Cooking Joan Nathan Style

On July 10th, we had the pleasure of catering the annual Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs Luncheon at The Geraghty. The board members of the JAC organization wanted us to create an event that was solely based on recipes that Joan Nathan wrote in her cookbook, King Solomon’s Table. If you haven’t gotten a chance to check out this book follow the link here. It highlights the Jewish roots in French cuisine. She traveled from Paris and into French countrysides searching for some of the earliest Jewish sites in France. The recipes incorporate ingredients she found in local markets and shared experiences from cooking classes in one of Paris’ top restaurant. So much history and culture went into ever dish and we were thrilled to recreate a few items for this beautiful luncheon.

The menu was split into two stations followed by waiter-passed desserts. All menu items found in King Solomon’s Table cookbook:

Soupe Aux Petit Pois a l’estragon
Cold Pea Soup Shooters with Tarragon
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Sambousak bel Tawa
Chick Pea Pillows with Onions and Yogurt Sauce
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Seven Sacred Species Salad
with Wheatberries, Barley, Olives, Figs,
Dates, Grapes, Pomegranate
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Kiftes Garaz
Syrian Meatballs with cherries and tamarind
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Grilled Paiche Fish
Raita Sauce
Shaved Fennel Slaw, micro greens
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Chocolate Flour-less Cake Bites
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Jelly Doughnut Holes
rolled in sugar

A few days following the event, we picked up a New York Times magazine and were thrilled to see an entire article about a New York native, Sara Kramer, who now resides in southern California. She had just recently opened a restaurant serving her elegant approach to Israeli cuisine. The interview was Sara explaining why, despite the lack of water for crops, southern California is the “ideal place” for her to be making this kind of food. Read more of this interesting article here. For now we will be here planning our next to trip do our own exploring of this trending style of cooking. Maybe we will start in California and work our way oversees!

Stay tuned.

Floral + Design: Kehoe Designs
Catering: Entertaining Company
Event Rentals: Tablescapes Rental