Jerusalem Archives

Milk and Honey – Heart and Humor

01/31/2017

Jerry Herman’s first (1961) Broadway effort has Israeli flavor (including Hebrew) without awkwardness or polemic. Herman and book writer Don Appell were sent abroad by producer Gerard Oestreicher to immerse themselves in the pioneer state about to celebrate its 13^th Anniversary (a Bar Mitzvah). They created a sympathetic sketch steeped in traditional settlement values whose moral compass is in no way exclusively Jewish. Milk and Honey is full of (appreciatively cliché) humor. Its warm, primary relationships eschew rose colored glasses.

We first meet the busload of touring American widows on the streets of Jerusalem. Mrs. Kessler (Marcy DeGonge Manfredi), Mrs. Perlman (Joy Hermalyn), Mrs. Segal (Joanne Lessner), and Mrs. Weiss- Clara (Alix Korey) “tell me everything, don’t leave out a word” have come as much to find husbands as to broaden their horizons. Mrs. Stein-Ruth (Anne Runolfsson) joined the group to break a pattern of hen parties and memories.

Alix Korey

Alix Korey, who plays Clara, a role originated by Molly Picon, is flat out terrific. Not only does the respected veteran remind us once again of vocal skill, but comic timing is impeccable, accent pitch perfect, and the actress segues to more serious moments with utter finesse. There are many reasons to enjoy this production, but Korey is a prime one. Her “Hymn to Hymie” (Clara’s deceased husband) is wonderful.

When a shepherd (Ari Axelrod in one of several roles) tries to drive his flock on a main thoroughfare (music stands tied together, each with a printed sign that says: SHEEP), American Phil Arkin (Mark Delevan) calms the crowd. Ruth asks him to translate. They connect. A retired businessman, Phil has skeptically come to visit his daughter Barbara (Jessica Fontana) and meet her new husband David, a Sabra. (A Jew born on Israeli territory.) The young people live in the Negev. “Give your daughter a European education and she brings home a farmer.”

Perry Sherman, Jessica Fontana (David and Barbara)

Phil impulsively asks Ruth to join Barbara and him touring the city. They have a wonderful day. She’s then invited to the desert. Putting aside a lifetime of reservations, she goes, seamlessly pitching in and fitting in. The middle aged couple credibly fall in love, for the first time seeing options both thought were unavailable. Unfortunately Phil still has a much estranged, eventually revealed wife.

Jacob Heimer, Abby Goldfarb (Adi & Zipporah)

Secondarily, we watch Barbara and her husband David (Peter Sherman- warm presence, good accent, fine voice) deal with her adjustment from upper middle class city life to agronomy, and malcontent farmer Adi (Jacob Heimer- good accent, solid acting and vocal) negotiate pregnancy and marriage (in that order) with girlfriend Zipporah (Abby Goldfarb- ably spirited.)

Milk and Honey is about second chances, integrity, courage, and partnerships.

Joy Hermalyn, Alix Korey, John Little (Mrs. Perlman, Clara, Mr. Horowitz)

Anne Runolfsson has a strong, mid range soprano. The actress grows into her role before our eyes, at first less than natural, but gradually troubled and infectiously moved as a compelling Ruth Stein. Opera singer Mark Delavan lends not only deep, resonant vocals, but thoughtful rendering of dialogue (which gives us time to watch the character consider) and tenderness that makes Phil Arkin always believable. The two voices blend beautifully.

Mark Delavan, Anne Runolfsson

Director Michael Unger does a splendid job with both lively and touching numbers. His actors have a good sense of where and when they are. Intimacy is well played. Pacing is just right. Visuals appeal. Only a parenthesis where the widows involve audience members feels uncomfortable.

Choreography by Yehuda Hyman is cute (not cloying) and appropriately ethnic.

Also featuring: John Little

This is the land of Milk and Honey/ This is the land of sun and song and /
This is the world of good and plenty /Humble and proud and young and strong

Photos by Ben Strothmann
Opening: Mark Delavan, Anne Runolfsson, Alix Korey (Phil, Ruth, Clara)

The York Theatre Company
Musicals in Mufti!
Milk and Honey
Book-Don Appell; Music & Lyrics- Jerry Herman
Directed by Michael Unger
Music Direction- Jeffrey Saver
Through February 5, 2017
The York Theatre at St. Clements
619 Lexington Avenue at 54^th Street
NEXT: February 11-19: Berlin to Broadway

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Ottolenghi: Delicious Simplicity
From Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

10/29/2016

Last Monday many of D.C.’s top foodie writers met at Jose Andres’ Zatinya for a chance to discuss Ottolenghi, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi’s third cookbook to hit U.S. kitchens. This being one of my first events of the kind, I felt a little out of sorts with my accomplished company. I soon came to realize through introductions that everyone was warm and inviting, much like the array of Ottolenghi dishes brought before us. The crowd favorite? Cauliflower and cumin fritters with a lime yogurt. In later discussion with Sami Tamimi, I learned this was one of the many wonderful dishes his mother prepared for him growing up in Jerusalem.

Ottolenghi and Tamimi, owners of 3 deli’s and a restaurant in London have amassed an impressive following in the states over the past few years with their Judeo-Arab inspired recipes found in their titles Jerusalem and Plenty, two widely acclaimed cookbooks of 2011 and 2012.

Ottolenghi happens to be the first book the pair had written and released together dating back to 2008, but it has been until now that the book is making it’s first appearance in the U.S. Standard measurements and all!

Praised for its simplicity, Ottolenghi’s recipes are broken into three sections – vegetables, meats and pastries. Easy to navigate, the recipes are beautifully arranged alongside large colorful photos and accompanied with a snippet of advice and/or a thoughtful personal anecdote.

As a at-home-chef I would rate my abilities at a skilled beginner level, but when I cracked open Ottolenghi one evening last week I was surprised at how easily I understood the recipes. Ottolenghi prides itself on being a curation of dishes full of fresh and vibrant ingredients. So to do it justice I decided to first prepare a recipe I felt was great for fall, Danielle’s sweet potato gratin.

Recipe:

6 medium sweet potatoes

5 tbsp coarsely chopped sage, plus extra for garnish

6 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tsp coarse sea salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 cup heavy cream

1) Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash the sweet potatoes (do not peel them) and cut them into disks ¼ inch thick. A mandoline is best for this job but you could use a sharp knife.

2) In a bowl mix together the sweet potatoes, sage, garlic, salt and pepper. Arrange the slices of sweet potato in a deep medium-size oven proof dish by taking tight packs of them and standing them up next to one another. They should fir together quite tightly so you get parallel lines of sweet potato slices (skins showing) along the length or width of the dish. Throw any remaining bits of garlic or sage from the bowl over the potatoes. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, place in the oven, and roast for 45 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and pour the cream evenly over the potatoes. Roast, uncovered for a further 25 minutes. The cream should have thickened by now. Stick a sharp knife in different places in the dish to make sure the potatoes are cooked. They should be totally soft.

3) Serve immediately, garnished with sage.

*Note you can also use thyme in place of the sage, or use both. Serves 4-6.

Total time to prepare: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 65 minutes

The sweet potatoes turned out wonderfully. They were rich and savory and perfectly paired with the roasted chicken I purchased from Whole Foods on my way home that night. With the holidays in tow I plan to cook my way through the rest of Ottolenghi. Next up – the cauliflower cumin fritters and the champagne chocolates.

Upon asked when they would be bringing one of their popular deli’s and wonderful treats to the U.S., Tamimi smiled coyly and replied that no plans are in the works.

Ottolenghi
Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

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