Where’s The Beef?

The alluring scent of charred meat still wafts through the air, two days following Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day). While Jews around the globe frequently mark the day with falafel, here in Israel it’s barbecue all the way. No patch of grass is too small, no highway median too disagreeable for the enterprising Israeli griller.

This hamburger ironically, is dairy, as its chief ingredient is Nutella chocolate spread. The original recipe called for a traditional American sugared doughnut for the bun. However, I couldn’t actually find one in the 5 bakeries I visited on this quest and while I could have tried making one myself, I’m afraid it’s slightly beyond my skill set. Anyway, ever the purist, I object to the bun having a hole, so I baked a cake in a round-bottomed pan instead.

The fries are made of toasted cake and the ketchup is pureed strawberries – a perfect dipping sauce.

I could claim that this confection is better than the real thing, but I had the good fortune of indulging in a juicy, mushroom-topped burger myself a few days ago and well, let’s just say I’m never going to be a vegetarian.