Adeena Sussman and Mike Solomonov | ZARIZ Book Launch

Adeena Sussman has been living, cooking, and writing in the shadow of Tel Aviv’s Shuk Hacarmel (Carmel Market) for nearly two decades, and has become one of the most trusted voices translating the rhythms of Israeli home cooking into kitchens around the world.  

As the days grow longer and dreams of summer vacations come into focus, Tel Aviv-based award-winning chef and writer Adeena Sussman comes to The Weitzman to celebrate the release of ZARIZ: 100 Easy, Breezy, Tel Aviv-Y Recipes, the highly anticipated follow-up to her New York Times bestselling cookbook Shabbat: Recipes and Rituals from My Table to Yours. Expect a lively evening exploring the flavors, influences, and creative energy of Tel Aviv’s food scene as Sussman shares stories behind the recipes and the spirit that animates them. She’ll be joined in conversation by Philadelphia favorite, award-winning Israeli American chef and restaurateur Michael Solomonov, making this post-Yom Ha’Atzmaut gathering a perfect moment to revel in the tastes and culture of Israel. 

Start with a signed copy of Zariz when you arrive, and stay to nosh on bites from the book prepared by CookNSolo on your way out.

About Adeena Sussman and Zariz
For Adeena Sussman, the kitchen is an island of calm: A place where she can center her mind, set the rules, and create a daily haven of deliciousness through her cooking. These days, she finds herself embracing the mantra “when the going gets tough, the cooking gets easy.” Pandemics, wars, and the busy pace of a very full life have led her toward a  smoother, more streamlined cooking approach embodied in the Hebrew word, zariz, or “quick.” This pared-down style doesn’t mean sacrificing the rhythms, sounds, and sensory pleasures we experience while preparing vibrant, exciting, yet simple recipes. Instead, it has led her to rely on fewer pots and pans, a more edited pantry of highly versatile ingredients to create maximum flavor, and simple, thoughtful techniques that bring meals together effortlessly–always with her signature, flavor-forward style.

Most of the recipes in this cookbook contain fewer than 12 ingredients—not including olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemons, which are staples of Adeena’s Middle Eastern & Mediterranean-inspired dishes. From comfort foods like Sunny Sheet Pan Shakshuka and Baharat-Spiced Mushroom Hummus to satisfying mains like Hachapuri Pizza and Spice-Drawer Schnitzel, Zariz will help you cook with ease, making your kitchen a place of calm, deliciousness, and joy.

About Mike Solomonov
Mike Solomonov is the co-owner of CookNSolo Restaurants with his twenty-year business partner Steve Cook; Chef of the seminal restaurant Zahav; and co-author of four cookbooks. One of the country’s foremost restaurant minds, Solomonov is known as a champion for Israel’s vibrant and extraordinarily diverse culinary landscape, and as a steward of Philadelphia’s burgeoning food scene. He has garnered five James Beard Foundation Awards, including the coveted 2019 “Outstanding Restaurant”, 2017 “Outstanding Chef”, and 2016 “Cookbook of the Year” honors for Zahav. His restaurant group operates eight distinct concepts in Philadelphia, with properties also in Brooklyn and Miami. Renowned for their innovative flavors and memorable hospitality, CookNSolo’s concepts include Federal Donuts & Chicken, Dizengoff, Goldie, K’Far (Philadelphia and Brooklyn), Laser Wolf (Philadelphia and Brooklyn), Lilah Events, Jaffa Bar, and AVIV at 1 Hotel South Beach. In 2024, Solomonov co-founded Zahav Foods, a CPG company that brought his iconic signature dish, Zahav Restaurant Recipe Hummus, to households across the United States through retail at Whole Foods Market. Solomonov has garnered great recognition, with Zahav named a “25 Best Restaurants in Philadelphia” 2025 by The New York Times, and to “The All-Time Eater 38 List” of best restaurants of the past 20 years by Eater National. He has appeared on Today, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Somebody Feed Phil, The Layover with Anthony Bourdain and more. Outside of the restaurants, you can often find Mike with Steve at Pho 75 in South Philly, working out the kinks in their Israeli village.

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