Amy Zitelman is the CEO of Philadelphia-based (and woman-owned) Soom Foods, the leading purveyor of tahini and tahini products in the American market, which she cofounded in 2013. Soom was named the best tahini according to industry experts by New York Magazine in 2019, and has been featured in theNew York Times, Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, and other publications. She was named toForbes magazine’s “30 Under 30” class of 2018.
“In the Zitelman family, working in food and restaurants was never meant for the next generation. Harry Zitelman, who owned the iconic mid-century D.C. restaurant Bassin’s told his son Rick: ‘I did not have a restaurant for 30 years so you could go to college and open a restaurant — absolutely not.’ But two generations later, all three of Rick’s daughters — Amy, Shelby, and Jackie — work in the industry as the team behind Soom Foods, a tahini company that supplies restaurants like the acclaimed Zahav Restaurant and home cooks across the country. Food is ‘kind of in our blood,’ explains Amy.”
Most people who know about tahini understand the sesame paste as simply one of the building blocks of hummus. But for Amy, the culinary potential of tahini goes far beyond hummus. She insists that you should use whatever high-quality tahini you like best in her recipes, adding, “My hope is that The Tahini Table will increase sales for all companies contributing to the growing appreciation of tahini. A rising tide lifts all boats.”
“Since antiquity, sesame has been an essential foodstuff in the Levant — the region that today includes Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories, and beyond. Originally prized for its oil, sesame was first referenced in cuneiform tablets found in the Fertile Crescent. Herodotus wrote about sesame crops on the shores of the Tigris and Euphrates 3,500 years ago. And a thirteenth-century Iraqi cookbook, Kitab al-Tabikh, is the first place where tahini itself is referenced as a culinary ingredient,” says author, food writer and recipe developer Adeena Sussman.
“In 2016, tahini was named a ‘cult condiment’ by The Kitchn. Stateside, Soom has played a central role in more spreading knowledge about tahini. At Soom, only high-quality Humera sesame seeds from Ethiopia are used, as is also true for other artisanal tahini companies such asSeed and Mill, who grind their sesame seeds onsite and sell tahini ice cream and Israeli-style halva candy in New York’s Chelsea Market.”
Tahini Carrot Cake
The cake is moist and rich. The tahini gives it a nutty aftertaste, and because the tahini reduces the amount of oil in the recipe, this cake never gets greasy the way many carrot cakes do.
Serves 8
Batter:
Cooking spray, for greasing
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups lightly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup mild vegetable oil, such as grapeseed
3/4 cup premium tahini
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
7 medium carrots, peeled and shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup premium tahini
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup black and white sesame seeds, optional
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray.
For the batter: In a large bowl or in a stand mixer, beat the eggs and brown sugar until completely combined and thick. Beat in the oil, a bit at a time, then beat in the tahini.
Mix the flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl until combined. Add a third of the flour mixture to the tahini mixture, stirring to combine. Add half of the carrots and mix well. Add half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining carrots, and then the remaining flour mixture, stirring between each addition to combine. Stir in the walnuts (if using).
Evenly divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake on the middle rack of the oven until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
For the frosting: While the cakes are baking, beat the butter, cream cheese, and tahini in a stand mixer (or large bowl) until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until just smooth. If the frosting is too soft to spread, chill in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.
Set one cake layer on a serving plate. Top with a third of the frosting and 2 tablespoons of the mixed sesame seeds. Add the next layer and frost the sides and top with the remaining frosting. Top with the remaining sesame seeds (it’s fine if some fall down the sides). If the cake seems at all wobbly, refrigerate until the icing firms and the cake feels sturdy. Cut into wedges and serve.
For this recipe, go to:https://soomfoods.com/blogs/recipes/tahini-carrot-cake
For more recipes, go to:https://soomfoods.com/blogs/recipes
The Tahini Table contains 100 recipes that showcase tahini’s wide range of uses. From Vegan Mac and Cheese and Tahini Chicken Schnitzel, to Chocolate Halvah French Toast and Tahini Flan, The Tahini Table is written with the home cook in mind, incorporating tahini into everyday cooking in delicious and unexpected ways. With beautiful color photos, contributions from top restaurant chefs, and easy substitutions for a variety of diets, The Tahini Table proves that tahini is a must-have pantry staple for cooks everywhere.
To order, go to:https://soomfoods.com/collections/cookbooks
Or go to:https://www.amazon.com/Tahini-Table-Beyond-Hummus-Recipes/dp/157284289X
See:
“How the Soom Sisters Continue a Family Tradition of Working in the Food Industry” at:https://www.jewishfoodsociety.org/stories/how-the-soom-sisters-continue-a-family-tradition-of
“Tahini: A Brief History” by Adeena Sussman at:https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/pb-daily/tahini-a-brief-history
“There’s no place like the kitchen table to bring us together as a family. It was the one spot in the house where we could always agree on one thing: our passion for the foods we loved to make and share.”
Connect at:
https://www.facebook.com/SoomFoods/
https://www.instagram.com/soomfoods/?hl=en
https://www.pinterest.com/soomfoods/_created/
Also:
https://www.hadassahmagazine.org/?s=soom
https://www.jewishindependent.ca/tag/jillian-guyette/
https://www.adeenasussman.com/
https://www.jewishfoodsociety.org/stories/how-the-soom-sisters-continue-a-family-tradition-of
https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2016/07/21/a-brief-history-of-tahini
https://www.thekitchn.com/roasted-butternut-squash-orange-tahini-walnuts-zaatar-23102666
https://www.thekitchn.com/soom-foods-founders-sisters-22932612
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/soom-tahini
Soom Foods is a Philadelphia-based woman-owned company. They want to bring more flavor and versatility into your kitchen with Soom tahini. Soom products are available on Amazon. Soom Foods is the trusted brand for premium, silky-smooth tahini paste and tahini products by James Beard award-winning chefs and home cooks. Search their map to find Soom across the country, at your local specialty retailer, or purchase via theironline store now. They offer a variety of greattahini options along withwholesale and gifts for all tahini lovers. Their premium and organic tahini are both made with White Humera Ethiopian sesame seeds, and manufactured using the same process. The texture and flavor is exactly the same. The only difference between these two products is that Soom Organic Tahini is USDA certified organic. Soom Tahini is naturally free of gluten and do not contain gluten in the ingredients. Soom products do not contain any animal products and are vegan. All Soom products are dairy-free. Soom products do not contain soy in the ingredients.
