Alon Shaya is one of the leading voices in a newly crystalized Israeli-American food movement going down Stateside. Born in Israel and raised on cheesesteaks in Philadelphia, Shaya now calls New Orleans his home where he operates restaurants that blur borders. You’ll find blue crab and sweet corn hummus next to harrisa roasted chicken next to caviar on potato chips. On this episode, Shaya talks about his amazing journey, as detailed in his memoir (with recipes), Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel. Also on the program, Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen talks about her favorite cookbooks.

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