There’s a street not far from Ben Yehudah Street in Jerusalem where several very trendy, upscale restaurants can be found. Among them sits Gabriel. We had heard several positive reviews from friends, and were eager to try out this place. When the opportunity arose*, we hesitated only slightly before setting out to our Holy City for good food and an evening of animated conversation.

The price on a menu sets my expectation, not the description. Gifted writers can make car tires sound delectable, but what a restaurant charges for food should be a reflection on both the quality and the preparation of the dish.

Buckle up. This is going to be harsh.

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Parsley Fennel Salad Niçoise

This was a simple put-together salad. So what makes it a “Salad Niçoise?” I tend to name things if I put several signature items into the dish. I’m not a purist when it comes to Salad Niçoise, so if it has tuna and olives (preferably niçoise, of course) in it, I’ll ‘abbreviate’ it so people can get what the recipe’s about more quickly.

Rather than using lettuce as a greens base, I used parsley. Added the bright fennel to counterpoint the earthy parsley, and punctuated it with slivers of red onion.

The dressing was equal parts low-fat mayonnaise, capers, vinegar, lemon juice and two parts water.

Pretty soon readers in the States will be able to grab a kosher Gatorade after a long workout or ball game or while slaving away in a hot kitchen. That iconic quart of electrolyte-laden thirst-quenching ambrosia will soon slake the thirsts of parched Jews as they hastily mutter a shehakol before pounding one down. It’s the perfect drink to quickly replenish lost body fluids.

Or if you like drinking neon.

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I’ve spoken about this in my Herbs & Spices class: cilantro is a love/hate flavor profile. Unless you’re a reformed hater. Like I am. And you can be, too.

I don’t make it a habit of linking to the New York Times. Let’s say I have strong opinions on the quality of what passes for news. However, the food section doesn’t count. It consistently has quality writing and subjects.

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In honor of the return of iceberg lettuce, I came up with a salad dressing that would add a bite to counterbalance the cool crispness of the lettuce.

Then I added horseradish.

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