“A Place at the Table” is a commemorative project that documents the favorite dishes of those lost on October 7 with the help of their families and friends.
Shlomi Gozlan struggles to talk about his best friend Adiel Twito in the past tense. A sharp and deep pain makes it difficult for him to breathe. He can’t find the words to describe what he’s been going through since he found out that the friend who was such an integral part of his life was brutally murdered on October 7 at the Nova music festival. She was 32 years old.
“Every year on my birthday, I would receive a happy birthday message from Adi. That was the most important part for me. This year, I didn’t receive one from her, of course… So I uploaded her message from last year to my Instagram stories. One of the things she wrote to me was: ‘Even though you are two years older than me, it feels like ten years to me.’ It took me a while to realize that Adiel was just like my little sister.”
The two friends knew each other since childhood, growing up together in Lod, but it was only eight years ago, when Adiel started working at the same insurance company as Shlomi, that a deep friendship began to unfold between them. Lod and their shared memories served as the foundation, says Shlomi, but what truly made them an inseparable duo was their deep love for food and their shared dream of becoming chefs. “We would go to restaurants together and order the entire menu, and of course, we’d indulge in plenty of alcohol,” Shlomi recalls. “It was always a joy with her, she always made everything fun, and that’s why she’s missed so dearly. Now, every time I take a sip of alcohol, I raise a toast in her name: Long live Adi.”
They also went to parties together, which Adiel loved. Returning home famished after a late night out, they would open the refrigerator, assess its contents, and dive in. One of their favorite dishes to whip up — and the one that Adiel adored most when Shlomi made it for her — was beef tartare. Anything delicious found in the fridge would be finely chopped with a sharp chef’s knife and added to the bowl along with the meat. After seasoning and mixing, the tartare would be proudly placed atop a slice of toasted bread, preferably accompanied by aioli, and devoured. “Small plates with alcohol were our thing,” he says, “but beef tartare was the pinnacle — she absolutely loved it.”
About three years ago, the two were selected to compete on the second season of the food competition show “My Kitchen Rules,” where couples vie for a cash prize to open their own restaurant. They trained together at his home and in the kitchen of Adiel’s mother, who taught her to cook.On the show, the best friends not only won over the judges, earning a spot in the finals, but also captured the hearts of the audience, thanks to their special dynamic and the genuine sincerity they brought to the screen.
After the show, Adiel established herself as a private chef with her own catering business, and worked for chef Haim Cohen, who was a judge on the show. “For a long time, I felt like an older brother who needed to protect her, but recently, as she started working on her own and flourishing, I could let go,” Shlomi says. “She had many dreams. One of them was to open her own place. We will make sure to commemorate her and the things she loved in any way possible.”
Did you make this recipe? Share a photo of it with the hashtag #a_place_at_the_table to honor the memory of the late Adiel Twito.
300 grams (11 oz) beef tenderloin or filet mignon
1 small shallot, finely chopped
½ chili pepper, finely chopped
4 mint leaves, finely chopped
A pinch of chopped chives
5 capers, rinsed and pat-dried, finely chopped
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon reduced balsamic vinegar
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
For the cilantro-parsley aioli:
¼ bunch cilantro
¼ bunch parsley
2 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 cup vegetable oil
To serve:
4 sourdough bread slices
Olive oil
- Prepare the aioli: Place the cilantro, parsley, garlic, mustard, vinegar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and blend to a coarse paste.
- Add the egg and yolks, then process at high speed for 2 minutes. Reduce to medium speed and gradually drizzle in the oil at a steady rate, blending until the mixture reaches a smooth, creamy texture. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and vinegar if necessary. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Note: the aioli should not be consumed more than 24 hours after preparation.
- Prepare the tartare: Using a sharp knife, finely chop the beef and place it in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- To serve: Heat a little olive oil in a griddle pan. Fry the bread until toasted and golden brown. Top each slice with the tartare and add a spoonful of aioli on top.
*This recipe appears exactly as the family makes it; it has not been edited.
