'Keep it simple and stay sane': Adeena Sussman's cooking tips for a complicated wartime Passover

'Keep it simple and stay sane': Adeena Sussman's cooking tips for a complicated wartime Passover

From Haaretz Podcast by Haaretz

March 31, 2026 · 27 min · Season 1 · Episode 491

About this episode

Adeena Sussman shares cooking tips and recipes for Passover during wartime, emphasizing the importance of simplicity and mental well-being.

As Israelis continue to run to bomb shelters for protection from deadly Iranian missile attacks, the prospect of hosting Passover meals has felt overwhelming. On the Haaretz Podcast, acclaimed food writer and cookbook author Adeena Sussman offers her best advice and coping tips and shares recipes that are easy and fun to execute, even in wartime. Cooking for the holidays can be stressful, she said, but in challenging times, becoming immersed in what is happening in the kitchen “can be a little bit of an escape” “This year, let’s focus on what is meaningful and what will keep us sane,” she suggested. Sussman is the author of three cookbooks – the first was published as the COVID-19 epidemic was sweeping the world, the second on the eve of October 7. Now her upcoming cookbook is due to be published this month in the shadow of the war with Iran.  This makes her, she says, experienced with “simple cooking for complicated times,” which is the theme of her new book, "Zariz," the Hebrew word for “speedy.”  Also complicated: being one of the most prominent representatives of Israeli cuisine in the U.S. at a time when…

People in this episode

Host: Haaretz Podcast

Guest: Adeena Sussman

Topics covered

  • cooking tips
  • Passover
  • wartime
  • Israeli cuisine
  • mental health
  • food writing

Keywords

  • Passover
  • cooking tips
  • Adeena Sussman
  • Israeli cuisine
  • wartime cooking
  • recipes
  • mental health

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Haaretz

Books & works: Zariz

Places: Israel, Iran

More episodes of Haaretz Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Haaretz Podcast podcast page.