Join us for the launch of a book on restaurateur Moshe Kruvi
For more than five decades, Moshe Kruvi was one of the most successful restaurateurs in Israel. He founded the Mi va Mi restaurant in Tel Aviv in 1967, and turned it from a successful kebab shop into a thriving restaurant chain. In the 1970s he launched a network of falafel spots in the U.S. and in the early 1990s, opened the legendary Dalidag. At the same time, he was one of the firsts locally to sell prepared and packaged mezze for diners to eat at home. In the early 2000s, with the outbreak of the second intifada, though, Kruvi’s empire crashed and was forced to declare bankruptcy.
The life story of Kruvi, presented in a new autobiography “On Steak, Chickpeas and Bavarian Cream,” offers a glimpse into the life of the serial restaurateur and tireless entrepreneur. In many ways, his story mirrors that of the evolution of food culture in Israel.
Join us for a three-part event, hosted by anthropologist Nir Avieli, that examines the foods in the book’s title.
Schedule
Steak — A Discussion
Avieli talks to chef and restaurateur Asaf Doktor (Ha’achim, Dok, Abie) about the incarnation of the steakhouse in Israel.
Hummus: The Commodification of Chickpeas — A Lecture
Elad Ravid discusses the introduction of packaged hummus in grocery stores and its link to the popularity of the dish in the U.S. and Europe.
Bavarian Cream: The White Dessert
A special performance by Carmel Bar and Michal Eviatar of MELAFOOD.
About the host
Nir Avieli
A Professor of Anthropology
Nir Avieli is a professor of anthropology who specializes in the study of food culture, tourism, and heritage studies. He is the former chair of the department of sociology and anthropology at Ben Gurion University, and past president of the Israeli Anthropological Association. He is the author of dozens of articles as well as the books of “Rice Talks: Food and Community in a Vietnamese Town” and “Food and Power: A Culinary Ethnography of Israel.” He is currently writing “Food and Freedom: Culinary Redemption in the Israeli Periphery.”
