Israeli cuisine reflects the country’s vast cultural influences, and James Beard award-winning chefs and restaurateurs Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook capture these culinary traditions in their beautifully written, narrative-driven cookbook, Israeli Soul: Easy, Essential, Delicious. For eight days, Solomonov and Cook, along with photographer Michael Persico, trekked throughout the country eating 82 meals at restaurants, market stalls, bakeries and street carts in bustling cities such as Tel Aviv, as well as villages and remote towns.
Solomonov and Cook will share their experience and sign copies of Israel Soul at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 28, at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center (JCC), 6255 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Whitefish Bay. The event, hosted by Wisconsin Foodie’s Kyle Cherek, includes a copy of the book and samples of appetizers featured among the vivid pages. Tickets are $40 per individual, $60 per couple. The JCC, the Israel Center of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation and Boswell Books Co. are presenting the event.
“As a newer country—Israel is only 70 years old—the foods are really foods of the people who came to Israel,” said Mona Cohen, Director of Adult Programs at JCC. “You’ve got European, Middle Eastern, African—all different cuisines—and what happens when they’re in a Jewish country together and influence each other. We’re hoping people will get inspired to make this food themselves and learn something new about the huge, rich culture in Israel.”
Solomonov and Cook are the creative minds behind Philadelphia’s CookNSolo restaurant group, which includes Zahav, Dizengoff, Goldie, Abe Fisher, The Rooster and Federal Donuts. The duo’s first book, Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking, won James Beard awards in 2016 for Cookbook of the Year and Best International Cookbook. While that book featured many chef-level recipes for the exotic foods of Israel, Israeli Soul is approachable for the home cook.
“We wanted to eat and experience and process these foods into something easy and that could be made in a small apartment with a very limited kitchen,” said Solomonov. “We want to help translate and guide people to help make this cuisine accessible and easy.”
Solomonov was born in G’nei Yehuda, Israel, and he was raised in Pittsburgh, Pa. When he was 18, he returned to Israel with his family and began his culinary career at a bakery. Although he was already familiar with much of Israel’s food, breathing and eating and living the cultures and subcultures that make up Israel’s cuisine was a unique experience. “We went to a Druze restaurant in the north and ate these tubers that reminded me of artichokes. They were really good,” Solomonov said. “What was so impressive is that out of the 82 meals we had, only two weren’t fantastic. Everything else was exciting and vibrant and delicious.” Solomonov also praised the Libyan food from Tripoli that he tried, particularly the couscous. “It was the best couscous, so light, like a cloud.”
When asked to name a favorite recipe featured in the book, Solomonov had to give it some thought. “It’s hard not to appreciate the Five-Minute Hummus, but we collectively love the Lamb Shawarma recipe. If you make it with naan bread—which is very easy—it makes a perfect wrap.”
Solomonov hopes that people enjoy Israeli Soul by immersing themselves in the pages and photos to get an idea of what it’s like to dine in Israel. “But ideally, I’d like them to go to Israel and experience the cuisine,” he said.
The Nov. 28 event marks Solomonov’s and Cook’s first appearance at JCC, and the center will preview the event Nov. 12 with a free screening of Roger Sherman’s 2016 documentary In Search of Israeli Cuisine, which features Solomonov’s touring Israel and talking to cooks and vintners.
For more information or to purchase tickets, contact jccmilwaukee.org or call 414-967-8249.
