The Eucalyptus restaurant is a Jerusalem landmark.
In its first cookbook, The Eucalyptus Cookbook, Chef Moshe Basson reveals his Levant cultivated culinary innovations. The magnificent photographs and exotic stories that accompany the recipes take you into forest forages for wild greens and mallows and to the days of the Bible where birthrights were traded for sustenance.
The book also tells the universal story of migration and how a business can support and be supported by its workers. Here, family members work alongside the long-tenured staff and add dishes from their own homes, from their travels. Mainly, it brings you into the kitchen of Chef Moshe's mother. Where Iraqi scents and sense, old world wisdom, and the trials and struggles of building a home in a new land are palpable to the touch and to the taste.
"Moshe is the chef of our time foraging and creating menus influenced by the Torah, and this cookbook captures his immense dedication to the work."
Michael Solomonov, Chef & Co-owner of Zahav
"When Moshe Basson left Jerusalem, he took with him cuttings of his vine and fig tree to plant in his new home. I believe this tells the whole story. This book is about real cooking and
real love."
Gil Hovav, author of Candies from Heaven Levin Press
"Eucalyptus is much more than a wonderful restaurant: It is the embodiment of Jerusalem. I have been eating here for over three decades. This is the place where I bring visitors from abroad who want to experience something of the uniqueness of this city, the place where my family celebrates its moments of joy. For me, and for so many other Jerusalemites, Eucalyptus is home."
Yossi Klein Halevi, New York Times bestselling author, senior fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute
"I have waited over two decades for this book, since Moshe and I first met as presenters at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in Australia. It was well-worth the wait! The photos are stunning and his recipes imaginative and reverential. Moshe Basson is one of Israel's greatest culinary treasures, and I treasure him as a friend."
Rose Levy Beranbaum, author of The Cake Bible
"In the beautiful ancient city of Jerusalem, discover Chef Moshe Basson's cuisine at Eucalyptus. You will taste the ancient flavors of the beginnings of civilization, many of the ingredients are hand foraged from these sacred lands. We are fortunate to have his recipes in this wonderful cookbook. "
Chef Art Smith, chef de Party to Oprah Winfrey and President Barak Obama
