Jerusalem, Israel FOODS of the MIDDLE EAST

Our base for the week will be the historic Mount Zion Hotel overlooking the Old City. Housing the Hospital of St. John from 1882 until 1948, the building was converted to a hotel in 1986.

During the week we’ll learn to cook foods from throughout the Middle East and North Africa – from Morocco, Egypt, Persia, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.

ITINERARY
Day 1 – Sunday – D
The group will meet at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv and transfer to the Mount Zion Hotel in Jerusalem. After check-in and a short rest, we’ll enjoy a welcoming dinner and orientation at the hotel.

Day 2 – Monday – B/L/D
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll transfer to the cooking class for an orientation followed by a trip to Mahane Yehuda market to shop for ingredients for our 1st cooking lesson. We’ll enjoy the fruits of our labour for lunch. After lunch we’ll visit the Old City. Our guided tour will take us to the four quarters of the Old City with stops at the most important sites of each of the three great religions represented here – the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. As well as visits to the religious and historically significant sites, we’ll have an opportunity to shop in the souks. After our tour, we’ll return to the hotel for a short rest before a Moroccan dinner at the truly exceptional Darna Restaurant.

Day 3 – Tuesday – B/L/D
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll again transfer to the cooking class for our 2nd class and lunch. After lunch we’ll visit several small wineries around Jerusalem for a tour and tasting and also visit a local artisanal cheesemaker. Dinner tonight will be at the hotel.

Day 4 – Wednesday – B/L/D
After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll return to the cooking school for our 3rd lesson and lunch. After lunch we’ll take a walking tour to Ben Yehuda Mall and Yoel Solomon Street with time to shop for Dead Sea skin care products, Naot sandals and original Israeli arts and crafts. Then we’ll transfer to the Israel Museum for a tour with Dudi Mevorach, curator of Hellenist, Roman and Byzantine Archaeology. We’ll return to the hotel for a short rest before dinner at Rama’s Kitchen overlooking the city of Jerusalem.

Day 5 – Thursday B/D
The morning and lunch on your own – perhaps the perfect time to visit the hotel’s hammam (traditional bath). This afternoon we’ll return to the class for our 4th lesson. Tonight we’ll enjoy some of Israel’s premier wines with dinner.

Day 6 – Friday – B/L/D
Today after breakfast we’ll have our final cooking lesson. After lunch we’ll make a last visit to Mahane Yehuda shuk to join in the frenetic activity as people do their last minute shopping in preparation for Shabbat dinner. We’ll return to the hotel for an early dinner and then depart to the airport for our overnight flight home.

Cost per person
Cooking participant $2650 US (not including airfare)
Non-cooking participant $2400 US
Single supplement $525 US
Group limited to 6 cooking participants and 4 non-cooking participants
Group led by: Lindan Toole

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