Chrissy Teigen makes her first Shabbat dinner
‘Wow I could never do this every Friday but it was beautiful!’ tweets model and TV personality, after preparing chicken soup, kugel and more
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
When making Shabbat dinner for the first time, it’s good to have friends who can help plan the menu.
Model and television personality Chrissy Teigen got some sage advice from friend and “Sababa” cookbook author Adeena Sussman about putting together her first Shabbat dinner last week, which included homemade kugel, chicken, challah and a Trader Joe’s babka.
Teigen, who’s very active on Twitter and Instagram, also posted about the experience on social media.
“First Shabbat! I made chicken soup, kugel, more chicken, challah and purchased the finest Trader Joe’s chocolate babka as recommended by friends. wow I could never do this every Friday but it was beautiful!” tweeted Teigen.
She then included a close-up photo of braised chicken and onions on Instagram, and thanked Sussman for the recipe, writing, “this goes out to your mama.”
The chicken dish was one of Sussman’s late mother’s go-to Shabbat chicken recipes.
First Shabbat! I made chicken soup, kugel, more chicken, challah and purchased the finest Trader Joe’s chocolate babka as recommended by friends. wow I could never do this every Friday but it was beautiful! pic.twitter.com/iMYmjFrNcR
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 16, 2021
Teigen is collaborating on a cookbook with Tel Aviv-based cookbook author Sussman, their third together. The two spent the last few months “cook-booking” together in Teigen’s Los Angeles home, along with Teigen’s husband, singer-songwriter John Legend and their two children.
Over the course of the fall and early winter, Teigen, Legend and Sussman celebrated Thanksgiving together, as well as Hanukkah.
Cooking the Thanksgiving feast was a first for Sussman, who is usually baking hundreds of pumpkin pies and cakes as a fundraiser for Sharsheret, an organization that provides information and support to Jewish women with breast and ovarian cancer.
The bake sale, which includes dozens of bakers around North America and Israel is in memory of her mother, Stephanie Sussman, who died of ovarian cancer.
The Hanukkah celebration was a first for Teigen and Legend and their kids, as they fried latkes, ate brisket and practiced spinning the dreidel.
“I successfully memorized all the sides of the dreidel – especially shin. And we got to FaceTime dad in!” posted Teigen on Instagram. “Man. Just a beautiful night. Thank you thank you @adeenasussman – I will never forget this.”
After Shabbat, on Sunday, Teigen shared a photo of her Shabbat table on Instagram, thanking Sussman and other friends for their help in putting the meal together.
“cooked my first Shabbat last night and it was perfect. with my perfect friends and the perfect menu and the help of perfect people like @adeenasussman, @doctorberlin and @dralyssadberlin! I am one lucky bubbie (ok I’m not a grandmother yet but the word is just *chefs kiss* perfect)”
