My aunt dropped me off at my hotel adjacent to the Tel Aviv boardwalk – or tayelet in Hebrew. After checking in and disposing of my luggage, I took her to dinner, which was the least I could do.

That is when my neverending love affair with one of Israel’s aspects continued: food.

Israel’s cuisine is one of new and typically Israeli dishes – such as the divine schnitzel in a pita, complete with fixings, or sabich – and food brought back from the Diaspora. It makes me chuckle when Arab nationalists scold Israel for “stealing” dishes, such as falafel. Of course, falafel is not an Israeli creation, but is there a patent I have missed? Moreover, this food is part of Israel, as it was consumed by many Mizrahi Jews, as well as Israel’s Arab population. To make matters funnier, falafel is claimed by Palestinians, Lebanese, and Egyptians as their own. Even food is politicized in the Middle East.

At the restaurant, which employs Israelis with slight Russian accents, a nice fettucine carbonara is served with beef. It is followed by a Russian grandmother’s dessert, which somewhat resembles profiteroles – very tasty.

This is simply the first stop on a culinary journey that is not always good for the diet and certainly not for the wallet – still, worth every calorie and........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)