From vibrant vegetables to earthy spices, the modern approach to Israeli cooking is enjoying a moment in the sun. And if you're one of the many home cooks who fell in love with Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's recent cookbooks,JerusalemandPlenty, you already know why. So why not bring those fresh flavors to your New Year's feast? We asked six Israeli-inspired American chefs to update the traditional Rosh Hashanah menu with dishes that reflect Israel's culinary melting pot. Here's how they did it.
Spice wizard Lior Lev Sercarz approaches cooking with the same sense of curiosity that fills his eclectic spice emporium,La Boîte à Epices. There, he crafts bespoke spice blends that include everything from long pepper to white cardamom for chefs like Le Bernardin's Eric Ripert. Sercarz—who grew up on a kibbutz on Northern Israel before working in Michelin-starred French and American kitchens, takes traditional matzo ball soup in an exotic—but distinctly Sephardic—direction.
"In Israel it's only a Passover dish, but here in America, it's the Jewish soup for all occasions," he says. For a fresh take on the classic, Sercarz starts with the one non-negotiable tradition: a rich, satisfying chicken broth. But then, the chef goes off-script, merging the traditional Azkenazic matzo balls with their Sephardic equivalent, tender ground-chicken meatballs.
To create the Frankenstein-like hybrid, Sercarz stuffing the matzo balls with a savory ground-chicken stuffing and a dash of nigella—an inky-black seed with faint notes of caraway that is often found baked into Israeli breads and other savory dishes (you can swap in black sesame seeds or lightly toasted caraway in their stead). Apples—traditionally eaten with honey to symbolize the hope for a sweet New Year—become part of soup itself, simmered into the broth along with a splash of cidery Calvados. And though olive oil can be used throughout, rendered chicken schmaltz adds an extra note of homey richness.
Many a Jewish matriarch takes pride in her brisket, and Philly chef Michael Solomonov's mom is no different. The classic version, roasted with root vegetables until meltingly tender, is the Rosh Hashanah dish that's revered above all others. But for his updated version, Solomonov—owner of the James Beard Award-winning, Israel-inspired Zahav and author of the restaurant's eponymouscookbook—turned to a cup of Turkish coffee for inspiration. In Israel the coffee, affectionately referred to as botz, or mud, comes ground with cardamom, and the sweet, earthy combination makes an ideal spice rub for robust brisket. The smoked cinnamon—sourced from spice wizard Lior Lev Sercarz—as well as the slow-and-low oven roasting method—are both nods to Solomonov's barbecue joint, Percy Street. Though you can opt for either a leaner, or first-cut, brisket, Solomonov invariably goes for a gloriously fatty second-cut brisket, also called the "deckle". "Hey, it's Rosh Hashanah," said Solomonov. "Not a time to skimp."
Ori Menashe has become famous for the Italian fare he serves at his downtown Los Angeles restaurant,Bestia, but much of his culinary heart lies in Israel, where he spent most of his childhood. These stuffed onions, made stuffing the layers with a savory lamb and rice mixture, are an Iraqi specialty adapted as a Sabbath and holiday dish in Israel. The dish is flavored with the concentrated, mouth-puckering tartness of pomegranate syrup. "I love these kinds of stuffed foods," says Menashe, whose next project is an as-yet-unnamed Israeli restaurant set to open next year. "The longer they cook the better they taste."
A salad inspired by an Israeli falafel stand? But of course. Every year at his New Orleans restaurant,Domenica, Chef Alon Shaya serves a special Rosh Hashanah menu punctuated with dishes that celebrate his Israeli heritage (Shaya was born in Israel but grew up in Philadelphia). Invariably, the menu includes a salad, fitting for a country known for its bountiful produce. Here, he added pickled beets, which remind him of the briny, crisp vegetables ubiquitous at Israeli falafel joints. The salad dressing gets its tanginess from preserved lemons, which he fell in love with on more recent food-related visits to Israel. It's worth picking up a jar—a sliver or two is a welcome addition to any dish that begs for a hit of salt and citrus.
Einat Admony, who helms the Israeli-inspired restaurantsBalaboostaandBar Bolonatin New York, loves instant couscous for Rosh Hashanah—and not just for the way it nearly makes itself while other prep-heavy holiday dishes require more attention. Turns out, the tiny pasta grains are the perfect pedestal for sweet holiday additions like dried fruit and toasted nuts. Here, slivered almonds are toasted in a generous lashing of olive oil, then combined with tiny dried currants for a sweet and crunchy topping you'll want to keep in your repertoire well into the New Year.
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A veritable pastry god in Israel, Uri Scheft has conquered New York with the freshly baked chocolate babkas, breads, quiches, and marzipan-stuffed treats he makes every day at his Union Square bakery,Breads. In this dish created just for us, Scheft, who grew up in Israel and Denmark, starts with a multilayered phyllo stack that celebrates the Turkish baklava he loves back home, as well as the mille-feuilles he perfected while training under Parisian baking legend Eric Kayser. Next, he marries pure tahini paste (look for brands with Arab or Hebrew writing on the label, says Scheft) with non-dairy whipped topping for a sweet cloud that's both insanely rich and ethereally light. (Of course, you can use real cream if you don't keep kosher or are eating this with a dairy meal). Sugary, sesame-based halvah, often sold by the kilo at Israel's storied outdoor markets, shows up as a garnish, as does silan (date syrup), a sweetener that's captivated both sweet and savory cooks in Israel with its earthy, slightly smoky notes.
