Airplane Food Review (TAMAM) Part 2

Chicken-Potatoes-Vegetables

 
The chicken was slightly saltier than I like, and I like my chicken barely cooked - this was well done, but not overcooked. The potatoes were great. The vegetables were flavored well, but I didn't like the peppers. Overall 7/10 I'd eat it again, but I wouldn't look forward to it. 

Blintzes 

This morning, I tried the Blintzes - One sweet cheese, one apple, in vanilla cream, not overly sweet, but definitely sweet. I thought it was delicious. Kinneret (13) didn't like the apple, and didn't try the cheese, because I was already eating when I discovered that there was a second one, and we're germophobles. 9/10, yummy dessert or breakfast.




Bulgarian Salad

Fresh and good.
There was lettuce (not pictured) and the peppers were ... not yummy (according to me and Kinneret) 
There was no zaatar on the cheese, and the dressing was Thousand Island (good). Kinneret said the cheese was too salty... but um. it's Bulgarian cheese.  Overall, good salad, certainly for the price - I've paid 30 for less impressive salads. The salad is a full meal for someone who isn't a big eater, or would be good with a sandwich for someone who eats the entire universe (like me). 8/10 -would definitely eat again, would absolutely throw out the peppers again.

 

Meatballs-String Beans- Rice

Fry said the meatballs and rice are good, but found the string beans chewy. (undercooked?) 
He says he'd eat it again, but it's not his favorite. 

I tried it and the meatballs were good, not great, and the string beans were slightly undercooked and oversalted. The rice was fine

7/10 - Satisfying, reasonably tasty. too much salt. 

Airplane Food Review (Tamam) Pt 1

I have a crazy love of airline food, so when I saw Tamam was offering to let people buy airline meals, I ordered a whole bunch of different things, and I'll be reviewing it here: 

.

Cornbeef bagel - the "bagel" is a regular roll with a hole in the middle. It has a tomato-pepper sauce on it that I didn't like. Lots and lots of pickles, and sauerkraut. Not tons of meat, but I wasn't expecting a New York deli. Rating it 6/10. I'd eat it if I were hungry, but it's not great. 

Meal with Schnitzel, Couscous, and Vegetables:  This seems to not exist on the website, so I am putting the closest picture I could find. I had a bit of schnitzel and it was pretty good, but I can buy that at any supermarket. My son said he didn't like the couscous and veg. I'll have to check it sometime. 

Fresh vegetables with thousand Island sauce - yum 10/10

f

Fresh Fruit - tasty and clean, good mix. 10/10 - would be great to keep in a cooler on a tiyul

I look forward to updating more in the future. I ordered a whole bunch more stuff. 

Successful Aliya

Aliya -- to rise up. 

For a Jew, moving to the land of Israel is considered rising up, going home.

Recently someone asked what constitutes a successful aliya.

Often people come from America, England, or other countries, and end up miserably regretting their decision or even leaving Israel and returning to their country of origin

That's obviously not a successful aliya, but what is? How do you define success?

So here's my definition: 

It's successful when you've finished the honeymoon, been through rough parts, and are still happy to be here and wouldn't prefer to live somewhere else.

Someone responded that they'd never seen an "aliya honeymoon" so I described my experience, one which resonated with many of my friends. 

Have you never talked to a new oleh "fresh off the plane" who thinks that all the eligible singles in Israel are more attractive, the food tastes better, and even the air is sweeter here? Who still cries every time they hear a child speak Hebrew. Who gets weepy just thinking about the kotel? Who looks like Maria about to sing "the hills are alive" on erev Shabbat when they're walking to shul?

Because I've been that girl, and I've seen it many times.

And then reality sets in. And you would give your right arm to visit your friends/family back "home" and a root beer or a Snapple makes you so homesick it literally tastes like longing..

And you actually miss Christmas Carols, even though they used to bug the heck out of you.

and then... there's stage 3...

When a root beer tastes like childhood memories, but it doesn't overwhelm you, and you can imagine it might be fun to take a vacation someplace other than your country of origin. And when the cheese and bread and vegetables here seem normal, and the fruits and vegetables back where you came from seem weird... and you realize that you're a tourist there, and an immigrant here, and that you're never 100% going to be Israeli, but you belong to Israel more than you belong to your old country.

Pass the falafel. I'm home.