Appetite for Perfection: Bibi, don’t worry, the Steele Chef has your back!
By JOSH STEELE
It has been quite a while since my last blog. So much has happened and, to be honest, I really do not know where to start.The biggest news I have to share is that I got rid of my share in the restaurant and resigned as executive chef. As most of you know, or have heard, living in Israel is pretty hard in many ways, specifically financially. It has become a major issue in the upcoming elections with such high costs of living that Kulanu party leader Moshe Kahlon, having only ever really helped people reduce their costs of living by reducing mobile phone bills, was predicted to win an automatic eight seats when he announced he was running. These difficulties transfer to business and I suppose you could say I became a victim to this as well. In short, and without speaking any lashon hara (evil speech), I was looking into buying the whole restaurant but didn’t like the deal proposed. I didn't want to invest all my savings in a country I didn't yet even partly understand, and wanted to explore new avenues. Therefore I left.Ever since I appeared on MasterChef Israel last year my world has been a complete whirlwind. I found the woman of my dreams and entered an industry deemed to be the hardest in terms of high risk, physical labor and taking a toll on one’s time. It has been amazing but my wife and I felt that I needed to focus on other areas first before completely owning my own business. How can one live in a country and not speak the language, understand the culture and have a social network? I always hated getting sales phone calls in England from people who didn't properly speak English and didn't want to be one of those people who used to drive me crazy. Due to this I have started ulpan (intensive Hebrew classes) at Ulpan Etzion that kindly and crazily allowed me to start a month into the semester. I am loving it and for the first time ever understood the d’var Torah (sermon) in synagogue last week in Hebrew. Oh yeah!!!Now, I don’t want anyone to worry as I am looking into other areas of the culinary industry to work and invest in. Options on the table are being a partner in a restaurant with a goal to still eventually fulfill my dream of opening a glatt kosher gastro pub, marketing my own brand of candy with flavorings for a more mature palette, writing a cookbook, and making a taster menu that takes you on a spiritual journey as well as physical. I’ll let you know if, how and when these develop but please pray for me they do!This year is continuing to give me the opportunity for new and awesome experiences. My first Purim as a married man was AMAZING to say the least. It was also my wife’s birthday so we had a very special day and now that I have to behave was able to connect more to the spirituality of the day as well. I made her something that I want to share with you all here as I think it’s applicable to another event I am very excited to experience, the upcoming general election.Now I have to admit something here: I love Israel’s Prime Minister. I believe very strongly that the world will always find ways to criticize Israel and he is a phenomenal ambassador for us and the strongest of the leaders on offer. I do not think that the world is quite ready for Yair Lapid’s black sweaters and have little respect for Tzipi Livni’s indecisiveness. However, our PM Bibi has had a hard time with the press criticizing him on a very petty level.
So he likes ice cream! Don't we all? It does seem a bit contradictory though with him always speaking about how he is on a diet, so I have decided to make him the same funky cookie dough frozen yogurt I made for my wife. She had been affectionately bugging me to take her out for frozen yogurt and loves just eating cookie dough, as strange Americans are prone to do, so put the two together. Bibi, I’m sorry, its not pistachio but it will have to do:
*Beat 110g soft butter, 110g dark brown sugar and 55g white sugar until light and fluffy and add 1tbsp vanilla essence*Sieve 130g flour, 1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1/4tsp salt and add 150g chocolate chips
*Fold into butter mixture*Fold in 450g yogurt until smooth*Add to ice cream machine for about 30 minutes, better as will be smoother as less ice crystals form, or just freeze
Very easy and delicious and much better than Ben and Jerry’s as every bite is full of the cookie dough flavor.I hope someone manages to get Sara Netanyahu this recipe and maybe pass on that it would be my complete honor to cook for the PM one day.
