Recently, Alan and I had a very humorous discussion of the psychological divide between Ashkenazim and Sephardim on healthcare.
We always joke that Alan knows a lot of doctors and in my Sephardic family that qualifies him to dispense Advil, Aleve, Pepcid and Claritin. He is the one who takes people to urgent care, even when they protest that they are fine.
I mean, really, is there an illness that garlic can’t heal?!
About 10 years ago, my aunt Daisy suffered a heart attack. Like most women, her symptoms were fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and throwing up. Twice, she sought advice from her doctor at the “kupat cholim” (Israeli health clinic). Twice, he recommended that she schedule an EKG, but he didn’t impress any urgency.
Thinking it was just the flu, she didn’t bother her children, suffering in silence for two weeks before being rushed to the hospital. She was in critical condition in the ICU, leaving her with irreparable damage to her heart.
Thankfully, she did recover!
Right now, she is in her apartment in Ramat Gan, suffering through the Iranian missile attacks.
The miraculous recovery of my very lovely Aunt Daisy is testament to her discipline and healthy lifestyle. She walks everywhere, she cleans her own home, she eats lots of fresh fruits and veggies and eats small, healthy, home cooked meals. I’m pretty certain that neither wine nor sugary sodas have ever passed her lips. Very, very old school. I can only dream of such virtues.
What you will find in my aunt Daisy’s home are treats to serve her many visitors. Lots of dried fruits and nuts, freshly baked baba ta’mar (crispy date-filled cookies) and ka’ak (crispy salty ring crackers flecked with black nigella seeds).
According to which fruits are in season, she will make homemade jams and preserves, sweet and sour apricot fruit leather, as well as luzina, a delectable Iraqi Jewish quince candy paste, flavored with lemon and cardamom and topped with crushed almonds.
Her refrigerator is always filled with huge jars of homemade amba (pickled mango), pickled cucumbers and golden turshi.
Turshi pickles are a staple of the Babylonian Jewish kitchen, featuring cauliflower florets, carrot sticks, green beans, red pepper and garlic pickled in a sweet and salty, curry and turmeric-spiced vinegar brine. Cabbage, celery and radishes are sometimes added. Also known as chakla bakla, this recipe uses a quick cooking method that leaves the vegetables with a delightful crunch.
Tangy, bright and filled with irresistible umami flavor, turshi is the perfect complement to burgers, kebabs and chicken, as well as the perfect foil for eggs and salads.
Turshi, like most pickled vegetables, also has significant health benefits, primarily as a source of antioxidants and high probiotic content that supports gut health, immunity and digestion.
As the old saying goes— an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. (But Western medicine is truly miraculous!) Rachel and I love sharing healthy recipes because sometimes food can be the best medicine! We are honored to share this recipe for turshi.
Awafi! La’briut! A votre sante!
To your good health!
—Sharon
Nana Aziza’s Turshi Recipe
Pickling Juice
1 cup water
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp turmeric
In a large pot, bring the water, vinegar, sugar, salt and spices to a boil over medium heat.
Vegetables for Pickling
1 lb cauliflower, cut into florets
1lb green beans, cut into 4 inch pieces
3 carrots, cut into long thin inch sticks
1 lb baby peppers, cut in half
10 cloves garlic, chopped
Place vegetables in clean jars. Pour cooled pickling juice over the vegetables to fill the jars.
Store in the refrigerator.
Pickled vegetables will be ready to eat in 3 days.
Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem. Follow them
on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food. Website sephardicspicegirls.com/full-recipes.
