Episode 46: Adeena Sussman
on Flavor as a Jewish Language
Adeena Sussman’s Five Books:
1. Short Friday and Other Stories by Isaac Bashevis Singer
2. Call It Sleep by Henry Roth
3. A 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
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 (Senior Rabbi at IKAR, and author of The Amen Effect), Yael Van Der Wouden (author of The Safekeep), and Dara Horn (author of People Love Dead Jews.)
For feedback or author recommendations please email us at team@fivebookspod.org
The Five Books is a partner organization of Jewish Book Council, a nonprofit dedicated to amplifying and celebrating Jewish literature and supporting authors and readers.
The Five Books is fiscally sponsored by FJC, a 501c3 public charity.
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.
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.
Other Media Mentioned:
- The New York Times Cook Book by Craig Claiborne
- Spice and Spirit: The Complete Kosher Jewish Cookbook by Tzuvia Emmer and Tzipora Reitman
Other Episodes Featuring Jewish Food:
- Bonny Reichert on Food, Fear, and Finding Beauty
- Jake Cohen on the Magic of Gathering Around the Table
- Samantha Ellis on Becoming a Keeper of Her Ancestral Language
