We often think of religion as this thing you learn about through texts. Through studying in a seminary. Through quiet contemplation. But as far as the Bible is concerned, religion is so much more than that! It’s embodied, it’s traditional, it reaches every single nook and cranny of our lives. And it’s deeply sensory. It’s about sights, sounds…even smells and tastes!

So what can we learn about religion, about culture—about life—from the world of food? To unpack this, Rabbi Ari spoke with celebrity food writer and influencer Adeena Sussman, author (and co-author along with Chrissy Teigen, Candace Nelson, and others) of numerous NYT-bestselling cookbooks.

They talked about the revolution in Jewish and Israeli cuisine in the last decade; what you can uniquely learn about a culture through food; the insight cooking gives you into the immigrant experience; the role the Sabbath plays in shaping Jewish cuisine; what Adeena learned from sharing Jewish cuisine with Chrissy Teigen; where she’d eat in Israel if she only had one place to choose; and much more!

Good Faith Effort is a production of Bnai Zion and SoulShop.