For 14 years, Maccabeam restaurant at 128 S. 12th St. has been an oasis of glatt kosher cuisine. On any given weekday, customers, many wearing traditional yarmulkes, crowd the small eatery between Walnut and Sansom streets to share platters of barbecued turkey shawarma, creamy hummus, char-broiled kebobs, and the "Maccabeam special": eggplant layered with fried onions, chickpeas and tomatoes. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner only (closed for Shabbat, the sabbath, from 3 p.m. Friday through Saturday), but there is one breakfast item on the menu.
Omelet on pita: It's a shakshuka
Shakshuka, from the Hebrew word "leshakshek," meaning "to shake," is a simply prepared, lightly sweet egg dish that's also called an Israeli omelet. Maccabeam owner Steve (who goes by his first name only) sets aside an hour for cooking shakshuka over low heat. This extra time allows the flavors of the onion, pepper and tomato to steep into the eggs. Steve also uses very fresh pita or laffa bread from a bakery in Allentown, sold by the half dozen at Maccabeam. This recipe makes the equivalent of four shakshuka sandwiches.
ISRAELI OMELET SANDWICH SHAKSHUKA
Vegetable cooking oil
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black or white
pepper
5 large eggs
4 pita or laffa breads
Hot sauce
Heat oil to low temperature in frying pan, add onions. When onions become golden brown, add red pepper, tomato, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, until mixture appears watery. Break eggs into frying pan, scramble lightly, and cover. Stir occasionally until desired effect is achieved. (Maccabeam serves its shakshuka on the dry side.) Stuff contents into pita or roll into laffa bread. Add hot sauce to taste. (Steve makes his own hot sauce by pureeing long hot peppers, olive oil, garlic, cumin, salt and white pepper.)
Makes 4 sandwiches.
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