What is the perfect dish to enjoy while watching a film about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? It must be a pastry marrying a saffron- and rosewater-scented kataifi base (a Turkish delicacy) topped with a New York-style cheesecake.
That creation is what guests at City Winery’s “Kosher Taken to the Next Level” luncheon — part of the International Jewish Presenters Association’s “Schmooze” conference — will be eating next week as they watch a screening of the Israeli film “Budrus.” (The event takes place Tuesday, Jan. 11 at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $65. City Winery, 155 Varick St., [212] 608-0555, citywinery.com.)
The dual-flavored dessert, created by Dan Lenchner of Manna Caterers, comes at the end of a seven-course feast. Each dish is created by a top kosher chef, paired with an acclaimed kosher wine, and matched with a Jewish cultural gem.
“This is a showcase for the Jewish presenting arts,” said Michael Dorf, owner of City Winery and organizer of the event. “I thought, let’s do each course around a different piece of music or art or theater or comedy. … I wanted to take it one more degree and get seven different great chefs to start thinking about what would pair with these particular themed courses,” said Dorf, who is also a Jewish Week board member. “We put together a very unique Jewish cultural event.”
As the Israeli-born, New York-raised singer of Yemenite descent, Achinoam Nini (also known as Noa), takes the stage, diners will chow down on a Yemenite mushroom kugel created by Mike Gershovitz of Mike’s Bistro. That course will be served with a Cab/Merlot/Cab Franc Fusion from Segal. “That [Israeli wine] blends a bunch of different grapes into one fusion,” said Dorf, “and that to me is replicated in her work.”
Dancer Sidra Bell, a contemporary modern dancer based in New York, will perform her latest work while Abigael’s chef Jeff Nathan serves a noodle dish. “For some reason I connected [dance] with noodles,” said Dorf. “Maybe because of the lithe bodies and movement and the ability to squiggle.” The course, created by Nathan, is paired with an American pinot noir from Oregon.
Other artists included in the event are novelist Joshua Henkin, playwright Ari Roth, comedian Jackie Hoffman and photographer Kfir Ziv. The remaining courses will be created by chefs from Etc. Steakhouse in Teaneck, N.J.; The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts in Brooklyn; Pomegranate supermarket in Brooklyn; and My Most Favorite Food in Manhattan.
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