In the coming days, the O2 Restaurant is launching a unique menu based on the long history, great richness and color of Ladino cuisine. The menu will be served at the restaurant for only two weeks starting on January 31st and is the result of a collaboration between the O2’s Nimrod Norman and Shimon and Esther Hadassi, a Spanish Sephardi couple who are natives of Jerusalem and grew up in the lap of the Ladino tradition and Spanish cuisine. After much research and joint work, Chef Norman and the duo put together a variety of dishes from the two’s family history and brought their childhood memories back to life, with dishes ranging from sofrito (potatoes and chicken) and rich vegetable dishes, through stuffed chicken served at festive events, to medias (meat-stuffed zucchini), stuffed harshuf (wild artichoke) and “sotlach” (rice pudding), with Norman providing a refreshing new interpretation to the traditional dishes with the help of seasonal Jerusalem ingredients and contemporary cooking techniques
