James Beard Award winner of Outstanding Restaurant (2019)
James Beard Award winner of Outstanding Chef (2017)
James Beard Book of the Year and Best International Cookbook (2016)
The James Beard Award-winning chef and co-owner of Philadelphia's
Zahav restaurant reinterprets the glorious cuisine of Israel for
American home kitchens.
Ever since he opened Zahav in 2008, chef Michael Solomonov has been
turning heads with his original interpretations of modern Israeli
cuisine, attracting notice from the New York Times, Bon Appétit,
("an utter and total revelation"), and Eater ("Zahav defines Israeli
cooking in America").
Zahav showcases the melting-pot cooking of Israel, especially the
influences of the Middle East, North Africa, the Mediterranean, and
Eastern Europe. Solomonov's food includes little dishes called mezze,
such as the restaurant's insanely popular fried cauliflower; a hummus so
ethereal that it put Zahav on the culinary map; and a pink lentil soup
with lamb meatballs that one critic called "Jerusalem in a bowl." It
also includes a majestic dome of Persian wedding rice and a whole
roasted lamb shoulder with pomegranate and chickpeas that's a
celebration in itself. All Solomonov's dishes are brilliantly adapted to
local and seasonal ingredients.
Zahav tells an authoritative and personal story of how Solomonov
embraced the food of his birthplace. With its blend of technique and
passion, this book shows readers how to make his food their own.
