Hello everyone, I’m Ysanne - a food writer and chef from the UK, previously in the USA for 20 years, and now I’ve come home to Israel, BH!

I’m currently researching, developing and writing a book of 4,000 year old Ancient Hebrew recipes, from the Land of Israel. It’s about Ancient Hebrew wisdom at its heart, via seven ingredients that are indigenous to the Levant, and laden with ancient Jewish symbolism that holds incredible significance for contemporary times.

It will be announced later this year, following many years of development, including extensive travels throughout the region, with quality time with the Bedouins, time on Mount Gerizim with Samaritans, as well as visiting farmers, cooks and food experts throughout the Land of Israel including in Judea and Sumeria, learning from Torah scholars, and equally from culinary archeologists.

Ancient Hebrew Recipes & Ancient Hebrew Wisdom.

Plant-based Recipes from a Far-Flung Tribe.

Local, organic, plant-rich food, without refined sugar, and peppered with medicinal herbs such as olive leaves to help regulate blood sugar, and hyssop (za’atar) for neural health.

Commonly-found ingredients that regular folk can find in their local market. Real food for families on a budget, because everyone’s health is equally important - while also introducing a few nutrient-dense and mineral-rich, seasonal, ingredients from the Middle East, which I plan to export to the USA with help from my friends at Burlap & Barrell - fair-trade, of course! 

So that’s what I’m up to now - a BIG vision, based on 30+ years of my own writing / growing / cooking career, and 4,000+ years of my ancient lineage. 

Not shying away from the complexities of the region in modern times, in fact, diving right into this conversation, working with our Arab cousins in Israel. All shall be revealed in the book when it’s served…

My initial interest in food originated from being a leader in the organic community in London in the 1990s, focused on organic food specifically, and a recognised leading voice of my generation, talking about organics on BBC radio and TV regularly.

Chemical pesticides sprayed on fields impacting human health and the ecosystem, how workers rights are intrinsically connected with stuff like this, and how processed foods are bad for our own health, and the health of everyone. The history of multinational food corporations in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The health impact of Sugar. Corn. Cows. How America was fueled by these commodities. How Coca Cola and chocolate and a nice cup of tea intersect with deeply uncomfortable histories that we need, as Jewish people, to unpack in terms of our ancient system of ethics.

How food intersects everything that’s either fair and just in the world, or the opposite - from the human rights of people growing food, to the values of corporations that pollute the earth with pesticides. I was inspired by more compassionate and sustainable ways of eating, including permaculture, local urban gardens, hydroponics, roof gardens. Cooking from scratch and using ingredients from local farmers.

Later, I became interested in stuff like taste, health and the pleasures of food - there’s so much more to food than simply taste! - but without the pleasures of eating, the history started to taste sour, so I was motivated to learn to sweeten flavors to illuminate the more challenging facts, and keep everyone’s attention with deliciousness!

And that brings us to now… to 2026, and these challenging times for the Jewish people. I wanted to write about our foods, and first I needed to learn more. 2026 will be a big year in this process, and I’m looking forward to sharing what I’ve learned, BzH