Born in Tel Aviv to a Moroccan mother and Iraqi father, I grew up speaking the language of spice. My kitchen was always full of cumin, preserved lemons, and the sound of multiple conversations happening at once. I moved to London at 22, cooked my way through the city's best restaurants, and discovered that the whole Mediterranean was my playground. Now I create dishes that celebrate the entire region—from Marrakech to Athens, with plenty of stops in between.
Recipes
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High-Heat Charred Ras el Hanout Lamb Chops with Blistered Nectarine Salad over Pomegranate Tahini
This is what summer in Tel Aviv tastes like—smoke, fat, and unapologetic acid. We're getting the grill screaming hot to blister these ras el hanout-marinated lamb chops in minutes, leaving the insides perfectly rosy. Slicing through the richness is a vibrant, charred nectarine and shaved fennel salad, all cascading over a swoosh of velvet tahini swirled with tart pomegranate molasses. It's an entire dinner party on one platter.
High-Heat Za'atar Whole Cauliflower with Sizzling Almond Crunch & Cascading Herb Salad
If you want a vegetable to command the center of the table, you have to treat it with the same respect as a prime cut of meat. We par-boil the entire cauliflower in lemon-scented water so it's tender to its core, then subject it to screaming high heat until deeply bronzed. The final sizzle of hot olive oil, garlic, and za'atar poured over the warm florets is pure magic, all anchored by a velvet pool of ice-whipped lemon tahini.
Cast-Iron Blistered Urfa Cherries over Tahini-Swirled Labneh
Sweet summer fruit absolutely belongs in the savory mezze spread. By tossing fresh sweet cherries into a screaming hot cast-iron skillet, we collapse their skins and concentrate their juices, creating an aggressively charred, jammy bite. Hit with smoky Urfa biber and tart pomegranate molasses, they are spooned blistering hot over a cool, thick bed of tahini-whipped labneh. The temperature and texture contrasts here are everything.
Fire-Scorched Watermelon & Torn Halloumi with Lime-Sumac Tahini
Listen to me: I know scorching watermelon sounds like a crime against a hot summer day. But when you hit thick, juicy wedges with screaming high heat, the sugars caramelize, the texture turns surprisingly meaty, and a subtle smokiness develops that is absolutely intoxicating. Paired with the salty squeak of aggressively charred halloumi, a sharp lime-sumac tahini, and a mountain of fresh mint, this is a mezze snack that will completely change how you look at summer fruit.
Gentle-Simmered Golden Heirloom Shakshuka with Saffron & Velvet Tahini
Listen, I am usually the first person to tell you to crank your heat as high as it goes and let the fire do the work. But on a vibrant summer morning, when yellow heirloom tomatoes are practically bursting with sun-warmed juice on your counter, we must be gentle. We slowly simmer these golden beauties with saffron and mild chilies into a sweet, fragrant bath, perfectly poaching the eggs in the bubbling liquid before drowning the whole skillet in velvet tahini and a mountain of fresh herbs.
Fire-Collapsed Eggplant with Sizzling Pistachio-Lentil Crunch & Amba Tahini
Whenever someone asks me how to make eggplant taste good, I tell them to show it no mercy. We are going to literally burn these eggplants over an open flame until they collapse, leaving us with a smoky, buttery center. Layered over ice-whipped amba tahini and drowned in a sizzling pistachio and lentil crunch, this is the ultimate Tel Aviv mezze snack. The contrast of the cold, creamy tahini, the warm, smoky eggplant, and the aggressive crunch of the fried lentils is exactly why I cook.
Stories
View allHigh-Heat Charred Ras el Hanout Lamb Chops with Blistered Nectarine Salad over Pomegranate Tahini
Summer in Tel Aviv means smoke, fat, and unapologetic acid. These charred lamb chops over velvet tahini are an entire dinner party on one stunning platter.
July 12, 2026
Center Stage: High-Heat Za'atar Whole Cauliflower
Vegetables deserve to command the table. This deeply bronzed whole cauliflower, anchored in velvet tahini and crowned with sizzling almond crunch, is pure Tel Aviv magic.
July 10, 2026
Cast-Iron Blistered Urfa Cherries over Tahini-Swirled Labneh
Sweet summer fruit absolutely belongs in the savory mezze spread. These screaming hot, smoky cherries over cool tahini labneh offer the ultimate unapologetic contrast.
July 8, 2026
Fire-Scorched Watermelon & Torn Halloumi with Lime-Sumac Tahini
Searing watermelon might sound wild, but paired with salty halloumi and sharp lime-sumac tahini, it becomes a smoky, sweet, and savory masterpiece that will redefine your summer mezze.
July 6, 2026