After his conquests of Italy and Egypt, Napoleon Bonaparte set his eyes on the Holy Land and, in 1799 arrived with his army on the coast of Acre. Because this ancient port city is located on the route between Egypt and Syria, it has always had a strategic importance and was an object of conquest throughout history. In fact, just about any passing army that wanted to make a name for itself conquered Acre.

Originally a fortified Canaanite city, Acre (Akko in Arabic and modern Hebrew) was first conquered by Sanacherib, King of Assyria in 701 BCE. Later, when the armies of Greece threatened to destroy the city, the residents wisely opened their gates and treated Alexander the Great as welcome guest. Because Alexander was grateful for having been saved a prolonged battle, he granted the city autonomy and the people flourished under his reign.

Jews first settled in Acre during the period of the Roman occupation of Palestine and because of its location on the sea and its great natural beauty the city became a popular vacation place. In addition to those Jews who lived in the city, others would come annually from Sefad and Jerusalem. Several wealthy merchants even kept summer homes in Acre. Despite the economic and social stability of the city, it remained a popular place to conquer. The Persians took the city in 614; twenty years later it returned to Arab control; in 1104 it was occupied by the Crusaders and in 1291, Sultan el Malik el Ashraf conquered it for Egypt.

The great Napoleon was not as fortunate in his desires to capture Acre. Even though he perceived Acre as the gateway to conquering the entire Holy Land, his military expedition was badly planned and ill timed. In a letter to one of his lieutenants, Napoleon said that "I anticipate that the city will fall within two weeks, and then we shall march directly to Jerusalem". Napoleon did not count on stubbornness of the reigning Pasha, Achmad el Jazzar who was determined that "the city will not fall to this little general". Nor did Napoleon count on the harsh, rainy winter weather that meant that his troops would be continuously cold and wet and have little to eat.

All of which is quite a shame, because for several thousand years, Acre has been famous for the quality of its food. In addition to fulfilling the Middle-Eastern tradition of having many vendors who lined the streets, selling fried fish, grilled meats and a variety of pastries to hungry passers-by, Acre was one of the first cities in the world to boast real restaurants, places where guests could enter, take a table, be told by the waiter what dishes were being offered and then ordering the dishes of their choice. Local lore has it that Pasha el Jazzar built one hundred mosques and two hundred khans, small inns, all of which had restaurants that were open to overnight guests or anyone with a few coins in their pocket with which to purchase a meal.

Napoleon set siege to the city in late October, expecting that the residents would quickly run out of food and be forced to surrender. The siege lasted more than two months but, because the Pasha had been forewarned, the city was well supplied with food. In fact, there was enough food that even the restaurants remained open during the siege. Napoleon's soldiers, however, had a different fatse Because the British fleet had sealed the entrance to the harbor, the soldiers could not receive fresh supplies of food. All that was available to them, according to the diary of Captain Jacques Birande, was "radishes, turnips, carrots and garlic which we could take freely from the fields, and, whenever we were lucky, a few sheep that we could steal from the local Bedouin". On his return to his native city of Lyon, Birande added to his diary "that I will surely beat any of my servants if ever they are foolish enough to serve me a radish or a turnip".

During his stay, Napoleon himself did not fare well from the culinary point of view. One night, after eating a stew that had been made from mutton, garlic and carrots, the future Emperor of France had an upset stomach. Convinced that someone had tried to poison him, Napoleon canceled his plans to invade Jerusalem, lifted the siege of Acre and, within three days had sailed away to Egypt.

The old city of Acre remains one of the most interesting and beautiful cityscapes in Israel. In addition to the colorful port, architecturally marvelous mosques and exquisite small khans, one may visit the fortified town and see the aqueduct that was built to bring water from the springs of Kabri, fifteen kilometers away. The archeological digs, many of which are opened to the public, include excavations that range from Canaanite days up to the period of the Ottoman Empire. Food lovers will find that many of the local restaurants, especially within the walls of the old city, continue to serve high quality Middle-Eastern fare at reasonable prices.

Each of the following traditional dishes may still be found in one or another of Acco's many restaurants. Unless otherwise noted, the recipes are designed to serve 4 - 6.

Stuffed Onions

6 large onions
2 large tomatoes
5 slices bread, without crusts
1/4 cup oil
1 lb. (450 gr.). ground beef
3 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
1 tsp. each salt, pepper and barbecue spice
6 eggs
6 oz. (170 gr.) tomato puree

Peel the onions and remove the upper portions. Using a sharp knife cut a large hollow inside each onions for the filling. Set the shells aside.

Remove the top and bottom of the tomatoes and cut each tomato into 3 equal slices. Set aside.

Soak the bread in water. Squeeze dry by hand and set aside.

In a skillet heat 2 Tbsp. of the oil and in this saute the beef until lightly browned. Remove the beef from the skillet and mix with the bread, parsley, salt, pepper, barbecue spice and two of the eggs. Knead by hand and with this mixture fill the onions.

Beat the remaining eggs together with 2 Tbsp. of water in a deep dish. Dip the stuffed onions in the eggs.

Add the remaining oil to the skillet and heat. In this fry the onions for about 5 minutes making sure all sides are evenly cooked. Transfer the onions to a casserole dish.

Dilute the tomato puree with 1/4 cup of water and pour over the onions. Over this pour the oil from the skillet. Cover each onion with 1 slice of the tomato, cover the baking dish and bake in an oven that has been preheated to 330 degrees Fahrenheit (170 Celsius) for 40 minutes. Serve hot as an appetizer.

Lamb Casserole

For the Lamb Mixture:

1 1/2 lb. (675 gr.) lean lamb, ground
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups burghul (cracked wheat)
2 tsp. salt (or less, to taste)
1/2 tsp. pepper

For the Stuffing:

1 1/2 cups butter or margarine
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts, chopped
1/2 tsp. cinnamon salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. (450 gr.) lean lamb, ground

Prepare the lamb mixture by grinding the lamb and onion 3 times through the finest blade of a food chopper and then pound to a paste.

Wash the burghul in cold water and drain well. Mix with the pounded lamb and grind twice more adding salt, pepper and just enough ice water (about 1 - 2 Tbsp.) to blend the mixture into a paste.

Prepare the stuffing by melting 1/2 cup of the butter in a heavy skillet and in this sauteeing the onions until translucent. Add the pine nuts and cinnamon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the lamb and cook on a medium flame, stirring regularly until the meat begins to brown.

Grease a 9 x 11" (23 x 28 cm) baking pan or ovenproof casserole and spread in it a bit less than half of the lamb mixture. Over this spread the stuffing and then top with the remaining lamb mixture. With a knife make a diamond pattern in the meat. Melt the remaining butter or margarine and pour it over the meat. Bake in a hot oven until nicely browned (about 20 minutes). May be served hot or at room temperature. (Serves 6 - 8).

Beef with Pine Nuts and Raisins

1/4 cup oil for frying
3/4 cup pine nuts
1 1/2 lb. (675 gr.) chopped beef
3/4 cup raisins
1 tsp. allspice
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet heat 1 1/2 Tbsp. of the oil and in this saute the pine nuts for 3 minutes.

In a separate skillet heat the remaining oil and in this brown the beef. Add 2 Tbsp. water and mash the beef. Cook an additional 5 minutes. To this add the pine nuts, raisins and seasonings and continue to cook, stirring regularly, until the meat is done. Serve hot. Ideal served with rice pilaf.

Dessert Fritters

2 cups cornstarch, sifted
1/2 cup yoghurt
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 tsp. baking soda
3 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp. honey
vegetable oil for deep frying

In a mixing bowl slowly combine the cornstarch, yoghurt, peanut oil and baking soda and mix together until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Add just enough water (about 1/2 cup) to make a batter which is thin enough to pour through a large funnel.

In a saucepan bring the sugar and 2 cups of water to a boil. Boil rapidly for about 5 minutes and then add the honey. Reduce the flame and simmer for 3 - 4 minutes longer. Set aside to keep warm.

Into a large heavy skillet pour 1" (2 1/2 cm.) of the vegetable oil and heat to 360 degrees Fahrenheit (185 Celsius). Hold a finger on the tip of a large funnel and fill with the batter. Open the funnel halfway and release enough batter into the hot fat to make 2 or 3 circles on top of each other for a single fritter (about 3" or 8 cm. in diameter). Fry until golden and then remove with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel for several seconds. Dip the fritter in the warm syrup and place on a cake rack to drain. Continue until all of the batter has been used, adding oil to the skillet only if necessary. Cool and store in airtight containers. Serve with strong coffee or tea. (Yields about 40 fritters).

© Daniel Rogov