For immediate release – January 5, 2021
WHERE TO WATCH: www.vimeo.com/showcase/bringingisraelhome
WHAT: “Bringing Israel Home” — a new digital series with a live-at-home cooking and Q&A component featuring 5-time James Beard award-winning chef/co-owner of Zahav, Michael Solomonov — premieres Wednesday, January 13th at 8:00 pm EST and airs weekly on Wednesday nights at 8:00 p.m. through April 28th (free to watch).
DETAILS: Chef Michael Solomonov typically visits Israel twice a year, but with travel to Israel curtailed in 2020 and into 2021, Solomonov is bridging the gap with the new 16-episode digital series, “Bringing Israel Home”. At the start of each episode, Solomonov visits with his friends and prominent Israelis, who share their awe-inspiring take on Israeli food culture. Then, live in his home kitchen, Solomonov cooks a mix of new and signature dishes that are centered on the gastronomic subject of the episode. Subjects include “Israel’s Diversity”; “The Port City of Akko”; “Yemenite Soup for the Soul”; “The Israeli Bakery”; and “The Shuk”. The cooking component in each episode includes a live Q&A with viewers.
“We’re all searching for different ways to visit with the people and places we miss the most,” says Solomonov. “On Bringing Israel Home, I wanted to try and recapture what I feel when I walk off the airplane and first put my feet on the ground in Israel. We’re so fortunate on this show to visit with an incredible line-up of people, who will bring that sense of place and culinary discovery to us at home.”
GUESTS & DISHES: Solomonov talks with a variety of prominent Israelis in the first part of each episode – including food journalist Ronit Vered; chef Osama Dalal; actor Sasson Gabay; cookbook author Adeena Sussman; co-founder and lead singer of Yemen Blues – Ravid Kahalani; chef and food writer Ruthie Russo; and baker Uri Scheft of Lehamim. In Solomonov’s home kitchen, he prepares dishes based on the theme of the episode while taking live questions from viewers. Dishes include Chicken Thighs with Kumquats and Green Olives; Fish Schnitzel with Kataifi, Preserved Lemon, & Capers; Sabich; Hand-Stretched Phyllo Borekas with Spinach and Kashkaval; and Konafi with Saffron Syrup.
Recipes will be available to viewers in advance in collaboration with Jewish Food Society, here.
Support for the show is provided by The Jewish Community Response and Impact Fund, Jim Joseph Foundation, Maimonides Fund, The Paul E. Singer Foundation and Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation. The Hub on My Jewish Learning and The Nosher are promotional partners.
ENTER TO WIN: Now through Sunday, January 31st, enter to win a private Zoom cooking class with Michael Solomonov by filling out the form, here. The winner will be notified on February 1st.
MICHAEL SOLOMONOV: Michael Solomonov is a beloved champion of Israel’s extraordinarily diverse and vibrant culinary landscape. He is co-owner of Philadelphia’s CookNSolo Restaurants which include Zahav, the trailblazing Israeli restaurant where Solomonov is Chef, and he is the co-author of three cookbooks. Solomonov is the recipient of five James Beard Foundation awards, including 2016 “Book of the Year” for his and CookNSolo partner Steven Cook’s bestseller Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking, as well as 2017 “Outstanding Chef” and 2019 “Outstanding Restaurant” for Zahav. Food & Wine Magazine recognized Zahav as one of the 2018 “40 Most Important Restaurants of the Past 40 Years”. The other distinguished restaurants in Solomonov’s Israeli village are Federal Donuts, Dizengoff, Abe Fisher, Goldie, K’Far, Merkaz, and Laser Wolf – all in Philadelphia.
Keep-up with Bringing Israel Home online at @bringingisraelhome on Instagram.
