Chef and author Adeena Sussman brings her flavor and flair to St. Louis for this year’s L’Chaim!

By Margi Lenga Kahn, Special to the Jewish Light

Published October 13, 2025

L’Chaim! Adeena Sussman St. Louis — At left, chef and author Adeena Sussman. Photo: Dan Perez. At right, the cover of her cookbook, ‘Shabbat.’

I would imagine that getting to know Adeena Sussman is the equivalent of peeking into a culinary version of Alice’s magical wonderland. Creative, enthusiastic and oh so talented, Sussman invites you into a world where she creates a cornucopia of dishes that reflect her own upbringing, those of the wide-ranging cultures that make up Israel, and her access to an abundance of local farm-fresh ingredients. From Yemenite, to Ethiopian, to Iraqi, to Moroccan, to Lebanese cuisine, her most recent cookbooks and her Instagram blog make these, and other Jewish cuisines, come to life through her research, passion and, ultimately, her easy-to-follow recipes.

As she recently explained, “Food is a portal to memories, it’s a portal to emotion and feeling, it’s a connection to our Jewish lifecycle and everything is interlinked.”

Her best-selling cookbooks, “Sababa” (released in 2019) and “Shabbat” (released in 2023), deliciously reflect that philosophy. In both books, Sussman explores the plethora of culinary traditions in Israel, often cooking alongside, and being inspired by, family members who have preserved the traditions that were handed down to them from past generations. While many of Sussman’s recipes pay homage to those traditions, she sometimes tweaks a recipe by substituting other ingredients and creating modified methods of preparation.

Sussman will be the guest speaker at the annual L’Chaim event on Oct. 30, held by Jewish Federation of St. Louis’ Women’s Philanthropy at the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis in Clayton.

Sussman, who was raised in Palo Alto, Calif. by what she describes as a warm and supportive family, now lives in Tel Aviv, just steps from Shuk Ha’Carmel, the city’s largest market.

In a brief exchange, I asked how her Shabbat meals have changed since moving to Israel.

“Growing up, Shabbat was all about gathering — it wasn’t always elaborate, but it was sacred. My mom would make roast chicken, kugel and a big salad, and we’d sit around the table for hours,” she said. “In Tel Aviv, my Shabbat table is a blend of those roots and the world I live in now. I’ll make a bright cocktail, challah, a fresh salad, slow-cooked meat or fish, a side of roasted veggies or rice and always a dessert. I love ending with something slightly unexpected, like malabi or tahini blondies.”

I asked Sussman how Israel’s multicultural cuisine has informed and influenced her cooking and which of these traditions she adapted into her weekly meals.

“Living in Israel has completely transformed the way I think about flavor and ingredients. Every trip to the market feels like a cultural experience. Yemenite soups simmer next to Moroccan salads, Persian herbs next to Iraqi pickles,” Sussman said. “I’ve learned to embrace the layering of flavors: the balance of acid, heat and freshness that defines so much of Israeli cooking.

“In my kitchen, a Friday-night dinner may start with a Persian Gondhi soup, followed by a Moroccan spiced roast chicken served alongside a Bukharian rice dish, and ends with a tahini chocolate dessert. Those fusions happen naturally here — they reflect the country’s diversity and the rhythm of daily life.”

Since Sussman has had the opportunity to meet and cook with other chefs, I asked her which ones she might invite to a pot-luck dinner.

“I’d invite Michael Solomonov, my longtime friend and co-owner of Zahav in Philly along with many other restaurants in New York and Miami. I love his food and we are constantly chatting about flavor. Ina Garten, because I admire her work and am a longtime fan. Erez Komarovsky for his intuitive bread and herbs. Maybe someone to bring dessert — I’d happily hand that over to Uri Scheft from Lehamim Bakery. We’d probably all end up cooking together anyway, laughing, tasting, and adding a little more lemon juice than necessary.”

And since we all might be wondering if there’s another gem of a cookbook on its way…

“I am! I can’t say too much yet, but it builds on ‘Sababa’ and ‘Shabbat’ — exploring how we cook for the people we love, every day and for every mood. It’s about the beauty of everyday Israeli home cooking — a little looser, more spontaneous and still rooted in those bold, sun-drenched flavors that make this place so special.”

L’Chaim! with Adeena Sussman

WHAT: The annual Women’s Philanthropy event will feature chef and cookbook author Adeena Sussman
WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 30, starting with cocktails at 6:15 p.m. and dinner and program at 7 p.m. (there is also a pre-event VIP Party).
WHERE: Ritz-Carlton St. Louis, 100 Carondelet Plaza, Clayton
HOW MUCH: $118 for L’Chaim tickets; $218– VIP Pre-Event (includes a ticket to the main event); sponsorships available
MORE INFO: Visit www.jfedstl.org/lchaim-2025. For more information about registration, contact Sandra Tempelhoff at [email protected] or 314-442-3812.

Margi Lenga Kahn is the mother of five and grandmother of eleven. While teaching virtual cooking classes and preparing meals for the local “Meals on Wheels” program, she continues to work on a project to preserve the stories and recipes of heritage cooks. She welcomes your comments and suggestions at [email protected].