In this delicious episode of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt, Jonah sits down with New York Times bestselling cookbook author and Tel Aviv-based food writer Adeena Sussman for a conversation about food, culture, and the rituals of living in Israel today. Living steps from the Carmel Market, Adeena paints a vivid portrait of daily life in Tel Aviv, how Israelis continue daily routines amid rocket alarms, and what it means to compartmentalize in a country where normalcy and uncertainty coexist.
Adeena reflects on feeling like an insider-outsider as an “American Israeli,” and how the shuk itself mirrors Israel’s layered religious and cultural diversity. She shares how October 7 transformed her Shabbat cookbook tour into community-centered gatherings and fundraisers, and why she views cookbooks as narrative literature that provide cultural context. She also speaks candidly about her responsibility in culinary storytelling, documenting Yemenite, Iraqi, Moroccan, and broader Middle Eastern Jewish cuisines while crediting provenance and seeking permission for adaptations.
Jonah and Adeena also explore her path to co-authoring cookbooks with a number of chefs and celebrities including Chrissy Teigen, her Substack (including a viral post after attending Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s funeral), and the personal accountability she feels towards readers who bring her recipes into their homes. The episode covers her family history and Shabbat hospitality, including her mother Steffi’s influence, and what makes food suitable for Shabbat. Adeena introduces her upcoming cookbook “Zuriz” (“quick”), a collection of 100 one-page recipes designed for real life. This conversation doesn’t just talk about food as sustenance, but as a means of storytelling and connection.
Topics Include:
- Adeena Sussman’s move from New York City to Tel Aviv
- Becoming one of today’s most influential voices in Israeli cuisine
- Writing Sababa and Shabbat cookbooks
- Living with Chrissy Teigen and John Legend
- How Israeli Elections Really Work
- Writing Cookbooks That Tell a Story
- Adeena Sussman’s Recipe Development Process
- Learning the Roots: Respectful Research Across Middle Eastern Jewish Cuisines
- Israel and California’s Abundant Local Produce
- NYT Bestseller Pressure & What Stays Exclusive to the Books
- Culinary influences from Mizrahi, Sephardi, and Ashkenazi traditions
- Tel Aviv’s food scene and local markets like Carmel Market (Shuk HaCarmel)
Links to Things Mentioned in the Episode:
Trump moves closer to a major war with Iran
The Electoral System in Israel
Real-time red alerts in Israel
Shielded by Fire: Middle East Air Defense During the June 2025 Israel-Iran War
Food Network's New York City Wine & Food Festival
Adeena Sussman: Came to Israel for love, stayed for food
A Stain on Israel’s Soul: Remembering Hersh Goldberg-Polin and the Beautiful Six
First Tango with Mango: Iraqi Amba
Israeli produce is the best. Here’s why:
Sisters fight cancer, honor mother by rolling out the dough
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Written and Hosted by Jonah Platt, Executive Producers: Steve Hein, Jonah Platt, Chief Business Officer: Kenyon Laing, Chief Marketing Officer: Katya Chen, Production Manager/Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild, Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald, Production Associates: Rachel Stern, Charlie Zuker, Production Interns: Sasha Nelson, Emma Webb, YouTube Consultants: Jason Al-Samarrie & Zac Stein, Post Production by TIMEWEAVER, Creative Director: F. Brian Scofield, ACE, Lead Editor: Noam Klement, Editor: Gray Clevenger, Joe King. Graphic Designer: Noah Bell, Theme Music by Gabriel Mann, Performed by Jonah Platt
