Fleishings Hosts Public Fair With Sababa Cookbook Author

By COLlive reporter

Fleishigs Magazine hosted its first-ever event open to the public to celebrate Sababa, the newest cookbook by acclaimed food writer and author Adeena Sussman.

As they enter their second year of publishing the hit food and lifestyle magazine, and with Adeena on tour, it was an opportune time for such an event.

It was held at the new Sage Kitchen in the Bowery section of Lower Manhattan, where Chef Jasmine Einalhori, aka Jazzie, serves up a market-fresh, seasonal menu that appeals to all palates.

With a solid catering background, Sage Kitchen opened only 6 short months ago by some friends looking to fill a void in the fast-casual lunch and dinner scene.

With the mantra that kosher can be cool and all-encompassing, something Sussman and Fleishigs have in common, Sage Kitchen was the perfect location for this event, and Jazzie and the staff at Sage Kitchen was fully on board with the vision of the night.

Sussman, a California native who co-authored three hit cookbooks, moved to Tel Aviv a few years ago and now lives steps away from the Carmel Market. It is this experience, combined with her deep love of food and writing, as well as her California roots and Israeli home that inspired her beautiful — and fully kosher — bestseller, Sababa.

Chef Jazzie and the staff at Sage Kitchen showcased some of Sussman’s hit recipes, like Lachmajun Spiced Meat Hummus; Herb and Garlic Kebaburgers; Cabbage, Apple and Pomegranate Slaw; and Chewy Tahini Blondies, along with some Sage favorites like Freekeh Salad; their popular chicken sandwiches with delicious homemade fig jam; and a lavender sage iced tea to wash it all down.

The event, which sold out within 48 hours, was filled with 70 Fleishigs readers; against Sage Kitchen’s rustic and casual backdrop, it was intimate and guests were able to truly enjoy and mingle.

Adeena divulged her tips and tricks on making the perfect tahini in a live demonstration and shared some of the inspiration for the stunning multi-colored tahini options in her book: pink from beets, green from fresh herbs, charcoal from charred eggplant, and yellow from turmeric.

As Sussman eloquently spoke about her love affair with tahini to a rapt audience, Chef Jazzie started using the tahini to create edible art directly on the baker’s paper-lined table. She swiped hummus and harissa and scattered fresh accoutrements like chopped herbs, fresh crudités and roasted tomatoes; the pair truly brought the pages of Sababa to life in this unique and interactive demonstration.

Shlomo Klein, publisher of Fleishigs Magazine, shared how this event will be the first of many that will allow readers to experience the food and stories of the magazine in real life and real time. These events are part of a continued effort to provide what Shifra Klein, editor-in-chief of the magazine, terms “ungoogleable” content, which is what sets them apart and contributes to the positive feedback they have received from Fleishigs’ growing audience.

After feasting on the delicious food and watching Adeena’s demonstrations, guests lined up to have their cookbooks signed by Adeena herself. The night ended on a high note, with guests reveling in the epic swag bags, which included Soom Foods tahini, Meal Mart pastrami kishka, The Rebbe’s Choice flatbread kichel, and of course — a copy of Sababa. All of that and more was stuffed into a canvas bag produced by Between Carpools that stated, “All I do is eat, sleep, and dream Fleishigs.”