À LA TABLE | Chef Mushka
Meet Chef Mushka—a bold and soulful talent whose culinary journey began in the vibrant world of Crown Heights, where she was born the youngest in a large Hasidic family. While her early kitchen experiences were more observational than hands-on, it was clear even then that food would play a central role in her story. Her true awakening came in Jerusalem, where the rich, sensory magic of the markets—and the influence of her former partner’s pioneering restaurant family—ignited her passion and shaped her into the chef she is today. What started as a one-time favor cooking for a Brooklyn dinner party quickly grew into a full-fledged career rooted in instinct, culture, and flavor. Entirely self-taught and fiercely intuitive, Mushka blends the warmth of tradition with the thrill of the unexpected—think harissa-silan lamb ribs, elegant dinner parties, and surprise ingredients like tangy yogurt stone. With every dish, she brings heart, heat, and a touch of magic.
Getting to Know Chef Mushka
MG: Where are you from, and where did you grow up?
CM: I was born in Crown Heights, the youngest of a large Hassidic family. While I was raised there most of my childhood, I consider Jerusalem to be where I really came into my own.
MG: How did you get your start as a chef in Brooklyn?
CM: It was a bit of an accident! Coming back from Jerusalem, a friend had asked me to cook for a dinner party, and the rest is history.
MG: What is your earliest memory in the kitchen—was it a beautiful family moment or a total disaster?
CM: Mainly memories of my mom yelling at me to get out of the kitchen, I wasn’t allowed to cook for fear of un-koshering the kitchen by mixing milk and meat equipment.
MG: When did you first realize that cooking was more than just a hobby for you?
CM: It was never a hobby. I learned on the job, in the kitchen. Before the kitchen, I ate most of my meals out of market stalls or my previous partners family home. While working at his families restaurant is where I developed my knowledge and love for cooking.
MG: If you could cook a meal for any historical figure, who would it be, and what would you make?
CM: Anthony Bourdain, Potato kugel.
MG: Have you ever been mentored by a professional chef? Who were they, and what lessons or values did they teach you that will stay with you forever?
CM: Yes, by many talented chefs in Jerusalem. My favorite chef/restauranteur was Eli Mizrahi, my previous partners father. He taught me that no table is too small, if there’s room in the heart, there’s room on the floor.
Food, Flavor & Maison Gabrielle
MG: What are your top 3-5 favorite Maison Gabrielle spices, and why do you love them?
CM: Fenugreek, extremely fresh and flavorful. Shallots, super gentle allium flavor and gorgeous color. Herbs de Provence, tastes like a fairytale.
MG: What do you like most about the Maison Gabrielle Seasonal Box Subscription?
CM: That it cuts out all the indecisiveness about cooking. I love having 5 great options to use as inspiration for my next dish or dinner at home. Also, people forget how important it is to use your spices when they’re still fresh, but a seasonal box is the perfect reminder to keep your spice cabinet moving along.Inspired by Chef Mushka? Enjoy 10% off your Maison Gabrielle order with checkout code: MUSHKA at MaisonGabrielleFrance.com
MG: If you could create a signature dish that perfectly captures your personality, what would it be and why?
CM: Harissa and silan lamb ribs. Sweet, spicy, zingy and feisty…just like me.
MG: What’s the most unconventional ingredient you’ve ever used, and how did it surprise you in the kitchen?
CM: While in Jerusalem, I stumbled across yogurt stone and have been using it ever since. I couldn’t believe how much tang you could get from an ingredient that otherwise looks like chalk. It’s truly the Parmigiano of the Middle East!
Chef Mushka’s Work as a Private Chef
MG: What inspired you to become a private chef?
CM: My previous partner came from a well-known culinary family in Jerusalem that were the pioneers who opened the first restaurant in the Jerusalem market. He saw how much I loved food and took it upon himself to teach me whether I liked it not.
MG: Did you go to professional cooking school? Where? What was your focus?
CM: Nope! I learnt everything I know from the market & my previous partners family, the Mizrachi’s
MG: What are your favorite types of events to cater, and why?
CM: I love a smaller, intimate dinner party, with dimmed lights and candles, where the dishes are a mix of personal and communal & the wine never stops being poured.
Let’s Have Some Fun!
MG: If your kitchen had a theme song every time you cooked, what would it be?
CM: Probably one of my old Arabic-Israeli Jewish tunes I’m always humming while cooking.
MG: What’s the funniest or most unexpected request you’ve ever gotten from a client or guest?
CM: When a client called and asked me to prepare dinner without any middle eastern flavors!
MG: Have you ever had a total cooking fail that ended up being a happy accident?
CM: I truly, truly, truly don’t.
MG: Sweet or Savory?
CM: I really need both! I never skip dessert.
MG: Favorite Snack
CM: popcorn with butter
MG: Have you ever been to Paris or France? If so, what did you love about it? Any memorable culinary experiences? Any Favorite restaurants/shops/dishes you ate?
CM: Yes, when I was 10. So, wine and after having a French omelet and I was hooked.
Chef Mushka is more than a chef—she’s a storyteller of flavor, weaving heritage, intuition, and bold creativity into every dish she serves. From her roots in Crown Heights to her culinary awakening in Jerusalem, her journey is as rich and layered as the meals she creates. Entirely self-taught, she redefines tradition with soulful warmth and fearless imagination—leaving every table she touches a little more vibrant, and a little more unforgettable.
