How to Make Hummus: An Online Workshop with Israeli Chef Ariel Rosenthal
From the pandemic to an online workshop. Events, demonstrations, meetings, and exchanges of ideas have been reinvented and reorganized to become digital content, the only way we can connect more people within the confines of social distancing regulations.
Another event adapted to current conditions, yet still intended to be an opportunity for encounters. The event's protagonist is Ariel Rosenthal, chef at Ha'Kosem, Tel Aviv's leading street food restaurant, and author of the book, On the Hummus Route, a Journey through Cities, People, and Dreams.
A symbolic dish of Israeli street food
Hummus, a puree made from chickpeas and tahini, is now known worldwide and can rightfully be considered a signature dish of Israeli street food. A traditional dish of the Eastern Mediterranean, hummus has gained international fame thanks in part to the versions prepared by renowned chefs and the proliferation of publications surrounding this simple yet unmistakably flavorful dish.
A simultaneous cooking session
The workshop is held in English, but not without the assistance of Nerina Di Nunzio, a marketing and communications expert and founder of Food Confidential. Chef Ariel Rosenthal will also be joined by Orly Peli-Bronshtein, co-author of the book On the Hummus Route, A Journey Between Cities, Peoples, and Dreams. Participants included prominent figures in the food sector, journalists, bloggers, chefs, and street food festival organizers: Eleonora Cozzella and Lara Crinò (La Repubblica), Sara De Bellis (Mangia e Bevi), Ariela Piattelli (La Stampa), Niccolò Vecchia (Identità Golose), Alessandro Cecchi Paone, Giuseppe Fantasia (Huffington Post), Paola Pisa (Il Messaggero), Stefano Callegari (Trapizzino), Barbara Agosti (chef Eggs), Ornella De Felice (chef Coromandel), Martina Prospero (chef Va.Do), Giulia Steffanina (chef Gourmet Roma), Ginevra Antonini (chef), Giovanni Terracina (Le Bon Ton Catering), Paola Bottai (Galleria Olfattiva Bardolino), and Emanuela Panke (Iter Vitis Les Chemins de la Vigne en Europe).
A decidedly practical workshop. Participants were asked to prepare hummus simultaneously, each using their own cuisine. This way, they could learn and even show everyone who chooses to follow the event online the secrets of the dish, starting with the choice of ingredients. But what products are needed? A 500-gram jar of tahini sauce, a 250-gram can of dried chickpeas, a lemon, a head of garlic, and a sachet of ground cumin. Don't forget: the chickpeas need to be soaked for about 24 hours, then boiled for an hour and a half, and finally cooled before using.
The Ultimate Hummus workshop will be broadcast on the Facebook page of the Israeli Embassy in Italy, and non-participating viewers will also have the opportunity to prepare hummus, following the chef's step-by-step suggestions. At the end of the session, there will be a Q&A session under the video for detailed live answers.
The ultimate hummus workshop: 9 dicembre – 18.30.