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Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking Hardcover – Illustrated, October 6, 2015
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James Beard Award winner of Outstanding Restaurant (2019)
James Beard Award winner of Outstanding Chef (2017)
James Beard Book of the Year and Best International Cookbook (2016)
The James Beard Award–winning chef and co-owner of Philadelphia's Zahav restaurant reinterprets the glorious cuisine of Israel for American home kitchens.
Ever since he opened Zahav in 2008, chef Michael Solomonov has been turning heads with his original interpretations of modern Israeli cuisine, attracting notice from the New York Times, Bon Appétit, ("an utter and total revelation"), and Eater ("Zahav defines Israeli cooking in America").
Zahav showcases the melting-pot cooking of Israel, especially the influences of the Middle East, North Africa, the Mediterranean, and Eastern Europe. Solomonov's food includes little dishes called mezze, such as the restaurant's insanely popular fried cauliflower; a hummus so ethereal that it put Zahav on the culinary map; and a pink lentil soup with lamb meatballs that one critic called "Jerusalem in a bowl." It also includes a majestic dome of Persian wedding rice and a whole roasted lamb shoulder with pomegranate and chickpeas that's a celebration in itself. All Solomonov's dishes are brilliantly adapted to local and seasonal ingredients.
Zahav tells an authoritative and personal story of how Solomonov embraced the food of his birthplace. With its blend of technique and passion, this book shows readers how to make his food their own.
- Print length368 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarvest
- Publication dateOctober 6, 2015
- Dimensions9 x 1.24 x 11 inches
- ISBN-100544373286
- ISBN-13978-0544373280
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From the Publisher
Twice-Cooked Eggplant from Zahav
Makes 5 cups
This is probably my favorite eggplant preparation of all time. It first uses pan-frying to char and sweeten the flesh, followed by a second cooking with tons of vinegar. The result is a sweet, sour, and smoky salad that converts unsuspecting eggplant haters into passionate fan boys in a single bite. As a bonus, this recipe flouts all conventions of French technique by charring the eggplant until just before it’s burnt. Most of the chefs I’ve worked for would have made me throw it out if they saw it on my station. But by taking the eggplant to the edge, you can develop rich, deep, and almost chocolaty flavors that make this one of the punchiest bites there is. The flavor intensity of this salad makes it a great complement to roasted lamb, and it’s out of control as a sandwich addition.
Directions
Sprinkle the eggplant slices with the salt and let stand for 30 minutes on a paper towel or a rack.
Film the bottom of a large nonstick skillet with olive oil and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering but not smoking and working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding, remove the cooked eggplant to a plate. Add the eggplant slices in a single layer and cook until almost black on the first side, about 10 minutes. Turn and repeat on the other side, adding more oil as needed.
Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the red pepper, onion, coriander, and paprika to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft but not brown, about 12 minutes. Add the eggplant and sherry vinegar to the pan, breaking it up and mashing it coarsely with a wooden spoon until well combined. Cook until the vinegar has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Off the heat, add the parsley and lemon juice. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 medium eggplants, cut into rounds
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Editorial Reviews
Review
". . .Solomonov shares his story as well as his wide-ranging approach to Israeli cuisine in this impressive collection of recipes that are sure to challenge readers’ preconceptions. . .Readers with an adventurous palate and an open mind will be richly rewarded by this terrific debut." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Zahav’s modern approach to Israeli cooking makes for the kind of book that will redefine the conversation around Middle Eastern cuisine in America.” — Eater
“Each of Michael Solomonov’s soulful recipes feels created by someone impassioned by one of the world's most exciting cuisines—a master of his craft. I’m smitten!” — Gail Simmons, TV Host, author, Talking With My Mouth Full
“Cooking is how Michael found himself, changed his life, and then the world around him. Michael writes that ‘nothing in my life happened the way it was supposed to.’ He means life in its beauty and its awful brutality. I think that his life and most importantly this book, is beshert, ‘meant to be.’ I believe his Zahav will be one of the most cherished books in years, with staggeringly delicious recipes from one of the brightest lights in our culinary world. I believe this book will be beshert for you too.” — Andrew Zimmern, chef, anthropologist, global thought leader
“Zahav is the most honest chef’s cookbook I have read in a long time. Mike’s soulful depiction of his life delivers the same heart and intelligence that emanates from his restaurant. Zahav is essential reading for anyone who wants to make the food of Israel —or Philadelphia— today.” — Joan Nathan, author, The Foods of Israeli Today
“Zahav has become a staple of my Philly restaurant experience, but staples only hold pages down. Here at last are pages—and pages—of Michael Solomonov’s thinking on food, community, and the recipes that get me back to Zahav every time.” — Questlove
“I’m excited to have Zahav, a compendium of Chef Solomonov’s recipes, so I can recreate them.” — David Lebovitz, author, My Paris Kitchen
“The great thing about Michael Solomonov is that he simply cooks from his heart. With Zahav, he has developed perhaps one of the most innovative and thoughtful restaurants in America. After years of asking him for recipes, I'm relieved to finally have his book to answer all of my questions!” — Chef Marc Vetri
"The humanity of it, that's the thing. The presence. The joy. The actual connection that's forged between the person cooking and the person eating. In Zahav, the recipes don't end when the food is done cooking—there are instructions for bringing things to the table, for how to serve, for how to eat, for how to share, for how to finish...The result is cooking that feels right for both a world-class restaurant and a home kitchen, food that's both an education and a pleasure." — Eater
About the Author
Michael Solomonov is the multiple James Beard Foundation Award–winning chef behind Zahav, which won the 2019 James Beard Outstanding Restaurant award and was named an “essential” restaurant by Eater. He is the coauthor of four cookbooks: the James Beard Award–winning Zahav, Federal Donuts, Israeli Soul, and the forthcoming Zahav Home. He and business partner Steven Cook are the co-owners of the nationally beloved, trailblazing Philadelphia hospitality group, CookNSolo, responsible for hit restaurants celebrating the vibrant cuisine of Israeli: Dizengoff, Federal Donuts, Goldie, K’Far Café, Laser Wolf, Lilah, and Zahav.
Steven Cook is the coauthor of four cookbooks: the James Beard Award–winning Zahav, Federal Donuts, Israeli Soul, and the forthcoming Zahav Home. He and chef Michael Solomonov are the co-owners of the nationally beloved trailblazing Philadelphia hospitality group, CookNSolo, responsible for hit restaurants celebrating Israeli cuisine: Dizengoff, Federal Donuts, Goldie, K’Far Café, Laser Wolf, Lilah, and Zahav.
Product details
- Publisher : Harvest; Illustrated edition (October 6, 2015)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 368 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0544373286
- ISBN-13 : 978-0544373280
- Item Weight : 3.56 pounds
- Dimensions : 9 x 1.24 x 11 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #17,731 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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For starters, it's probably the most beautiful book I have in my house. The full-spread pictures of the food throughout are just the most incredible colors. Even if you don't want to cook from it, it's a great coffee-table piece. Seriously, it's beautiful.
I've had this book for a couple of weeks now, and have cooked from it three times. Among the things I've made are: LOTS and LOTS of tehina sauce, charred eggplant (which was unbelievable), mushroom borekas (aka Israeli empenadas), and more rugelah than I'd like to admit. One thing I like about all of this food is that it reminds you how good savory dishes can be.
One word of caution, read through the ENTIRE recipes before beginning. A lot of these recipes require letting things set for a few hours, which is easy but can catch you off guard if you're trying to cook for dinner.
Another thing I liked about this cookbook is that it's both instructional and tells a story. Every recipe includes a brief explanation of how he learned about it, and how he learned to cook it.
This book is a great introduction to Israeli food, a delicious but unrepresented cuisine as far as I've seen.
I love middle eastern cuisine. My brother's in-laws are Lebanese, and I fell in love with the food after having dinner at their house. I had made a few attempts at making hummus, pita, and other staple food items with poor results following online recipes. I read great reviews about this book, so I figured why not.
I dove right in and went big early: Zahav Lamb Shoulder (a signature item at Solomonov's restaurant), rice pilaf, tehini hummus, and laffa bread. Was quite an undertaking for my first time, but everything was pretty straight forward. The end result was nothing short of...amazing.
Lamb so tender you can pull it apart with a spoon. Smooth and creamy hummus. Puffy laffa with a bit of a crisp on the charred parts, and rice to soak up all of the delicious pomegranate au jus from the lamb. Every recipe was right on the money, no mistakes or ambiguous directions. I foresee myself cooking Israeli for the next few months to master all of the wonderful food described by this book, lol.
Thank you Michael for making this fun, easy, and most importantly, delicious!
As a rather experienced home cook, I'm able to make the adjustments. However, a novice may find times when things seem off. Pesist and adjust and the results will be well worth the time.
Favorite recipes so far are the hummus, twice cooked eggplant and the feta borekas
Top reviews from other countries
I am a professional cook and cannot wait to try these gorgeous, creative recipes that aren't too complicated.
Easy for a home cook, exciting for those of us who need something different in our repertoire.




















