In this conversation, Adeena Sussman discusses how reading an (age-inappropriate) short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer one Shabbat afternoon changed the way she thought about writing and storytelling. We’ll also hear about her deep attachment to Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market, and how discovering Claudia Roden’s writing about Middle Eastern food expanded her sense of Jewish food.

Adeena Sussman is the author of the New York Times best selling cookbook Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals From My Table To Yours, and Sababa, which was named a Best Fall 2019 cookbook by The New York Times, Bon Appetit, and Food & Wine. Her latest cookbook, Zariz, focuses on quick and easy Tel Aviv-inspired recipes. Adeena is also the co-author of 15 other cookbooks, including the Cravings series with Chrissy Teigen, which were New York Times Best-sellers. Adeena lives, cooks and writes in Tel Aviv, where she lives in the shadow of that city’s Carmel Market with her husband, Jay Shofet.

Adeena Sussman's Five Books:

1. Short Friday and Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer

2. Call It Sleep by Henry Roth

3. Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden

4. Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

5. Zariz: 100 Easy, Breezy, Tel Aviv-y Recipes by Adeena Sussman

Other Media Mentioned:

- The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne

- Spice and Spirit: The Complete Kosher Jewish Cookbook by Tzuvia Emmer and Tzipora Reitman

- “How To Live Life Like Erez Komarovsky: The Hell-Raising, Iconoclastic Israeli Bread Baker” by Taffy Brodesser Akner

Other Episodes Featuring Jewish Food:

The Five Books is a podcast that celebrates the role of books in Jewish culture. Through author interviews, we delve into Jewish identity and discover each author’s favorite novels. Join us every week for new Jewish book recommendations! Some of our episodes have included conversations with Rabbi Sharon Brous, Sam Sussman, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl and Allegra Goodman.

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Hosted by Tali Rosenblatt Cohen

Produced by Odelia Rubin

Editorial and website support by Amelia Merrill

Artwork by Elad Lifshitz of the Dov Abramson Studio

Music by Dov Rosenblatt and Blue Dot Sessions

A special thank you to Dr. Ruby Gelman