According to centuries-old Jewish tradition, dinner on Friday is different from the other days of the week. This is due, in part, to the onset of the Sabbath at sundown. Most Jewish families, whether religious or secular, and no matter how crazy everyone’s schedules are on other days, try to eat together on Friday evening.
That’s certainly the case with my family. In addition to enjoying being together, we also have the added attraction of Galya’s spectacular home-cooked food. True to form, Israeli dishes figure prominently in this weekly feast.
Singlehandedly, Galya somehow creates a meal fit for a restaurant. Inspired by her Israeli roots, the food is a pleasure both to the eye and the palate. On any given Friday evening, dinner includes any of the following, all made with the finest ingredients.
– Israeli salads
– Eggplant baladi with tahini sauce
– Hummus
– Tchina
– Schug, a hot sauce made of a base of fresh parsley, coriander, garlic, lemon and olive oil
– Roasted eggplant, sliced, often served with tachini and fresh pomegranate on top. Eggplant is a favorite Mediterranean ingredient; one of the more frequently used in the Mediterranean Diet.
– Fresh bread with za’atar (a Mediterranean herb and olive oil)
– Matbucha, a cooked tomato and pepper-based dish, often served spicy and with hummus
– Roasted red peppers
Galya makes it looks easy, even though it’s not. It takes a lot of hard work in the kitchen, to say nothing of first having to purchase everything in advance.
Galya derives great pleasure from seeing how much everyone enjoys her tasty creations and how the Friday dinner contributes greatly to our family life. We also love to invite friends over to join us, adding to the warm atmosphere that prevails around the table. Nothing brings people together like great food in a relaxed setting.
GALYA LOVES FOOD 