A Royal Jewish Repast
In a cuisine that borrows from a myriad of cultures, LIORA ZONSHINE cooks a delightful array of dishes from a Jewish kitchen. ISMAT TAHSEEN watches on.

They love to travel, the Zonshines. He is Daniel, the affable Consul General of Israel to India and she, Liora, his vivacious wife. As I walk into their home in a posh high-rise on the quiet Altamount Road in Bombay and am immediately taken up by the decor. Charming, with each artifact having its own tale to tell. There are lovely wooden figures from South America on the coffee table, an amethyst cut-rock from Brazil, a heavy woodwork antique chair from Jaipur among other pretty knick knacks from different corners of the world.

In keeping with true Israeli tradition, the Zonshines are gracious hosts, warm and welcoming with a penchant for good food. So, when Liora tells me her favourite part of the house is the kitchen, I�m not surprised. The room is large and airy, well-set with separate tables for preparation and dining. And at the far end, the wall is lined with cook books. I pick up one by Madhur Jaffrey. It�s in Hebrew! Ahead, an expansive view from the tall windows of the 14th floor let in the plenty of natural light as Liora calmly moves around adding finishing touches to her cooking. Two shy maids stand by too, just like sous chefs, but without much of a role to play, as Liora has everything under control. �I like to do everything myself,� she begins. �Right from the cutting and chopping to the actual preparation, I want to ensure that every dish turns out the way I want it to, so I always make sure that I do all the cooking. It�s easy,� she adds at my bewilderment at the large repertoire of Israeli dishes on the table. �I just love cooking, so it�s not like it�s a difficult task, instead it�s purely enjoyable.� On one burner, the soup which was already cooking is just about to be done and Liora chops up a few sprigs of parsley and adds them to the bowl with a flourish.

In the adjoining hall, a large dining table is immaculately set. Lovely silverware, long-stemmed champagne glasses and cherubic, terracotta angel napkin-holders greet the eye.

�Shalom�, wishes 17 year-old Bar, the Zonshines� older son as he joins us at the dining table, shirtless and most unperturbed. �He�s just finished his exams today,� says Daniel, �and he�s in a great mood.� The couple has two other children, daughter Noam who is 15 and 13 year-old Idan, their younger son who studies at the American School.

Liora has prepared an eclectic menu. To begin with, there is the fresh and tangy Pomelo Salad, a Raw Ravas Salad with a twist of lemon - served cold in pretty enamel sea shells.

The Beetroot with Yoghurt is topped with peanut chikki! �Yes, you heard that right,� Liora laughs at my surprise. �Though I follow the recipes carefully, I still love putting in my own additions.�

If there is an Indian touch to the Zonshine home and its cuisine then that�s because, India holds a special place for the couple. �We came here 20 years ago on our honeymoon and went to to Goa, Kerala, Chennai, Auroville, Rajasthan, Delhi and Nainital. The culture and ethos was lovely, I remember at Varanasi, Daniel and I used to get up at 5:00 in the morning and watch the puja take place. We had always wanted to come back to it all,� she admits.

As fate would have it, the Zonshines did come back in 2005, much to their happiness. Since then they have travelled some more in the country, and hosted some of the most talked-about dinner parties at their lovely residence. Being food-lovers they also like to eat out. �I love the Chelo Kebab and Kabuli Naan with dry fruits at Copper Chimney. And I am crazy about the black dal that is served at ITC Maratha Grand Central� she says. Their other favourite eating haunts include Salt Water Grill, Joss and Moshe�s.

While the family may have their own favourite Indian dishes when they dine out, a favourite at the Zonshine home and one that all her guests indulge in are the Kebabs � which are succulent chunks of meat skewered on large cinnamon sticks with generous spoonfuls of sour cream. It is distinctive in taste, yet with no pungency at all. Israeli cooking, Liora explains, utilizes hardly any spices.

Unlike most Jews, she does not follow Kosher cooking, which is a food preparation method as per the Israeli dietary laws. �There are three important aspects of Kosher cooking - you cannot have meat with milk, you cannot eat ham/ pork but halal foods and you must not eat sea-food. In Israel all the supermarkets follow these laws,� enlightens Liora.

Thus said, Liora breezes into the kitchen and calls for the rest of the meal to be served. In come the grilled meats on skewer, large bowls of salad and soup and the aubergine and mushroom entr�es. They certainly brighten up the repast! It is easy to see that Liora has lent absolute gourmet flair to each of the dishes as she explains: �All Israeli dishes are part of a cohesive culinary design influenced by the ebb and flow of history, food is nothing if not part of a happy experience,� says Liora.

As the lunch proceeded, I could see perfect harmony between the Zonshines, they are certainly so charming. And Daniel marvels at the way his wife has handled home and work. It is evident in the way he pours out a glass of the famed Israeli bubbly - Domaine du Castel for her and speaks of her culinary abilities. �She�s just fabulous,� he says, �Liora makes everything just right. In fact I�d love it if she cooks all the meals,� he adds impishly. However, as Cultural Attach� of the Consulate of Israel, that is something Liora would find difficult to do, for she divides her time between home and the Consulate. �That�s when Daniel is my boss,� she states with a smile. Liora�s talents don�t quite end with cooking, she is also a qualified Graphic Designer and Illustrator and an expert in the art of Azulejos (pronounced azul-eh-jos), which is the Portuguese art of painting on tiles. Back home, Liora has held several exhibitions of her work. I marvelled at her skill when I see an album full of shots of the tiles she has painted. As I leave, I extend a compliment to the amiable hostess on her marvellous meal. Haya na?eem me?od, I wish her in Hebrew. It means, �it was simply lovely�, which it truly was!

PHOTOGRAPHS BY FARZANA CONTRACTOR