Adeena Sussman - Sababa: fresh, sunny flavors from my Israeli kitchen

Its been more than twenty years since I first got invited to eat a meal at Adeenas apartment in Jerusalem. And its thrilling to see what two decades of exploration, artistry, experimentationand a move to Tel Avivhave led to. Sababa is a celebration of the best of Israeli cuisine. Reflective of the many cultures that make it up, Sababa has all of the classics, along with a million exciting and dizzyingly innovative twists. Im swapping out my shakshuka recipe with Adeenas as of right now.

NATHAN ENGLANDER, author of For the Relief of Unbearable Urges

In Hebrew borrowed-from-Arabic slang, sababa means everything is awesome, and its this sunny spirit that inspires American/Israeli food writer Adeena Sussman as she cooks and dreams up meals in her Tel Aviv kitchen. Every morning, Sussman makes her way through the bustling stalls of Shuk HaCarmel, her local market, abundant with irresistibly fresh ingredients and tempting snacksjuicy ripe figs and cherries, locally made halvah, delectable cheeses and olives, and the most addictive street food in the world, from crunchy falafel drizzled with colorful condiments like amba and schug to off-the-boat fish tossed with seasonal fruit and fresh herbs. In Sababa , Sussman brings this culinary wonderland to life with 125 authentic yet easy recipes that put a fresh spin on the amazing variety of a cuisine forged by Jewish and Arabic residents alike, from more than 100 lands, who make Israel their home.

Americans have fallen in love with the spicy, bright flavors of the Middle East, and in this timely cookbook, Sussman shows readers how to use border-crossing kitchen staplestahini, sumac, silan (date syrup), harissa, zaatarto delicious effect, while also introducing more exotic spices and ingredients. From , Sussmans recipes make a riot of exuberant tastes accessible and effortless for the home cook. Filled with transporting storytelling, Sababa is the ultimate everyday guide to todays Israeli kitchen.

an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

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Copyright 2019 by Adeena Sussman

Photographs 2019 by Dan Perez

Shuk photos by Eyal Yassky Weiss

Styling by Nurit Kariv

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Sussman, Adeena, author.

Title: Sababa : fresh, sunny flavors from my Israeli kitchen / Adeena Sussman.

Description: New York : Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House, [2019] | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019004726| ISBN 9780525533450 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780525533467 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Jewish cooking. | LCGFT: Cookbooks.

Classification: LCC TX724 .S87 2017 | DDC 641.5/676dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019004726

p. cm.

The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for your specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.

Neither the publisher nor the author is engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained in this book are not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician. All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this book.

Cover photographs Dan Perez

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FOR JAY

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

As I climb the four flights of stairs up to Adeena Sussmans light-filled apartment a few blocks from the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, I get a feeling that Im hard-pressed to reproduce anywhere else. It starts with her hug, warmer and more genuine than most (although her husband Jays isnt too shabby, either), and seems to presage the irrepressible hospitality that awaits. The smell of freshly baked bread begins a few floors down and leads directly to her kitchen, where the island countertop seems perpetually laden with a bounty of tasty delights. All the senses are engaged.

On a recent visit, there were perfect Persian cucumbers no bigger than my finger, sliced lengthwise and sitting beside a dish of coarse sea salt and a wedge of lemon. There was a pitcher of ice-cold fresh almond milk, scented with vanilla and sweetened with silana treat to drink by itself or mixed with the cardamomscented cold brew coffee sitting next to it. Beside that was a carafe of freshly squeezed mixed citrus juicewhatever was lying around, she said.

This is an understatement on two counts. First, its winter in Israel, and a riot of oranges and grapefruits and pomelos are practically bursting out of their skins at the market. And second, theres nothing effortless about Adeenas cooking. She only makes it look that way.

The location of her apartment is also no accident. When Adeena permanently relocated to Israel a few years ago (she was raised in Northern California but has traveled to Israel extensively her entire adult life), the Shuk HaCarmel loomed large in her decision about where to live.

There ought to be a word for the Instagram envy I feel watching her feed, which is like a technicolor flipbook through the seasons. She is on a first-name basis with her fishmonger, and knows where to get the absolute best strawberries during their season. She has a coffee guy and a butcher and a spice guy. The market is practically an ingredient in her cookinga style that prioritizes pristine produce and simplicity over luxury ingredients and fussiness, earnest technique over shortcuts or fancy tricks. In fact, the lengths to which Adeena goes to blanket her guests in hospitality is an integral part of what makes her food sing. The love you take is equal to the love you make.