Podcasts
Hour One: Michael Solomonov, Shlap Muan
Hour Two: Alex Peña
Segment One: Show Introduction with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris
Segments Two and Three: Celebrity Chef and Restaurateur Michael Solomonov of Zahav Foods and CookNSolo Restaurants, Philadelphia, New York & Miami
Segment Four: Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week Preview with Hawk Tea of Shlap Muan
Segments Five and Six: Master Baker Chef Alex Peña with The Mexican Bakery
“Chef Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook, co-owners of CookNSolo Restaurants, have redefined Israeli cuisine in the U.S. and beyond. With five James Beard Awards, including Zahav’s “Outstanding Restaurant” accolade in 2019, they are celebrated for honoring Israel’s diverse culinary traditions through innovative flavors and vibrant settings. Their Philadelphia-based group includes beloved concepts like Dizengoff, Goldie, K’Far, and Laser Wolf, with recent expansions in New York and, now, Miami’s 1 Hotel South Beach with AVIV. Through their acclaimed cookbooks and the launch of Zahav Restaurant Recipe Hummus at Whole Foods, they continue to share their signature approach to Israeli flavors with a nationwide audience.” Mike Solomonov takes a break from his busy kitchens to join us.
“The fourth annual Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week returns May 17-24, 2026. The event is organized by United Cambodian Community (UCC) of Long Beach, a California registered 501(c)3 non-profit. May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week is a medium to bring everyone to the table, from all walks of life, to showcase the city’s delicious Cambodian food scene. The eight- day event also seeks to highlight Cambodian-owned food businesses as well as Cambodian chefs and bartenders. Long Beach is home to the largest community of Cambodians outside of the country itself, many refugees settling in Long Beach after escaping the Khmer Rouge regime genocide of the late 1970s.” Long Beach’s Shlap Muan (a founding restaurant of LB Cambodian Restaurant Week) is one of the participating establishments. Shlap Muan (Khmer for chicken wings) is a love and hate child between proprietors Hawk Tea and his wife, Sophia. It started out as a sandwich shop, but more importantly as a way for Sophia and Hawk to get away from the corporate grind. Locations in Long Beach and a newly debuted location in Monrovia. Also they serve every Sunday at Smorgsburg L.A. in Downtown Los Angeles. The Wing Man himself, Hawk Tea, joins us.
“Master Baker Chef Alex Peña preserves generations of Mexican Pan Dulce techniques in the groundbreaking cookbook, The Mexican Bakery. “Some of the best conversations of my life happened over the bakery bench,” says Master Baker Chef Alex Peña, recalling the rhythm of work at his family’s Cypress Park bakery, La Morenita. “It was a harmony of hands and hearts, built around old-world dough.
For generations, the techniques behind authentic Mexican pan dulce have been passed down at those benches, with closely guarded regional recipes perfected by bakers who traveled north from Central America, gathering knowledge at bakeries throughout Mexico. These itinerant bakers became deeply polished in their craft, but their expertise remained unwritten, preserved only through demonstration and years of apprenticeship. Until now. In The Mexican Bakery, Chef Alex has created the industry’s first comprehensive guide to Mexican pan dulce and its evolution in North America. This 333-page cookbook captures over 50 traditional recipes spanning the five categories of pan dulce that have been the backbone of Mexican bakeries.” Chef Alex puts down his whisk to join us.
All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!
“Mike Solomonov is Philadelphia’s beloved champion of Israeli cuisine and is widely credited with helping to introduce Israel’s extraordinarily diverse culinary landscape to American diners. Along with Steve Cook, he is the co-owner of CookNSolo Restaurants, including the trailblazing Zahav, recipient of the 2019 James Beard Award for “Outstanding Restaurant” (the first Israeli-American restaurant to receive this honor).”
“Solomonov is the co-author of four cookbooks, and the recipient of five James Beard Awards, including “Book of the Year” in 2016 for “Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking” and “Outstanding Chef” in 2017 for his work at Zahav.”
“In addition to Zahav, Solomonov co-owns Philadelphia’s Federal Donuts & Chicken, Dizengoff, Goldie, K’Far, Laser Wolf, Lilah Events, and Jaffa Bar. CookNSolo expanded to Brooklyn in 2022, bringing grill house sensation Laser Wolf and K’Far to The Hoxton Hotel. In 2024, Solomonov released the legendary Zahav Restaurant Recipe Hummus exclusively at Whole Foods Markets across the US. Aviv — a restaurant embracing ancient cooking methods with the modern energy of Miami & Tel Aviv, AVIV, — recently launched at the 1 Hotel South Beach. Outside of the restaurants, you can often find Mike with Steve at Pho 75 in South Philly, working out the kinks in their Israeli village.”
“Chef Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook, co-owners of CookNSolo Restaurants, have redefined Israeli cuisine in the U.S. and beyond. With five James Beard Awards, including Zahav’s “Outstanding Restaurant” accolade in 2019, they are celebrated for honoring Israel’s diverse culinary traditions through innovative flavors and vibrant settings. Their Philadelphia-based group includes beloved concepts like Dizengoff, Goldie, K’Far, and Laser Wolf, with recent expansions in New York and, now, Miami’s 1 Hotel South Beach with AVIV.”
“Through their acclaimed cookbooks and the launch of Zahav Restaurant Recipe Hummus at Whole Foods, they continue to share their signature approach to Israeli flavors with a nationwide audience.”
Chef Mike Solomonov joins us.
“The fourth annual Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week returns May 17-24, 2026. The event is organized by United Cambodian Community (UCC) of Long Beach, a California registered 501(c)3 non-profit. May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.”
“Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week is a medium to bring everyone to the table, from all walks of life, to showcase the city’s delicious Cambodian food scene. The eight-day event also seeks to highlight Cambodian-owned food businesses as well as Cambodian chefs and bartenders.”
“Long Beach is home to the largest community of Cambodians outside of the country itself, many refugees settling in Long Beach after escaping the Khmer Rouge regime genocide of the late 1970s.”
“Long Beach’s own “Cambodia Town” is a bustling collection of eateries, shops and retailers. Cambodian-owned Restaurants, Food Trucks, Caterers, Bakeries, Pop-ups, Cottage Businesses and Retail Food Businesses are participating.”
Long Beach’s Shlap Muan (a founding restaurant of LB Cambodian Restaurant Week) is one of the participating establishments. “Shlap Muan (Khmer for chicken wings) is a love and hate child between Hawk Tea and his wife, Sophia. It started out as a sandwich shop, but more importantly as a way for Sophia and Hawk to get away from the corporate grind.” Locations in Long Beach and a newly debuted location in Monrovia. They serve every Sunday at Smorgasburg L.A. in Downtown Los Angeles.
The Wing Man himself, Hawk Tea, joins us.
“Master Baker Chef Alex Peña preserves generations of Mexican Pan Dulce techniques in the groundbreaking cookbook, “The Mexican Bakery””
“Some of the best conversations of my life happened over the bakery bench,” says Master Baker Chef Alex Peña, recalling the rhythm of work at his family’s Cypress Park bakery, La Morenita. “It was a harmony of hands and hearts, built around old-world dough.
“For generations, the techniques behind authentic Mexican pan dulce have been passed down at those benches, with closely guarded regional recipes perfected by bakers who traveled north from Central America, gathering knowledge at bakeries throughout Mexico. These itinerant bakers became deeply polished in their craft, but their expertise remained unwritten, preserved only through demonstration and years of apprenticeship. Until now.”
“In The Mexican Bakery, Chef Alex has created the industry’s first comprehensive guide to Mexican pan dulce and its evolution in North America. This 333-page cookbook captures over 50 traditional recipes spanning the five categories of pan dulce that have been the backbone of Mexican bakeries.”
“Chef Alex grew up learning these techniques at La Morenita before training at Le Cordon Bleu and building an international career as Director of Product Development at Bellarise. When the pandemic brought him back to his home kitchen in 2020, he realized these treasured recipes and techniques existed only in the memories and hands of family panaderos.”
“The Mexican Bakery carries on these traditions for home and professional bakers while setting a new standard for cookbooks. Every single recipe features detailed step-by-step photography. Professional costing and conversion tools allow bakers to scale from home batches to commercial production. In addition, QR codes link directly to over $400 in masterclasses taught by Chef Alex at the Baking Evolution School of Baking in Duarte, California, offering in-depth guidance beyond the page. From delicate sandwich cookies like besos to the warmth of a fresh telera, each recipe in The Mexican Bakery combines technical precision, artistry, history, and the camaraderie between bakers that make Mexican baking traditions so rich.”
Chef Alex Peña puts down his whisk to join us.
Podcasts
Hour One: Michael Solomonov, Shlap Muan
Hour Two: Alex Peña
Segment One: Show Introduction with Executive Producer & Co-Host Andy Harris
Segments Two and Three: Celebrity Chef and Restaurateur Michael Solomonov of Zahav Foods and CookNSolo Restaurants, Philadelphia, New York & Miami
Segment Four: Long Beach Cambodian Restaurant Week Preview with Hawk Tea of Shlap Muan
Segments Five and Six: Master Baker Chef Alex Peña with The Mexican Bakery
