An Early Taste of International Passport Day

International Student Committee Chair

What do you know about International Passport Day? As Stern students, we are very proud of the diverse and multi-cultural nature of our student body. We have students from over 40 countries all over the world. At the International Passport Day, we really get to take advantage of this! You can enjoy the great tastes of traditional foods from all over the world. Also, you can enjoy cultural traditions, performances, songs, dances, and music that you might not otherwise. This year, Passport Day will be held at the Gould Plaza on April 18th (Monday) from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. Do you think it is too early to talk about it? No!! You need to make a big, big space in your stomach for food from 40 countries! Can you imagine how amazing it will be? Maybe not! In the weeks to come we will give you some hints on how to create a good image of what it will be like. For every issue of the Oppy until April 18, we will provide you a recipe of each country's traditional food and also recommend a restaurant for you to try. You can try a country's cuisine either by cooking or visiting. For the first issue, Yael, an MBA1 from Israel; Masa, an MBA1 from Japan; and Dan, my roommate MBA2 from Canada, are giving you a great info. Don't ask me if Canada has a traditional food, he will let you know! Enjoy it!!

ISRAEL Yael Redelman-Sidi: yael@stern.nyu.edu The tehini was dripping sensuously down her chin, leaving greasy stains on her red bikini... Introduction: What is Israeli food? That's definitely a very difficult question, as it is actually the combination of Jewish food from different origins: the Ashkenazi (Eastern European) tradition and the Sephardi tradition. Where as the Ashkenazi's like sweet flavors, the Sephardi people prefer spicy ones. Therefore different people have various memories of mom's (and dad's) kitchen and kindergarten food. The gaps could lead to divorce and hard violence! Or going out to eat Sushi - that's always a good compromise. Let's get serious, just for one second: The Israeli day-to-day food usually consists of fresh vegetables and fruits, some fish and chickens, and lots of dairy product. Breakfast: Israelis are very proud of the variety of dairy products - that's what I call diversity! There are zillion flavors for every yogurt, and you can find all the fruit that you can think of and more. The names of the yogurts are also very imaginative, as some ex-GMA members did a dreadfully creative work - "happy strawberry", "gay peach", "baby's banana" and so on. What about "interviewee's blue(berry)s"? Morning snack: There are some Israeli food products that are considered to be the core nutrition of every person. Bamba is the first word that a baby learns to say. It is a peanut flavored snack that melts in your mouth easily. It is as popular with parents as well as kids. This is the best selling product in Israel (millions of packs for a population of 6 millions people). The producer actually tried to export Bamba to China but the Chinese palate did not favor this snack. I still don't understand why. Lunch: New-age-falafel in Tel-Aviv: where all the start up companies reside, you can find yam and carrot falafel, with bell-pepper sauce and sour krauts. This might cost you three times the original price, but it the place to watch for geek-celebrities and to be seen during lunchtime. There's also the Israeli version of BBQ called Al Ha'esh ("on the fire" in free style translation). You can orchestrate the show in your balcony or in a national park, where you will meet the rest of the nation. This BBQ includes hamburgers, chicken breast and hearts, hotdog, but never, never, never inside a bun. We eat our food inside pita bread and we are proud of this fact! Afternoon snack: Bamba, again. What did you think? Dinner: The Thanksgiving meals of the Israeli are Rosh Hashanah and Passover, where the entire family meets to scream at each other and wishfully talk about marriage and kids. Also, your worlds collide and you have to eat the traditional dishes of your in-laws and vice versa. Imagine Agristata, a traditional Jewish Bulgarian dish that my mother in-law makes, which consists of mashed chicken brain with some yellow quivering sauce. What a delight! On the other hand, my husband has to face the "Gefilte Fish", a traditional Jewish-Polish dish, that is a sweet fish patty served inside a slice of fish, also sweet. We did say "for better and for worse" ... My Favorite Restaurant : Hummus Place Hummus truly belongs to the Middle East, and it's very popular in Israel. The best place to eat Israeli Hummus in New York is really near by our school. It is called "Hummus Place" and located at 99 MacDougal Street. My Favorite Recipe: Shak'shoo'ka INGREDIENTS (2-3 servings): 4 tablespoons of olive oil 7 cloves of garlic, roughly sliced 1 onion, sliced into small cubes 2 hot peppers sliced into rings 1 red pepper, sliced into cubes 28 ounces of diced tomatoes 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste Pinch of sugar Coriander and paprika Salt 4-6 eggs INSTRUCTIONS: * Heat the oil in a heavy pan, fry the onions and the garlic for two minutes * Add the peppers and the tomatoes, lower the flame and put the lid on. Cook for 10 minutes. * Add the coriander and paprika, the tomato paste, ¼ glass of water and the sugar. Stir and cook for 10-15 minutes on a low flame. Add salt as needed. * Add the eggs, one at a time, keeping the yolk whole, cook for five more minutes. * Serve with bread.

JAPAN Masa Kaneko: masayuki.kaneko@stern.nyu.edu My Favorite Recipe: Teriyaki Yellowtail Fillet Do you like Teriyaki Chicken? If so, then you should definitely try teriyaki on fish as well. Teriyaki Yellowtail fillet, known as "Buri no Teriyaki" is a popular home cooking dish in Japan. It's fast, easy, healthy, and (most importantly) delicious. Here is my favorite recipe, complements of my wife. INGREDIENTS (2 servings): 2 yellowtail fillets Mixture A: 1 tbsp sake, 2 tsps soy sauce 1 tsp vegetable oil Mixture B: 1 tsp sugar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin (sweet cooking sake) INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Soak the fillets in Mixture A for 10 minutes. Then wipe off the moisture. 2. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan, and fry the fillets. When browned, turn over, cover the pan and fry the other side over a low heat. 3. Mix the ingredients of Mixture B to make the Teriyaki sauce. 4. Remove excess oil from the frying pan by using paper kitchen towels. Put the sauce into the pan, and simmer the sauce with the fish in the pan. Ensure the fish is thoroughly covered in sauce. 5. Arrange the fillets on plates. My favorite restaurant: Sushiden NY Looking for a nice sushi restaurant in Manhattan? The restaurant I go to has real sushi for an affordable price, 100% guaranteed! This is the New York branch of a popular sushi restaurant in Tokyo. The staff members are dressed in Kimono (traditional Japanese attire), and their service is quite good. The chefs are all trained and sent from Japan, and they really do a fantastic job. The restaurant is suitable for couples (and Valentine's Day is coming up!), friends and also for business meetings. Its slways full, so its best to make reservation before you go. Dinner specials from $25. Typically, I order sushi one piece at a time, never from the set menu. It is better because you can order just what you want. In order to order one by one, please say "OKONOMIDE" and order. I recommend you order the following: TORO (tuna), AKAMI (different kind of tuna), UNI (sea urchin), HIRAME (I don't know how to say ... flat shaped fish like a leaf), SABA (mackerel), SANMA (sword-shaped fish), KOHADA (this is my favorite), IKURA (salmon eggs), ANAGO (a kind of sea eel), KATSUO (bonito), AKAGAI (red clam), HOTATE (scallop), NEGITORO MAKI (sushi roll with tuna and vegetable). That should be enough for one person. Have a great time! Fortunately, they also have Teriyaki yellowtail fillets! Sushiden NY: 49th street between 5th and Madison. Tel: (212) 758-2700. http://www.sushiden.com/