BIGA, Ariel, Great Food and Service

Last week I blogged about my trip to check out the new mall across from the Ariel University.   It's only a few minutes from Shiloh and right near the bus stop/trampiada to a from Shiloh. I was with a couple of friends, and we had lunch out together in BIGA, a kosher dairy restaurant/bakery chain.

The mall has a couple of levels, and there are stairs and an elevator to get from one to another. BIGA is on top with a nice terrace, though my friends and I ate inside.

The menu was interesting, even though it's a chain. I had a delicious lentil salad and tried the bread, so I could review it...

My friends tried other dishes, and we were all very happy with our selections. Another good thing was that the staff was very accommodating when we requested that they lower the volume of the music.
I was the youngest in the group, and most of us are at the stage where hearing conversation can be difficult when there's too much background noise. We made a point to sit in a quiet corner.

The BIGA Bakery is very popular. My friends also stocked up on their bread. I saw that they also have a selection of gluten free breads.  I couldn't find the opening hours, but the telephone number is 03-7721779‬, and it's on 2 Moriah Street, Ariel, across from the Ariel University.

We all agreed that BIGA is the best restaurant in Ariel. I just hope it keeps up its standards.

Back to Almond "Milk" for...

I decided to go back to my "no lactose" experiment for at least a few days. Last night when I bought milk for us, I saw that they had almond milk/drink in the dairy section/refrigerator of the local supermarket. Tnuva, the large veteran dairy company in Israel now produces a whole range of non-dairy "milks." They are marketed as משקה mashkeh, "drink," rather than "milk." I believe that is because milk must come from an animal, not some vegetarian recipe.

I've experimented with drinking a number of different "milks," including goats milk, the past few months, and I prefer this almond concoction. In terms of product purity and simplicity, nothing beats the old cow milk, even though I prefer it with some sugar. I haven't tried the rice milk, since it's based on a very starchy grain, rather than a protein.

They do have the no sugar almond milk here, which isn't fresh and refrigerated, but I didn't like it. I found myself adding sugar to it, so there wasn't much point in using it. Also, I don't drink milk as a drink and don't add it to anything other than my morning coffee, so there is no need for me to grind/blend almonds or cashews to make a homemade drink or milk substitute. I've checked out lots of labels and discovered that the fresh "milks" in the refrigerator section of the stores have much less additives than the ones you'll find on the shelf.

Tnuva markets this almond drink as:

• rich in calcium
• low in salts
• low in fat
• enriched with vitamins
• no gluton
• no colesteral
• no preservatives
• no lactose

Israel has a large and profitable food export industry, so they must adhere to international standards. The labeling is pretty reliable. Actually I consider Israeli dairy and other products to be healthier than the equivalent American ones.  

There are two factors that make it easier to find non-dairy, no lactose products here in Israel. One is the Laws of Kashrut, which mandates strict supervision and labeling of all dairy products. And the other is the fact that a relatively high proportion of the Israeli population has trouble digesting lactose. 

Turkey "Meatballs" in Homemade Tomato "Sauce"

I've been getting more and more turned off by the commercial tomato pastes and sauces, since they're all produced with various chemicals, additives, sugars etc. Here in Israel you can get nice juicy red tomatoes for under $1 per pound, even in our small local supermarket. So I buy a bag, cut them up and cook with garlic, onion (whatever herbs and spices you want) and vegetable oil in a covered pan. That's my "sauce."

I added a bit of boiling water. If I had a "stick blender," I'd probably liquify it. When it got nice and mushy, I mixed the ground turkey with raw egg a diced onion, parsley and garlic, of course. You can add whatever herbs and spices you like. I used to add matzah meal but don't any more. The meatballs still stick together and have less starch, plus no gluten this way.

Next I double-spoon it into the boiling sauce and cook until it changes color.

Now, it's all ready to be reheated when needed.

I haven't yet decided whether to serve with a pasta or rice. And of course there will be additional vegetables and a salad on the table.