Eden's food, plated and paired with pieces by Pomelo Casa. Both are inspired by color.
The Stylish Chef Put Together A Menu For Us From Her Latest Cookbook And We Set The Table
Eden's food, plated and paired with pieces by Pomelo Casa. Both are inspired by color.
Loud, fun, and comfortable. Those are the three words that chef and tv food personality Eden Grinshpan uses to describe her style of entertaining. She adores sitting around a big table with all of her friends, eating, drinking and laughing. The Canada native has always been inspired by international flavors, and cooks with a signature arsenal of seasonal vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices. Of her first cookbook, Eating Out Loud, the host of Top Chef Canada tells us she "reinterpreted lots of traditional flavors in new ways, and condiments play a huge part. I always have a variety of condiments, dips, sauces, spreads, and pickles in my fridge, so it's very easy to create flavorful and colorful dishes every day". She also whips up her culinary creations with color in mind. Eden's the modern face of food culture; her dishes are simple to put together, yet bursting with style. The tv host and personality is regularly seen cooking and commentating for the Food Network, Today Show, and many others, and has a thriving Instagram account that documents her delicious dishes, often with family and friends in the mix. She's known for her humor and lighthearted approach to life, and her food that looks and tastes of sheer vibrancy. Her style of cooking is inspired by Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, which she exclaims is "bursting with veg-forward food, that then creates beautiful, colorful dishes"
When assembling dishes to complete a full meal, Eden "always has a vegetable dish on the table". Look to her cookbook for vegetable dishes are that are hearty; Eating Out Loud has a dedicated chapter to "Making Veg The Star" of a meal. When it comes to menu planning, to keep a given meal vegetable-forward, she'll make two dishes from her Veg chapter and pair them with tahini or a dip of some sort, and either a salad or a grain. Otherwise, she suggests selecting one dish from her meat or fish sections, and pairing it with a salad and a grain. For Eden, salad is key. "I tend to add a light side dish like a salad to almost every meal to keep things balanced."
When it comes to her own glam gatherings, a maximum of 10-12 people is her ideal for a crowd, with a tableful of dishes to sample. "I love when the table is very full---bountiful and colorful. I arrange the dishes or pots on the table, add serving utensils, and let my guests help themselves. I love a family-style dinner." Below, the lavender hued Le Creuset pan with lid, in porcelain-covered cast iron, is the perfect choice for bringing dish from oven (or stove) to table. When asked about her own personal style, Grinshpan often references her love of the 1970's. So for this glam gathering, you'll want to get some 70's rock playing, and, according to Grinshpan, make sure "lights are dimly lit and wine is a-flowing". The ultimate goal for Eden's get-togethers? "Feed my guests yummy food, maybe get a little tipsy, and always end in a dance party."
To set the scene for this meal of whole roasted fish and zucchini, along with classic hummus and spicy, red pepper condiment, matbucha, we chose pieces from our new favorite brand, Pomelo Casa. The line from founders Francesca de la Fuente, an interior designer, and Maria Strada, a stylist, features plates, bowls, and pitchers, handmade in Southern Spain by ceramicists who have used the same technique for over five centuries. Inspired by color, the duo offer traditional Spanish style items for the table, juxtaposed by non-traditional hues: a combination we absolutely love. To round off our look, we added hammered glassware and blackened flatware by Pottery Barn that would mimic the rustic, Mediterranean vibe of Eden's food. Wooden servers from Bloomist.com add another rustic touch while bohemian, patterned napkins from Paloma + Co add a fourth color to our tabletop mix of black, teal, and lavender. We aimed to keep Eden's colorful philosophy on mealtime in mind---an effortless endeavor---because it happens to be our own. Flowers? All the way. We mixed branches of berries with flowers, dried and fresh, to add to the eclectic feel. Eden's rule for arrangements? "Not in the center of the table but on the end of the table, and with lots of dishes arranged next to it." Eden tells us that her friend Athena Calderone, of the Eyeswoon blog and brand, introduced her to a flower shop in New York City's flower district that sells dates, figs, and pomegranates on the branch. She loves including these elements on her table. She also favors taking things a step further by adding piles of fruit and vegetables to give off "a bountiful feel", adding not only more color---but also smell.
Eden Grinshpan strikes a cheeky pose with a cocktail. Shop her debut cookbook, Eating Out Loud, HERE.
THE FOOD
Eden On The Menu She Chose For This Story
I love this particular variety of my dishes. The two dips are perfect with fresh bread. Pita, challah or barbari (a type of flatbread), would be amazing with them. The light, roasted snapper gets packed with citrus flavor, by being covered in ground sumac. The zucchini is a great side for the fish. It's easy to make, and full of aromatic flavors like coriander, lemon zest and basil. It’s fun to mix and match all of my dishes--- they're all super satisfying without being too heavy.
3 cups cooked or canned chickpeas (about two 15.5-ounce cans), rinsed and drained
1 cup ice water
1 cup tahini paste
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 garlic clove
tahini sauce
(optional for
extra creamy texture)
1/4 cup tahini paste
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
hummus vinaigrette
½ long hot pepper, finely chopped (optional)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ garlic clove, grated
pinch of kosher salt
serving
hummus vinaigrette or 1 lemon and extra-virgin olive oil
paprika (you could also use za’atar or aleppo pepper)
zhug, red and green (optional)
pickles (optional)
pitas (optional), homemade or store-bought
challah
to make the hummus:
In a blender or food processor
(the more high-powered your blender, the fluffier your hummus will be), combine the chickpeas, ice water, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and garlic and blend until smooth. (If making ahead, you can store the hummus in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.)
to make the tahini sauce:
In a medium bowl, stir together the tahini, salt, and 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water until smooth.
to make the hummus vinaigrette:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the hot pepper (if using), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.
To serve: Spread the hummus on a plate. Add a drizzle of the tahini sauce in the center, followed by a drizzle of the hummus vinaigrette (or the lazy version—a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil), then a good pinch of paprika.
From Eating Out Loud by Eden Grinshpan
Serves 4 as a dip
3 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
4 red bell peppers, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 heaping teaspoons aleppo
pepper or red chile flakes,
plus more (optional)
for serving
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons kosher salt,
plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon red wine
vinegar
6 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bell peppers, onion, aleppo pepper, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the vinegar and use your spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Stir in the tomatoes and sugar and check for seasoning. Add a pinch more salt if it needs it—it should be tangy and sweet. Let the mixture reduce over medium-low heat until it’s a thick, sweet, sticky sauce and the tomatoes have completely broken down, about 40 minutes. Let the mixture cool slightly before serving with a sprinkle of aleppo (if desired), or let it cool completely and store in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.
From Eating Out Loud by Eden Grinshpan
Serves 2
roasted snapper
1 whole red snapper, cleaned
2 tablespoons sumac
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
lime yogurt
1 cup whole-milk greek
yogurt
grated zest and juice
of 1 lime
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 garlic clove, grated
serving
chopped fresh mint
juice of 1 lime
2 limes, cut into wedges
Roast the snapper: Preheat the oven to 425°F
Carefully use a sharp knife to score each side of the fish, making 5 or 6 incisions into the skin and flesh of the fish (this will help even more flavor seep in to the flesh). Season inside and out with the sumac, salt, and pepper. Really pack on the sumac! Place the fish on a baking sheet. Stuff with the sliced garlic and drizzle the olive oil all over. Roast until the eyes have popped and the flesh is firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.
To make the lime yogurt:
In a medium bowl, stir together
the yogurt, lime zest, lime juice, salt, and grated garlic.
To serve: Place the roasted fish on a serving platter and scatter mint over the top. Squeeze the lime juice over the fish and serve the yogurt and lime wedges on the side
From Eating Out Loud by Eden Grinshpan
Serves 4
squash
5 medium summer squash or zucchini or a combination (about 2. pounds), cut lengthwise into 1/4 -inch-thick planks
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
bread crumbs
2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, grated
¾ cup panko bread crumbs, pulsed in a blender if chunkier crumbs kosher salt
serving
rated zest of 1 lemon
extra-virgin olive oil
10 small fresh basil leaves (or 3 large ones, torn)
flaky sea salt
To make the squash:
Preheat the grill until it’s hot. (Or
preheat a large pan over medium-high heat.)
In a medium bowl, toss the squash with the olive oil, vinegar, and kosher salt and pepper to taste. Grill (or pan sear) the squash on both sides until lightly charred, about 5 minutes total. (It will be about 1 minute per side in a pan.)
To make the bread crumbs:
Toast the coriander in a dry
pan until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Grind the seeds
with a mortar and pestle or in a spice grinder. Heat the
olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the
garlic and cook for just 5 seconds, making sure it doesn’t
burn. Add the bread crumbs and season with kosher
salt. Cook until the bread crumbs start to toast a bit, 3 to
5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the
coriander.
To serve: Arrange the grilled squash on a serving plate and sprinkle the warm bread crumbs over the top. Finish with the lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil, then scatter the basil over the top. Sprinkle with the sea salt.
Francesca de la Fuente + Maria Strada of Pomelo Casa. The brand’s credo: handmade in Spain, and at home in LA.
Eden's eats: lime yogurt for the fish, zucchini topped with breadcrumbs, hummus, and snapper roasted with sumac and garlic.
