Commander’s Palace, Gautreau’s chefs lead NOLA Culinary Mission to Israel

Chefs Tory McPhail of Commander’s Palace and Sue Zemanick of Gautreau’s will be leading a Food and Wine Adventure to Israel in October, coordinated by the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans.

The mission, scheduled for Oct. 14 to 23, is a follow-up to a visit by four New Orleans chefs to Israel last summer, and ties an exploration of Israel’s food heritage to the culinary landscape of New Orleans. Bruce Wainer and Sharon Jacobs are co-chairing the trip, with Arthur Pulitzer as honorary chair.

Participants will explore traditional Jewish cooking and cutting edge modern Israeli cuisine and wine. McPhail and Zemanick will lead a cooking workshop, and the group will cook a gourmet meal with Israeli Chef Tali Friedman, after she leads a tour of the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem.

There will also be visits to the port of Jaffa, the Shuk Levinsky market in Tel Aviv, a stroll through paprika fields and a lesson on making the Israeli spice blend za’tar. A tour of Israel’s wine industry is scheduled, as well as more conventional mission visits like Masada, the Dead Sea, Yad Vashem and the Western Wall.

Meals are scheduled at some of Israel’s most innovative restaurants, including Ein Camomim, which has boutique goat cheese and an olive oil farm, and organic farm-to-table restaurant Muscat, in view of the Golan Heights.

Naturally, there is a visit to Rosh Ha’Ayin, the New Orleans Partnership 2Gether city.
The land cost for the mission is approximately $3500. Participants are responsible for arranging their own air travel, with the mission beginning in Israel on Oct. 15. For more information, click here.