When one thinks of Israeli food, traditional dishes like hummus, tehina, tabbouleh, and falafel often come to mind.
But the cuisine actually encompasses a wide range of dishes that reflect the many ethnic groups who have settled there over the years, according to restaurateur Michael Solomonov, lead author of Zahav, a World of Israeli Cooking.
Zahav represents “a more complete idea of the breadth of Israeli cuisine,” Solomonov said in an interview with his business partner and co-author, Steven Cook. Toronto was a stop on their book tour in October.
The two men co-own eight restaurants in Philadelphia. The kosher cookbook is named after Zahav, the partners’ first restaurant to specialize in Israeli food.
Solomonov, 38, is an American Israeli with deep roots in both countries. Interspersed with recipes are biographical details of his life and that of his other family members. He was born in Israel to an American mother and Bulgarian father.
When he was a toddler his family moved to Pittsburgh, where his younger brother, David, was born. Twelve years later they all returned to Israel. Solomonov said he was not able to integrate into Israeli society, explaining that he never spoke Hebrew well enough. He went back to the United States and ended up at chef school.
In 2003, on vacation from a sous-chef position, Solomonov went to Israel. He toured the country for three weeks with his brother, who was on leave from the army. Months later David was killed while on patrol near Lebanon.
Solomonov explained that delving into Israeli cuisine helped him feel connected to his late brother. “My interest in Israeli food is a way of keeping my brother’s memory alive.”
In 2008, he and Cook opened Zahav. The restaurant adheres to the basic laws of kashrut, because that distinguishes Israeli cuisine from that of other Middle Eastern countries, Solomonov said. “Kosher rules help define the boundaries of Israeli cuisine.”
He said going back to his Israeli roots has become his culinary mission: “I had to translate this food for the American palate.”
READ: The shared Jewish heritage of bagels and falafel
Zahav embraces a wide swath of culinary traditions. Along with traditional hummus and tabbouleh, you can find recipes for such Yemenite dishes as lachuch, a spongy, pancake-like bread; schug, a condiment of green chiles; hawaij, a spice blend of turmeric, pepper and cumin; and hilbeh, a fenugreek-based thickener.
The book also includes recipes for Persian food like ghondi, dumplings made of chickpea flour and ground chicken, which Solomonov calls the “Persian cousins of the matzah ball.” There’s also a recipe for kubbe, an Iraqi-style semolina dumpling filled with ground meat and pine nuts, and Balkan-style borekas, a dish Solomonov’s Bulgarian grandmother often made for the family.
When asked if he identified more as an American or an Israeli, Solomonov said: When I’m in Israel, I feel American and in the U.S. I feel the Israeli ties culturally.”
Green beans and mushrooms with tehina, lentils, and garlic chips
This is our riff on the classic green bean casserole, with tehina standing in for the cream of mushroom soup.
o kosher salt
o ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
o ¼ cup beluga lentils
o 2 shallots, one chopped, one thinly sliced
o ¼ cup tehina
o ¼ cup cider vinegar
o pinch black pepper
o pinch ground fenugreek
o ¼ cup olive oil
o 4 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-in. pieces
o 1½ cups quartered button mushrooms
o ¼ cup canola oil
o 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
o 2 teaspoons lemon juice
o 2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add a pinch of salt, the cinnamon, and lentils. Partially cover and lower the heat to medium. Simmer until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 17 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
Combine the chopped shallot with the tehina, vinegar, black pepper, fenugreek, and a pinch of salt in a food processor and puree. Be careful not to let the tehina overheat – add ice water, 1 tbsp. at a time, if the mixture seizes up. Season with more salt if you like. Set the tehina sauce aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green beans and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until the beans start to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the sliced shallot and the mushrooms to the skillet and continue cooking until the green beans are tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon, discarding any excess oil. Set aside and keep warm.
In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the canola oil, garlic, and reserved lentils. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic begins to brown and the lentils start to swell, about 7 minutes. When the garlic and lentils are golden brown, drain them onto a plate lined with paper towels and season well with salt.
To assemble, mix the tehina sauce with the green beans and mushrooms and spoon the mixture onto a serving platter. Drizzle with the lemon juice and top with the crispy garlic and lentils, and then the dill. Serves 4
