Shuka inspired Mediterranean Feast
… cooking for a very good friend and her bf
there are few things I like more than booking my calendar FULL of dinner plans with my friends. specifically dinners that I cook in my own kitchen so that I have an excuse to host people and go ‘all out’ for no real reason at all. no occasion required.
in my apartment, summer is the best time for said dinner parties because the light from the sun setting over the Hudson River comes basking through our windows, lighting up the dinner table (and dinner spread) in the most inviting way imaginable. this kind of lighting + my freshly cheffed up food requires lots of documentation (see above).
this dinner was inspired by another recent dinner I had at Shuka with some of my high school friends. there’s nothing I love more than variety in a meal, filling up my plate with a little bit of everything so that each bite can be slightly different. it’s why i will always reach over and ask for a bite off your plate and why appetizers and desserts are MEANT for sharing. And it’s why restaurants like Shuka are my preferred eating-out venue because they demand ordering lots of small plates and sharing. just ideal.
anyways… this dinner was originally planned for 5 people and then it dropped to 4 and then it dropped to 3 with me third wheeling a cute dinner date night in for my friend and her bf. I didn’t mind at all- more food for us and leftovers for me :)
On the menu:
LOTS OF DIPS- I’m talking labneh (with toasty pistachios, vinegar honey, and cracked black pepper), hummus (with EVOO and Za’atar), and a spicy whipped feta (with harissa). get the inspo here
FLATBREADS- of course! I’ve made this recipe from Natasha’s baking dozens of times and it quite literally never disappoints.
LAMB MEATBALLS- pull out the garam masala for these bad boys. get the inspo here
A WATERMELON SALAD- that maybe didn’t completely vibe with the rest of the spread, but it was damn delicious. this recipe was chilling in my NYT recipe box for quite a while and I was excited to finally put it to use. get the recipe here
ACCOUTREMENTS- dips require dippers, and I went with some farmer’s market rainbow carrots and snappy mini cucumbers for dipping pleasures. also some marinated artichokes that I wanted out of my fridge :)
HIBISCUS TEA COOLER- my fridge is constantly stocked with a big jug of hibiscus iced tea. I mixed with topo chico (or any seltzer) along with some spicy simple syrup i had leftover from cocktails to make the most refreshing mocktail.
