אל על | אטמוספירה

Tasteful souvenirs Cathy Raff, founder of Beit Elfarasha, is involved in many social initiatives, such as the Akko “Goal of Equality” kids’ football team, a social sports initiative that gets kids from different communities to play sports together. In the Beit Elfarasha gift shop, you’ll find coffee mugs with the words “salam” and “shalom” on them (“peace” in Hebrew and Arabic), designed by the actress-singer-musician Mira Awad, olive oil produced by a Galilean association founded by Arab and Jewish women, handmade pottery, aprons with the Beit Elfarasha logo on them, and locally sourced herbs and spices.

sessions, cooking workshops, etc. There are two suites on the first floor which also has a vast balcony that looks out onto the Old City and the open sea. It’s the perfect place to relax and take in the sights and sounds of the city below. “Beit Elfarasha was founded by women for women”, says Raff who has been living in Israel for almost four decades. “Our main activity is organizing food workshops that are led by local women with the aim to create a platform for people to meet, exchange stories and experiences while learning to cook traditional regional recipes. Our overall goal is to initiate dialogue between communities and support local women”, she adds. Experiencing Galilean flavors Beit Elfarasha offers a range of private cooking workshops for groups of 10 to 20 people. A modern kitchen has been especially installed

for the purpose of these workshops and people from everywhere in the world come to take part in the fascinating exploration of local cuisine they allow. One of the workshops is dedicated to Arab wedding food. The flavors of Akko are influenced by Turkish and A-shami flavors (A-sham is the Arabic name for the area known as the Levant which comprises Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan). During the workshops participants get to prepare kibbeh nayeh, a dish typically served on the morning of a wedding. Kibbeh nayeh can be made with or without meat (Beit Elfarasha takes into account all food sensitivities), and it can either be served in its meat version, on a plate, with almonds sprinkled on top, or on a

bed of lettuce with chopped walnuts and sweet-and-sour pomegranate concentrate. Participants are also taught to make stuffed vine leaves, stuffed peppers and cabbage leaves, and kadaif. Kadaif is a delicious desert made of vermicelli noodles, pistachios, syrup, and rose water. It is usually served to break the Ramadan fast. The recipes taught at Beit Elfarasha are as authentic as you can get and aren’t usually what you’ll see on restaurant menus. Beit Elfarasha workshops offer a unique opportunity to experience real homemade Akko style cuisine, meet locals, hear personal stories, and strike friendships with people from different backgrounds and cultures. ˆ beitelfarasha.com

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ATMOSPHERE OCTOBER 2023