face- picking up every slimy creature I could get my hands on, and eating everything that was offered to me!

And the Pak Khlong Talat (Flower Market), was the same!  we went at 2am (it starts at 1am) and what i saw there blew my mind!!  MOUNTAINS of fresh orchids of all varieties! (I won’t even mention how cheap. Too depressing!)
STACKS of fresh lotus lilies- bundled in wraps of lotus- leaves! Pink ones! green ones! white ones! Roses of ever colour, garlands of jasmine and neroli, for offerings to the Buddha! Everyone who knows me knows that the only thing i go almost as nuts for as food, is flowers!! Alon probably never saw me so amazed!

We also took a river cruise on a “long-tailed boat” up the Chao Phraya river, and visited Wat Arun, the ancient Temple of Dawn! INCREDIBLE!!!

Anyway- what I am trying to say, in case I haven’t been direct enough about it, is- Bangkok, Thailand, is where it’s at!
A city of such splendour it cannot be described.. Once you set you foot in this land of dreams, it will stay in your soul forever..

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Guys-

I think it’s very symbolic that my very first blog post coincides with the fact that this Monday is the very first time that Shuk ha’Carmel is starting the Night Shuk- and I will be at Monterey Bay Aquarium– MAKING SUSHI! and pouring sake! and having fun with one of my best friends, Moshe..

All of you who know me know that is the ONLY place i will buy fish.. and also coincidentally,  because of Moshe and his exquisite fish.. I ended up becoming his friend, and did i tell you he held up one corner of my “Chuppah” when we got married??

And his beautiful speech reduced everyone there to tears??!

well- in any case- I am looking forward with joy to a great Monday night over at the Carmel market… and i am even going to bring some of my precious shiso leaves from my garden! The only ones in Israel!

and remember.. It’s traditional to send the sushi chef a cup of sake to say thanks.. hehehe… so- See you all there!!  7pm-11pm Monday night..

And by the way.. my show, “Duet” is premiering here in Israel on “Arutz ha’Ochel” this Wed. Aug 26 at 10pm..

so I hope you will watch, and let me know (honestly!) what you think …

From the album:
“תכניות חדשות באוגוסט 2009 בערוץ האוכל” by Israel FOOD channel

דואט – Duet הפקת מקור חדשה! בשפה האנגלית!
ימי רביעי, החל ב-26 באוגוסט בשעה 22:00
סדרת יוקרה חדשה מבית היוצר של ענני-תקשורת. שפית-העל רימה אולברה פוצחת באודיסיאה קולינרית חובקת עולם ומתחקה אחר מיטב השפים ומאכליהם. במסגרת בילויים משותפים בני יממה תתלווה אולברה אל אשפי בישול מקומיים שידריכו אותה בנבכי המטבח של ארצם ואף יספקו לה הזדמנות לבשל כמה מן המנות המקומיות בעצמה. בטורקיה תחבור אולברה אל השף ודאט בסארן, בעל מסעדת “פרייה” הנחשבת לאחד המוסדות הקולינריים החשובים באזור. שמו של בסארן יצא למרחוק כמי שאמון על שימורם של מתכונים עות’מאניים אותנטיים וכמומחה לשחזור המדויק של המטבח העות’מאני על שלל תבשיליו המסורתיים. בניס תתלווה אולברה אל השף כריסטיאן פלומייל, בעל מסעדת L’UNIVERS, המחזיקה בכוכב מישלן. אולברה תבלה את היום כולו עם פלומייל, החל מביקור בשוק המקומי, הילוות אל תחנת הרדיו בה מגיש פלומייל את תכניתו הקבועה וכלה בבישול ארוחת יום הולדת ליום הולדתה ה-60 של אימו. אולברה תמשיך בסיוריה הקולינריים-הגלובליים, כאשר תתלווה בהודו אל השף סנג’יב קאפור, הכוכב האולטימטיבי של המטבח ההודי המחזיק ב-15 מסעדות ברחבי העולם, ובאיטליה תתוודע אל השף אליה ריצו ובנו – מתיאו, שניהם מנהלים את מסעדת ‘איל דסקו’, אחת המסעדות הידועות בורונה, המחזיקה בשני כוכבי מישלן.
רימה אולברה מחזיקה כיום בחברת קייטרינג פרטית הפועלת בישראל ובסן פרנסיסקו. בין לקוחותיה של אולברה נמנים ד”ר קארל דג’ראסי ממציא הגלולה למניעת הריון וחתן פרס נובל, וטביתה סורן, כתבת MTV לשעבר. כמו כן תפקדה במהלך ארבע שנים כשפית ראשית במסעדת אנריקוס הקליפורנית בעלת 180 מושבים שהתמחתה בבישול ים תיכוני איכותי.

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