“Gursha,” Ethiopian Jewish Food & Ethiopian Matzah with Chef Beejhy Barhany

On this episode of Taste Buds with Deb, host Debra Eckerling speaks with Beejhy Barhany, the founding owner and executive chef of Tsion Cafe, an Ethiopian and Israeli restaurant in New York.    “Ethiopian Jewish food is just a little bit of everything,” Barhany explains. “It’s an array of an abundance of flavors … packed with nutrients.”   Her new cookbook, “Gursha” is a celebration of Ethiopian Jewish (Beta Israel) cuisine. It features more than 100 recipes, along with stories and traditions, from the places she has lived: Ethiopia, Sudan, Israel, and Harlem. The recipes in “Gursha,” which is is loosely translated as “mouthful” or “the act of feeding one another,” range from traditional dishes (Doro Wot, Shakshuka, Legamat [Sudanese doughnuts]) to ones that Barhany created (Berbere Fried Fish, Injera Fish Taco, Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cardamom Cake).    “I encompass a lot of heritages and cultures and what have you, and that is actually showcased on the menu [and] in the cookbook,” she says.    Beejhy Barhany talks about her background, Ethiopian Jewish cuisine - including some recipes, and the power of food from different cultures. She also shares her recipe for Ethiopian Matzah, which you can get at JewishJournal.com/podcasts.   Barhany believes food is a wonderful tool to bring people together, as well as to engage and learn about each other’s cultures.    “Once you are open to tasting a particular group of flavors and dishes, I think you will have a better understanding [of one another],” she says. “I would say my offering is to have food as a medium of peace, harmony, and understanding and respect.”   Learn more at TsionCafe.com. Follow @BeejhysGursha and @TsionCafe on Instagram. For more from Taste Buds, subscribe on iTunes and YouTube, and follow @TheDEBMethod on social media.