Henny Shor: Cooking up a multi-cultural Purim feast

We are finally in the month of Adar – the month when we increase our happiness as we prepare for Purim.

Purim is by far the most joyful holiday, especially here in Israel, where everyone and everything seems to dress up. Whether you’re in a doctor’s office, standing in line at the supermarket, or buying electronics, someone in the store is in costume. School hallways, bus stops – even office buildings – transform overnight. We all slip into that happy, slightly silly, find-the-joy-in-everything mood.

There’s something about Purim that invites a little chaos, in the best possible way. We mix and match costumes, swap identities, and blur the rules. So why not let our menu do the same?

Instead of sticking to one cuisine, I built a Purim seuda that travels from Persia, where it all began, to Paris, and from China to Mexico, because Purim is nothing if not colorful and unexpected.

Fattoush Salad with Crispy Pita Chips. (credit: HENNY SHOR)

Fattoush Salad with Crispy Pita Chips

Fattoush salad originates in Lebanon, yes, that place, and yes, that truly is the name of the salad. If it keeps everyone laughing through the Purim seuda, even better. Purim is, after all, a time for joy.

It carries a rich Middle Eastern flavor profile, and over the years many of those flavors have naturally become part of Israeli cuisine as well. The salad is believed to have started as a clever way to use up stale pita. We all have those days when a pita gets left out too long, or there’s just one piece too many. Instead of tossing it, bake it into crispy chips and fold it into a salad tossed with fresh vegetables, fragrant sumac, and a bright lemon dressing. Suddenly, what might have been a waste becomes a crunch.

At first glance, the ingredient list may look long, but don’t be overwhelmed. Each component is simple to prepare and can be prepped in advance. The pita chips can be toasted earlier in the day, the vegetables chopped in advance, and the dressing stored in a sealed jar in the fridge for a day or two.