Recipes Whipped Up, Chef Adeena Sussman
What were the early inspirations that set you off on your particular journey?
I have been an enthusiastic eater since day one thanks to my mother who was a wonderful homestyle cook. She worked full time and was always recruiting me and my sister to help her with kitchen tasks. She would call just before she left work and ask us to defrost chicken, separate eggs, preheat the oven or prep vegetables so that her cooking could move a little faster when she got home. Because of this, we both felt comfortable in the kitchen at an early age. I remember the first time I made something for a group, I took my mother's trusty New York Times cookbook and baked a triple layer chocolate cake, of course replacing the butter with margarine and the milk with non-dairy creamer because we were kosher and the cake would be following a non-dairy meal.
Tell us about Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors From My Israeli Kitchen, which was named a Best Fall 2019 cookbook by The New York Times, Bon Appetit, and Food & Wine.
Sababa was my very personal exploration of Israeli cuisine, filtered through the lens of my decision to move to Israel full-time. Although I had spent a great deal of time in Israel in the past, I had never lived in Tel Aviv nor near the vibrant, bustling Carmel market. I knew the story of my integration into Israeli food culture through my exploration of the market was the story that I wanted to tell. I feel so lucky that I was able to convey this journey throughout the pages of Sababa.
How do you create/come up with your recipes?
My recipes are inspired by the Carmel market's staggering variety of seasonal produce as well as the many people in the market who come from very diverse ethnic, religious, and geographical backgrounds. My recipes stem from my curiosity and desire to help clarify Israeli cuisine and the ingredients that form its foundation, most of which come from a variety of cultures. I like to put my twist on recipes that are local such as my tahini blondies, which appear like your average blondie but contain tahini, cardamom and black pepper.
What is your favorite dish to create right now? Can you share the recipe with us?
I have been making my Melted Cabbage recipe from Sababa! It is perfect for winter and coincidentally healthy and low-carb, yet feels completely indulgent. I recommend serving it as a side dish or even as a vegetarian main. It has been so gratifying to see my recipe posted tens of thousands of times across social media since Sabada was first published. It is a constant reminder that you you never know which recipes will take hold of people and capture their imagination!
If you could master any skill that isn't related to your current job, what would it be?
Spreadsheets. I am a creative, rather than a linear thinker and I would love to have both sides of my brain operating at full tilt!
Melted Green Cabbage
This dish is my interpretation of the braised green cabbage you’ll see on menus all over Tel Aviv. In my version, I sear the wedges of cabbage like vegetable steaks, splash them with wine and stock, cover them, and cook them slow and low until the vegetables soften and deepen in color. If you want the wedges to hold their shape, stop at about 2 hours. But if you’re OK with a messier, slightly mushier finished product that takes on more delicious flavor the longer you leave it in the oven, by all means cook it for an extra hour; just make sure the bottom of your pot doesn’t begin to burn. Once the cabbage is done to your liking, finishing with butter and crème fraîche is highly recommended, but a glug of good olive oil adds its own kind of wonderful. Either way, this is a dish you could make a meal out of, paired with a glass of crisp, dry white wine and a piece of crusty bread, at least once a week.
Serves 4
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2½ to 3 hours
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper, plus more to taste
2 small heads of green cabbage (2 pounds), quartered (but not cored)
10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
4 shallots, peeled and halved
½ cup dry, acidic white wine, such as Albariño or Grüner Veltliner
½ cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if necessary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¼ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
In a heavy, large, high-sided skillet or shallow Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper directly onto the oil, then arrange the cabbage wedges in the pot, making sure that each is lying on a flat side (you can cram them in; they’ll relax into one another as they release liquid). Let the undersides get nice and brown, resisting the urge to move them too much but checking once to make sure they’re not burning (reduce the heat slightly if they are), 6 to 7 minutes. Using tongs, flip the cabbage wedges, then tuck the garlic cloves and shallots into the pot, and brown the undersides of the cabbage, another 6 to 7 minutes. Add the wine and broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and add the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper along with the thyme. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, transfer to the oven, and cook until soft, slumped, and mahogany brown, 2 hours, or 2½ hours for even softer cabbage. Uncover, cool slightly, and serve the cabbage with the liquid accumulated in the pot. Season with salt and pepper and top with butter and crème fraîche. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired. □
