Chef Michael Solomonov was born in Israel and raised in Pittsburgh. When he moved back to his home country at 19 years old, unable to speak Hebrew, Solomonov took the only job he could get in a bakery.
That job launched a culinary career that’s earned the Israel-born, Pennsylvania-raised chef a number of awards in his career, and now the acclaimed chef will take his culinary talents to Penn State this coming weekend. Solomonov is cooking for the 24th annual WPSU Penn State Connoisseur’s Dinner and Auction on Saturday, Feb. 6 at the Nittany Lion Inn.
The James Beard Award winner is best known for his modern interpretations of classic Israeli cuisine, providing a unique take on the foods of his native country. Solomonov’s dinner at Penn State will zoom out a bit as he serves a fusion of Middle Eastern, North African, Meditteranean, and Eastern European cuisines based on his Philadelphia restaurant, Zahav.
The annual dinner always comes with a theme, and this year’s theme is ‘Jewels of the Night: A Middle Eastern Fusion Feast.’ The delectable menu for the dinner starts with an assortment of small salads and dips along with hummus and pita. That will be followed by a Moroccan fish stew with couscous and peppers, and an entree of Yemenite-style short ribs with carrot rice. Last — but certainly not least — is a dessert including carrot semolina cake, cranberries, and rose water.
“I always want people to fall hard for the warm spices, peppery punches and fresh interpretations of Israeli flavor,” Solomonov said. “I’d love for diners to take away a new kind of experience and intimacy around the sharing of food. There are always new stories to tell, and I’ve always found the best are told around the table.”
The annual WPSU Connoisseur’s Dinner and Auction supports the programming of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBC) member television station. The station is owned by Penn State University and broadcasts out of Innovation Park on campus, reaching more than 500,000 households in Pennsylvania and southern New York.
The price for the dinner is $205 per plate, and reservations can be made by contacting Chrissy Leidy at 814-863-5597 or online here.
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