Zariz: 100 Easy, Breezy, Tel Aviv-y Recipes
It will come as no surprise to you that I have read dozens of cookbooks over the years. Many only contained one or two recipes that sparked my interest. A select few remain on my bookshelves and are used repeatedly. This is the first time in a long time I have been so excited about a new cookbook, that after looking it through – before I had cooked one single recipe from it – I immediately shared its name of it with friends and relatives whom I knew would appreciate it too.
Adeena Sussman is the author of the New York Times best-selling cookbook Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals From My Table to Yours, released in 2023. It is the follow-up to Sababa, which was named a best fall 2019 cookbook by The New York Times, Bon Appétit and Food & Wine. A co-author of 15 cookbooks, Sussman’s recent collaborations with Chrissy Teigen, Cravings and Cravings: Hungry for More, were also New York Times best-sellers. Zariz is her third solo cookbook.
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Sussman moved to Israel after college, then returned to New York City at age 25. She began writing restaurant reviews and working in media research, which eventually led to a copywriting position in the marketing department of Gourmet magazine, where she learned the ins and outs of food publishing.
The inside front cover of Zariz describes it as “a simpler approach to Israeli-inspired home cooking with thoughtful, satisfying recipes, ideal for every day.” That is a perfect description of what Sussman set out to accomplish with this book. Her introduction begins with the phrase, “When the going gets tough, the cooking gets easy.” Sussman views the kitchen as a refuge during difficult or stressful times. “Your home and your kitchen should be an island of calm,” she writes.
Sussman moved back to Israel in 2016, and since then, both her personal and professional lives have been busy and, at times, complicated. She says those experiences have gradually nudged her toward a simpler, smoother approach to cooking — one that is “more relaxing rather than taxing.” She has pared down the staple ingredients she keeps on hand and tries to cook in a more streamlined way than she has in the past.
Zariz is a Hebrew word meaning “quick” or “speedy.” For Sussman, Zariz can mean using fewer pots and pans, fewer ingredients or fewer cooking methods. Some recipes may require a bit more preparation on the front end, but then everything gets thrown into a pot and cooks unattended for a few hours. Several recipes contain 10 ingredients or fewer, and almost all fit on a single page. Sussman challenged herself to deliver maximum flavor and creativity with minimal ingredients. There are also several recipes that make a complete meal in one dish. That doesn’t mean they aren’t worthy of company, however. Sussman says she “road tested” these recipes on guests at dinner parties, Shabbat meals and other gatherings. Once people asked her for the recipes, they were usually surprised by how short and simple they were.
Sussman begins the book with a list of 12 must-have staples that are used repeatedly throughout the book, including spice blends and condiments. She provides recipes for making many of them yourself, which will come in handy if you discover several of these items are not things you routinely keep in your pantry. If you don’t feel like making your own labaneh or za’atar spice blend (remember, the dishes and flavor profiles are distinctly Israeli-inspired), you should be able to easily find them at a local specialty market. Here in Cincinnati, I would head to Dean’s Mediterranean at Findlay Market. Sussman also provides shopping advice and several tips for precise measuring that you may find helpful as you work your way through the recipes.
I admire Sussman’s philosophy that good food does not have to be complicated, nor does it have to take a long time to prepare. Couple her philosophy with the wide variety of easy recipes featuring Mediterranean flavors, and you’ll see why I love this book so much. I’m enthusiastic about the idea of trying something new and delicious — especially when it doesn’t take all day to make. The book covers everything from breakfast to an assortment of main-dish proteins to cocktails and desserts. Every recipe has a beautiful accompanying photograph, along with serving suggestions.
If you love to cook, you should get this cookbook. If you don’t like to cook, you should definitely get this cookbook! It just might make you enjoy being in the kitchen. For anyone on the fence about making the purchase, see if your local library has a copy. I was fortunate enough to borrow Zariz and give it a thorough look before deciding that it is worth the price — and that I wanted to share it with all of you.
I’ve even been chatting with my daughter about Zariz, and we’ve swapped recommendations about dishes we’ve made and which we want to try next. Below are a few recipes we have made and really enjoyed. I hope you enjoy them as well.
Good eating — from my kitchen to yours!
Please send feedback or suggestions to recipes@americanisraelite.com
