Review by Booklist Review
It doesn't get much better. Authors and Philadelphia-based restaurant partners Solomonov and Cook (Zahav, 2015; Israeli Soul, 2018) lay out a plan for mastering the art of Mediterranean cooking at home that outranks most others. Their guidance includes step-by-step color photographs for making almost all 100 dishes, along with 22 "Method" callouts that drill down into both the details of ingredients like crispy garlic and labneh and skills like spatchcocking chicken for ease of baking/broiling/grilling. Added to their sturdy and simple guidance is their down-home narrative and the obviously familiar relationship between the authors, often highlighted in a quote or a photograph. Vegetables are well represented (Tunisian dressing salad), with chicken a close second (three ways with wings). Finally, Solomonov and Cook unveil the mystery of spicing, with both online resources and a clear description of how to best use ingredients. Readers will refer again and again to the pair's wisdom on topics like perfect hard-cooked eggs and to many of their quotes: "Sesame seeds are the Israeli shake and bake." Includes pantry guide and index.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Spending so much time during the height of the pandemic at home and cooking for just their families convinced Solomonov and Cook, James Beard award-winning restaurant owners and authors of Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking, that they needed to write something that would help home cooks successfully create the dishes they made in their restaurants. The result is this wonderful collection of 125 recipes inspired by modern Israeli cuisine. The book opens with a pantry overview that illustrates some of the flavor-bomb items, such as shipka peppers and black limes, that home cooks will need to buy. Next come the recipes, which range from the traditional--matzo ball soup and challah--to new favorites such as green shakshuka and phyllo quiche with summer squash. Culinary novices will especially appreciate the vivid photographs included with many of the recipes, the encouraging and friendly tone the authors employ, and recipes that repurpose leftover bits and pieces from fridge and pantry that often end up in the trash can (see, for instance, the watermelon-rind pickles). VERDICT Home cooks will think they have struck culinary gold with this passionate guide to the bright, bold flavors of Israel.--John Charles
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