Welcome to Limor Chen’s Tel Aviv, where Chen, the author of My Tel Aviv Table, brings us her unique Middle Eastern experience with this new cookbook.
Chen’s cooking style focuses on healthy and fresh cooking without sacrificing any flavor. Many of the recipes offered in the book will likely feel like warm, familiar favorites for those who are well acquainted with Israeli cuisine. Still, if you have minimal experience and want to dip your toe into Middle Eastern cooking, My Tel Aviv Table offers the perfect introduction.
Chen shares her upbringing in her book and weaves it into her recipes, a combination of her life growing up in Tel Aviv, visiting her grandmother’s kibbutz, and learning in the kitchen from her Iranian father. However, she also brings the readers to her London-based restaurant, and gives readers a little peek behind the curtain of some of her favorite dishes.
One of the things I really appreciated about this cookbook is that Chen tries to set us up for success when it comes to cooking like she does. Being a home cook who tries to learn from a professional can feel overwhelming and intimidating. Still, Chen offers the readers tips about which products she uses, oven settings she prefers, and other reassurances that are useful.
Throughout the book, we are taught about the Middle Eastern spices she uses in recipes, like za’atar and sumac. She also includes “cupboard essentials” sections, where she gives instructions on spreads, preserves, and pickled items that one can put together with ease and then keep in a jar to be used for weeks afterward and added to meals.
It was also nice to see a smoothie and drink section where she included her limonana recipe. This is a popular drink in Israel, especially during the summertime, that combines lemon and mint into a delicious and refreshing beverage. As soon as I saw it in the book, I was instantly dreaming of that wonderful refreshed feeling that comes with drinking a limonana, and look forward to trying Chen’s version of the drink.
Limonana RecipeWhile Chen had many familiar Israeli favorites, she also had many of her own unique recipes. It’s always fun to bring something new and exciting to the table, like her cheese and za’atar mini buns, which have all the comfort and fun of a light cheesy bread but with a bit of a Middle Eastern twist that makes them special and extra delicious.
Cheese and Za’atar Mini BunsAt times, you might be wondering if you’re sitting in Chen’s restaurant or sitting in her family kitchen, and there’s a fair bit of bouncing back and forth between the two parts of her culinary life. However, it’s the family-related recipes that always draw me in the most and feel the most authentic and from the heart, like her recipe for “Khoresh,” an Iranian beef stew with dried fruit and dried limes. Chen’s father was an Iranian immigrant to Israel who brought parts of his food culture with him, and it’s beautiful to see those foods passed down to Chen and treasured while sharing them with us, the readers.
Iranian Khoresh RecipeWhile some recipes might be more intimidating than others, this book offers something for everyone, even if you’re not the most experienced cook. But if you’ve been looking to start adding more Middle Eastern cooking to your repertoire, then you’ve found the right book.
Chen has a way of making us feel like we’re walking down the streets of Tel Aviv with her, exploring the markets and sitting down at the cafes. Or like we’re honored guests at her table, about to be treated to a gourmet meal. You can almost feel the scents and sights coming out of the pages and immerse yourself in them as you dive into all the recipes Chen has to offer.
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