Zariz Cookbook Recipe Preview: Preserved Lemon & Cherry Tomato Orzotto

We are five days away from the launch of Zariz (if you haven’t pre-ordered the book, I’d be so grateful if you did!), I got here, and I am excited!

The fragile ceasefires with Iran and Lebanon, held together with seemingly no more than dental floss, managed to remain in place for me to travel from Tel Aviv to Newark on Tuesday afternoon. Right up until days before this was not something I took for granted. With an active war and many casualties on all sides, airspace was often closed or compromised and during these very fragile and unstable times, flights are often scarce and canceled at the eleventh hour. This meant that I had backup plans piled up on top of backup plans, including a hotel room on the Egyptian border to facilitate crossing into the Sinai Desert, if necessary, with a flight reserved from Taba airport to Athens, then another flight from Athens to New York. I would have done it if I had to (heck, I would have tethered my suitcase to my ankle and swam to Greece if I had to). But in the end, I am here as originally planned, and I am relieved and excited.

Promotion and book-related activities are already in full swing. The morning after I arrived I headed into the City to film some fun content with Stephanie Butnick of the delightful Golda Guide (which you should all subscribe to). I also filmed the peerless Taste podcast with Matt Rodbard (this will air in the coming days) and, just before I left, Unholy with Yonit Levi and Jonathan Freedland. Then I went to Kitchen Arts & Letters, a culinary powerhouse of a bookstore on the Upper East Side to sign the preorders that awaited me there (you can still order a signed copy here!)

Seeing hundreds of copies stacked up waiting for my autograph triggered a release of emotion I’ve been holding for months–prpoably years. Zariz is a book written under the spectre of war, started a month after October 7th and written as a form of cookable therapy for myself and, hopefully, for you. The recipes are easy without being stupid-simple. They still require a little prep, maybe a stir and a drop of effort, but they’re streamlined to create peace in body and mind. I hope you love them as much as I do.

The work that goes into getting a book into the world only begins once the manuscript has been submitted - then the hard work of promotion, book tour, and getting out there really begins. Being an Israel-based author has only brought this into sharper relief. There is less attention on my workI take nothing for granted at this point, least of all your support and love, which I feel at every turn. Below is a preview of one of the 100 easy, breezy recipes that will allow you to make an easy, low-lift lunch or dinner that’s very Adeena coded. The blend of pasta and preserved lemon. The cherry tomatoes, The olive oil. The drift of parm. The ease. The yum! Hope you agree. Love you. xoxo. Shabbat Shalom!

Preserved Lemon, Asparagus & Cherry Tomato Orzotto

From Zariz: 100 Easy, Breezy, Tel Aviv-y Recipes

serves 4

active time: 20 minutes

total time: 30 minutes

Preparing this orzo risotto-style yields a creamy, plush pasta dish that feels rich and indulgent. The surprise here is the burst of preserved lemon, which provides a tang you don’t expect from a cozy orzo dish. The springy asparagus cooks at the very end for just a few minutes, and juicy cherry tomatoes, added after the dish comes off the stove, keep things fresh. Serve as a side dish or a main course.

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup dried orzo pasta

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

8 ounces asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup (1 1/2 ounces) finely shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish

1/4 cup finely chopped preserved lemon (recipe in all my books, or store-bought) from 1/2 small preserved lemon)

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the orzo and cook, stirring, until glossy, 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and salt, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring every few minutes, until the orzo is just cooked through but still very soupy, 13 minutes. Stir in the asparagus, return to a simmer, and cook until the asparagus is al dente, 2 minutes. Stir in the parm, preserved lemon, and red pepper flakes.Divide among four plates, top each plate with 1/4 cup of the tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with more cheese.