Culinary
My culinary career began with pickles. Sour pickles, to be precise. I began my work in food production as an organic farm fellow in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, where I discovered my love for fizzy lacto-fermented vegetables. I went on to apprentice as a pickler.
When I made my way back home to New York City over a decade ago, I sold apples and heirloom tomatoes from local farms at the Borough Hall farmers market.
I soon launched and ran Negev Nectars, an importer of the highest quality olive oil, olives, tahini dates, and more from sustainably-minded farmers in the Negev Desert. In addition to shipping products direct to consumers, Negev Nectars supplied restaurants such as the James Beard Award-winning Zahav in Philadelphia.
As newspaper reports on the death of the Jewish deli ramped up, I turned my attention to the cuisine of my own family's heritage. Two friends and I teamed up to take our love and appreciation of Eastern European Jewish food on the road. We launched The Gefilteria in 2012, and have been manufacturing, cooking, writing about, and innovating upon Jewish food ever since. A number of years back, I had the privilege of cooking for two consecutive Passover seders at the esteemed James Beard Foundation along with other chefs similarly pushing forward an Eastern European Jewish culinary revival.
As Chief Culinary Officer for Papaya, I am working on elevating the world of plant-forward dining. I've been witness to the rise of flexitarianism and the skyrocketing growth of interest in plant-based foods. I've been curating dining experiences for a growing customer base, collaborating with leading chefs, planning menus, and developing new recipes.
When I made my way back home to New York City over a decade ago, I sold apples and heirloom tomatoes from local farms at the Borough Hall farmers market.
I soon launched and ran Negev Nectars, an importer of the highest quality olive oil, olives, tahini dates, and more from sustainably-minded farmers in the Negev Desert. In addition to shipping products direct to consumers, Negev Nectars supplied restaurants such as the James Beard Award-winning Zahav in Philadelphia.
As newspaper reports on the death of the Jewish deli ramped up, I turned my attention to the cuisine of my own family's heritage. Two friends and I teamed up to take our love and appreciation of Eastern European Jewish food on the road. We launched The Gefilteria in 2012, and have been manufacturing, cooking, writing about, and innovating upon Jewish food ever since. A number of years back, I had the privilege of cooking for two consecutive Passover seders at the esteemed James Beard Foundation along with other chefs similarly pushing forward an Eastern European Jewish culinary revival.
As Chief Culinary Officer for Papaya, I am working on elevating the world of plant-forward dining. I've been witness to the rise of flexitarianism and the skyrocketing growth of interest in plant-based foods. I've been curating dining experiences for a growing customer base, collaborating with leading chefs, planning menus, and developing new recipes.
* Photo by Lauren Volo for The Gefilte Manifesto