Hedy Goldsmith hums when she bakes.
The Philadelphia native moved to Miami 30 years ago and has been sweetening hearts and palates of South Floridians ever since. She began at Mark’s Place, a restaurant well ahead of its time that practiced farm-to-table and sustainable eating long before they were buzz words commonplace today.
“We were still, in many areas, serving continental cuisine, whatever that is,” Goldsmith chuckles, noting her good fortune for having worked alongside Chef Mark Militello for five years. From there she moved on to South Beach’s Nemo, Prime 112, then to Michael Schwartz’s Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink where she stayed for 15 years.
“He and I worked quite well together. That’s where I was nominated for a Beard award several times and he received a Beard,” she adds, referring to being the 2012 and 2013 James Beard Award Finalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef.
Her career flourished. For six seasons she appeared on Cooking Channel’s “Unique Sweets,” was part of the first all-female competitors to defeat Bobby Flay on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America,” contributed recipes to Food Network and appeared on television shows like the “Today” show, “Oprah” and “Rachel Ray,” among many others. Her 2012 cookbook, “Baking Out Loud: Fun Desserts with Big Flavors” brought her recipes into homes of millions and she’s been featured in The New York Times, LA Times, Bon Appétit and Miami Herald, to name a few.
Still, being in the kitchen baking is her happy place (hence the humming), so when the opportunity to join Abbale Telavivian Kitchen — the cozy Israeli restaurant drawing in crowds and accolades on Miami’s South of the Fifth neighborhood — arose, she couldn’t resist.
“At this stage of my career, I wanted to work in a place that I can actually bake, I could make a difference, I could kind of first-hand feel how happy guests were, because the restaurant is so small and accessible,” Goldsmith says.
It’s what she calls, “a full circle with exceptional food, exceptional heart and soul.”
She refers to Abbale as “the real deal” and her favorite restaurant in Miami. And while Goldsmith has a wealth of knowledge and experience — which translates into lots and lots of recipes — she’s excited by the creativity this new chapter will bring.
“I worked in fine dining for a bunch of years. This restaurant is unique. I don’t want to say it’s simple cuisine, because it’s not, it’s very intricate. It’s Israeli comfort food at the purest, most simplistic level.”
With that in mind, Goldsmith will apply her flavor-forward lens, time-honored expertise and bubbling sense of curiosity in developing desserts befitting of the eatery. This includes working with flavors not typically associated with dessert, like turmeric and feta.
Goldsmith has long admired Abbale owners Sam Gorenstein and Omer Horev, saying their honest, family-style, clean eating resonates strongly with her own code.
“That’s my M.O. in this whole journey of baking — I just really want to be honest and make good products with good food, you know?”
Date Cake With Feta Caramel By Hedy Goldsmith
Executive Pastry Chef at Abbale Telavivian Kitchen
Cake Ingredients
1 lb. dates, pitted
2 tsp. baking soda
2 ½ cups hot water
1 vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Feta Caramel Ingredients
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup heavy cream
6 oz. crumbled feta
(reserve 1 oz. for garnish)
Method
Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 10”x 4” loaf pan. In a small bowl combine the dates and baking soda. Pour the hot water over the dates and mix with a fork until they have mostly dissolved and are pulpy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, egg and egg yolk until the mixture is pale yellow and falls in smooth ribbons when lifted with a spoon. Stir in the date mixture, incorporating it completely. In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Gently fold the flour into the date mixture until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Pierce the loaf with a fork, or better yet, a long wooden skewer. Ladle the feta caramel over the top of the hot cake. Repeat several times allowing the caramel to soak into the hot cake. This will take several ladles so be very patient — it will be worth every minute of your time. Leave the cake in the pan until it cools to the touch. Then unmold the cake by tilting on to a platter. Slice the cake and shingle slices. Top with reserved Feta Caramel.
Feta Caramel
In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar. As soon as the sugar has dissolved, gradually add the cream, pouring a steady stream while whisking constantly. Remove from the heat. Whisk into the caramel 5 oz. crumbled feta cheese. We use an immersion blender to completely incorporate the cheese. A blender at low speed will also do the job.
Pierce the cake all over with a knife or a skewer. Pour half the sauce over the top of the cake, directing it into the holes. Set aside to rest. The cake can be stored at room temperature in the baking dish, covered with plastic wrap for 1 day and in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring back to room temperature before serving and garnish with the remaining 1 oz. of feta.
The cake is delicious and super moist. This can stand on its own or if you like top with ice cream. I suggest Tahini ice cream.