Head to Brookline, not Foxboro, on Sunday, Nov. 4, for the JArts/Mishkan Tefillah Chicken Souper Bowl, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at 384 Harvard St.
You’ll sample some of Boston’s best chefs doing their own special takes on that Jewish standard, chicken soup! Fill your keepsake soup mug with taste after taste, enjoy some fresh challah from Blacker’s Bakeshop, all with a sweet bite to end the evening…and be home in time to watch the game.
Jim Solomon, formerly of The Fireplace: Mexican Pozole Hominy Chicken Soup
Jim Solomon’s culinary career began at 12 when he pleaded for a job at Paco’s Tacos in Harvard Square. He’s worked with some of the country’s most celebrated chefs, including Paul Prudhomme, Thomas Keller and Todd English, and opened The Fireplace in 2001 until his recent retirement as a restaurant owner—but he’s still a mentor to many. Jim has been a staunch supporter of Beyond Bubbie’s Kitchen since its inception, and is the brains behind the new Chicken Souper Bowl. “’Aarooq’ literally translates to ‘veins’ in Arabic. This is the ultimate comfort food waiting in an Iraqi-Jewish freezer. Traditionally made with the leftover rice from yesterday’s meal, it is either pan fried, or in this case, served in a simple chicken soup.” Annabel Raby and Erica Rotman are cousins whose families left Iraq decades ago. They worked in the Boston food scene until starting their pop-up, Awafi Boston, preserving their heritage by recreating the meals they grew up on. “This dish is a hearty, comforting chicken stew that mirrors the flavors of a relatively traditional chicken cacciatore.” Dave Becker, chef-owner of the popular Juniper in Wellesley, opened the restaurant in 2014, inspired to explore the “feel-good flavors of the eastern Mediterranean.” Before opening Juniper, he created the beloved Sweet Basil (and if you haven’t tried their pesto, you must!). He got his first job as a dishwasher at Joseph’s in his hometown of Newburyport, and opened his first restaurant at 24. Dave is also a potter who has made much of the dish ware for his restaurants. “This is my mother-in-law’s recipe, and while it’s not a traditional chicken soup, I’m proud to share something so meaningful to my wife’s heritage.” Jordan Bailey began his career at 17 at a dish station in his native Charleston, South Carolina. He worked his way up through several Boston and London restaurants before joining Lumiere as garde-cook in 2011, under Michael Leviton. He became chef-owner of Lumiere in 2016. Mother and son team Inna and Alex Khitrik opened Inna’s Kitchen with a mission to preserve their Jewish culinary traditions while making them modern and relevant for today’s more health-conscious society. Inna emigrated from Russia in 1990 and found a welcome home here in Boston, where she has been cooking ever since. “The inspiration for my soup is a climb I made in the Swiss Alps. After hours of climbing, my guide Alfonzo, sat us down by a fire his cousin had made earlier. Using white beans he’d brought and local game he’d butchered he made us the most soul warming soup. This is my best interpretation of how that felt in my belly.” Avi Shemtov is a restaurant-trained chef, having learned under the tutelage of his Israeli father, chef Yona Shemtov, in various restaurants owned by the family. Avi wrote “The Single Guy Cookbook,” and we highly recommend the cookie skillet recipe. He’s also the owner of TAPPED Beer Truck. Avi is opening Simcha, a modern Israeli restaurant in Sharon, later this year. Pat McRell is a New England native who has worked in kitchens across New Hampshire and Massachusetts and stepped into the Boston restaurant scene as chef de cuisine at Our Fathers. He is “inspired by the flavors, ingredients and techniques of modern Jewish cooking.” Josh Smith of Moody’s has been expanding his charcuterie skills across the U.S., including at the Four Seasons Hotel Boston, the late, great Aujourd’hui, and as executive chef at Michael Schlow’s Tico, where the restaurant won Esquire’s award for Top 25 New Restaurants in America. Moody’s opened to much acclaim featuring his charcuterie in 2013, and his pastrami is darn delicious. Josh Ziskin and his wife, Jen, have been leaders in Beyond Bubbie’s Kitchen since its inception 10 years ago. Josh has a well-deserved reputation for his authentic Northern Italian cuisine over the past 11 years at his restaurant, La Morra. Special thanks to our sponsors: Grow & Behold, The Butcherie, Catering By Andrew and Blacker’s Bakeshop.
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Annabel Raby and Erica Rotman of Awafi Boston: Aarooq
Dave Becker of Juniper: Chicken Cacciatore Soup
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Inna & Alex Khitrik of Inna’s Kitchen: Chicken Stuffed Kneydlach in Soup
Avi Shemtov of Chubby Chickpea: Hominy Chicken Soup
Pat McRell of Our Father’s Deli: Chicken Soup with Herbed Maztoh Balls
Josh Smith of Moody’s Deli: Roasted Chicken Soup
Josh Ziskin of La Morra: Noodle Zuppa