CELEBRATE ISRAEL THROUGH CUISINE
with BEN & ZIKKI SIMAN-TOV
Chefs and authors of Eat Small Plates: Vibrant, Shareable Dishes for Daily Joy
Join the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater for the annual Israeli Chef’s Table Experience, a signature Yom Ha’Atzmaut celebration that brings Israel to life through food and connection.
This year’s chefs-in-residence are Ben and Zikki Siman-Tov, the chefs behind New York City’s Buba Bureka and the acclaimed cookbook Eat Small Plates. Their cooking reflects the spirit of modern Israel — rooted in tradition, shaped by regional influences, and centered on warmth and hospitality.
Guests will enjoy a kosher three-course menu designed especially for this event and inspired by authentic Israeli flavors. The chefs will share stories that highlight the deep ties between food, culture, and heritage. This experience invites meaningful celebration around the table. PURCHASE THE EAT SMALL PLATES BOOK.
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About the Chefs
From a serendipitous meeting on a street corner in a tiny town in the Italian Alps to building a food studio in the heart of New York City’s East Village, Ben and Zikki have been on a shared culinary adventure since the very moment they met. Their first exchange—a half loaf of beetroot sourdough from Ben and a lesson in making potato varenyky from Zikki—foreshadowed the creative partnership that would shape their lives and work.
Today, they are the dynamic duo behind @BenGingi, known for their inviting approach to cooking, hosting, and building community around the table. Together, they run a sought-after catering operation, host friends and family with joyful regularity, and create content that blends vibrant Israeli flavors with shareable, soul-warming Ukrainian-inspired dishes.
Their debut cookbook, Eat Small Plates, reflects the style of eating that is central to their story—one built on travel, togetherness, curiosity, and the belief that every meal can spark connection. The book showcases their signature mix-and-match small plates, along with the approachable techniques and hosting philosophies that have become their hallmark. Whether they’re charring eggplants, baking fresh pita, teaching essential kitchen skills, or encouraging even the non-cook to host with confidence, Ben and Zikki infuse everything they do with intention, generosity, and a deep love for sharing food. At the core of their work is a simple guiding idea: meals are meant to bring people closer.
About the book
The dynamic duo behind @BenGingi and Eat Small Plates – a sought-after catering business in New York – teamed up to create a cookbook that features their favorite recipes for everyday dining and easy hosting. This debut from Ben and Zikki Siman-Tov shows you how to effortlessly transform simple ingredients into vibrant dishes.
The cookbook is a roadmap for others to learn the way the couple cooks: vegetable-forward, shareable dishes, informal but beautifully presented, designed to gather loved ones around a table laden with boldly flavored dishes to taste and share with abandon.
Many of the book’s recipes are influenced by the vibrant flavors of Israeli cuisine — inspiration that Siman-Tov is not shy about. “I always looked at food as something that connects people, a good bridge between different opinions and cultures,”
While Israeli chefs and restaurateurs today might describe their cuisine as Mediterranean or Levantine, Siman-Tov proudly uses the term Israeli. PURCHASE THE BOOK