Chef Shirel Berger marvels at the yield of the land. She does not take it for granted – she researches, tests, experiments, tastes and in the process embarks on a fascinating journey within the intricacies of the plant. In her Opa restaurant, she creates a complete, reasoned and spectacular story in taste around vegetables, fruits and seasonal herbs. There is a lot of complexity in this work and a sea of intellect.
Berger recently gained international recognition when San Pellegrino's 50 Best awards and ratings factory named her a chef to follow. A unique way to mark Berger as the next thing in global cuisine, and not for nothing - to lead an elite kitchen based solely on plant-based ingredients is a very demanding statement, but as befits a chef who demands of herself, Shirel also sustains. She takes nothing for granted, challenges her work every season, extracts from the raw material with which she chooses to create the best and brings it to extremes that perhaps even he himself did not know he could reach.
Shirel Berger at a new meal, photo: Tomer Nahir Petluk
So far we have had the privilege of tasting Chef Shirel Berger in the south of Tel Aviv, and with the arrival of summer, she leaves the city and her kitchen to the fields and expanses of Moshav Mishmeret. There, in the necessary cooperation with the farm that supplies her with gorgeous agricultural produce, she begins to host meals in nature in the heart of the "Lamishmeret" organic farm, founded by the couple Reli and Ronnie Knapp.
Gone Wild Berger cooks the meals in nature in complete and magical cooperation with Hagai Blaish, who also works with her in a baker's kitchen. The meal in Shirel's village is a fascinating opportunity to watch a young and groundbreaking chef work in an improvised outdoor kitchen in the open and stay true to her culinary core.
One of the dishes at the meal, photo: Tomer Nahir Petluk
Berger goes ahead and says that she wants to serve food that corresponds with a baker but with a different approach. She manages to break out of the wonderful mold she created and brings something different to the table. Something that comes across as casual, wild, gritty – but also just seems to be – in fact, is astonishingly accurate.
And what do I mean? Berger chooses to serve the dishes at the tasting dinner, which is held around a large table, in the style of a "celebration in the village" - on a mulberry leaf rather than on a plate. But when she arranges and builds the dish on the green leaf, she precise every touch, every process and procedure, every drop of seasoning and decoration.
Precise meal on strawberry leaf, photo: Tomer Nahir Petluk
Wild bread that tells the story of celery
It starts with tasting a summer watermelon: "We cut it, scratched it and handled it our way," Berger explains. From the engravings, scratches and dedicated care, a sheet was obtained that is reminiscent of the worlds of raw meat in its texture. I know Shirel won't be thrilled with the reference, but as a person built with layers of memories, the bite of this wonderful watermelon sent me straight there.
There was also a beautiful dish of leeks. It was grilled on a hot wood-burning grill built not far from the table, so you could watch what was happening on it. The leeks gave in and softened, taking on smoky and caramelized flavors. The outer layer was removed and her wonderful soft heart was also served on a strawberry leaf.
Dish at meal, photo: Tomer Nahir Petluk
The bread dish was served at a later stage of the meal because it actually tells the story of celery - the wild prana is based on celery water and is so charred and delicious. Next to it are fermented celery peels, celery cream as delicate as a cloud and a fresh celery salad.
In my opinion the big surprise of the meal was the tomato dish. I tasted Shirel's tomato dish in Ufa last summer and I know what magic this intelligent chef knows how to bring out of it. Here, Berger chose to make a simple tomato sauce whose aroma wafts through the air, evoking an appetite and the memory of home. This bare sauce is the foundation of a frika stew dish and is a simple dish to raise.
Wild Parana,
There was also an entertaining and delicious game based on the peanut butter and jam sandwich, a typical American sandwich that corresponds with Shirel's roots. Of course, here it receives a completely different interpretation from the sources and becomes a treat of burnt pita, abnormal almond paste and Afghan strawberry jam from the trees of the "for safekeeping" farm, of course.
Together with Shirel, as mentioned, Hagai Balaish is responsible for the baking worlds at the meal. He also likes to bury vegetables in a smoking pit and roast on the farmland. The hospitality is entrusted to Sharona Berger, Shirel's twin and her quintessential other half.
Shirel Berger's wild meal menu includes ten dishes made from the field, combined with ancient techniques of cooking over live fire. Each meal will only be served for a limited number of up to 20 guests.
The meal takes place every Thursday at an agricultural farm "for safekeeping" in Moshav Mishmeret in the Sharon. The next meal takes place on June 29.
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