Foodie DNA *Dining with Nihal in Amsterdam* started as a culinary resource in 2013, specialised in succulent supper clubs with inter-cultural flavours & themes. I'm a freelance caterer who has worked in the food and film industries for the past 25 years. After moving to Amsterdam in the early nineties, I began cooking at various vegetarian restaurants, mainly preparing vegan menus. These experienc
es determined my preference for healthy, seasonal and quality ingredients, while opening my eyes to cooking with plant-based products. I was made aware of how tasty and dynamic a vegan meal can be when properly seasoned and layered with balanced flavours, colours and textures. During this time, I learned how to prepare international dishes previously unknown to me and was also introduced to Japanese Macrobiotic cuisine, which still influences the way I cook today. Throughout the years, I was drawn back to my culinary roots, merging my Middle-Eastern (Levantine) background with Mediterranean (Southern European) and North-African (Moorish) gastronomy. My cooking style has remained creative and unconventional, inspired by soul food from different cultures. I serve shared plates of dips and salads, savoury pies and a colourful array of finger food in an informal setting. My dishes have a rustic appearance, enhanced by unique combinations of spice blends, fresh herbs and rare condiments. The mezze I prepare is mostly vegetarian, using as much organic produce as possible. The emphasis on simplicity, pure ingredients and full flavours requires all dishes to be made from scratch- including a sugarless hoisin sauce and a home-brewed "cubeless" vegetable bouillon for my soups. I avoid microwaves, preservatives, food enhancers and other artificial additives. Catering starts with a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 30 people. If it's strictly a dinner buffet, and if the location is suitable, I can sometimes accommodate up to 40 people. My basic lunch assortment includes one type of soup, two different mezze dips, one type of salad and one type of savoury pie. The dishes are accompanied by bread, vegetable strips and oven-baked pita chips with za'atar (an Arabic herb blend, which is mixed with Maldonado salt and Palestinian olive oil). This amounts to five components in total, excluding the complimentary items. Since some dishes are interchangeable, I can diversify upon request or offer more extensive lunch menus at different price ranges. The usual routine consists of transporting the food to the host's home, assembling the mezze in their kitchen, and serving the dishes in my bowls and the host's equipment. I don't provide plates, cutlery, heating or cooling devices. If a customer wants to save on costs, they can always opt to pick up the food packed in containers for a 20% discount. This option is perfect for picnics, family meals or communal office lunches/parties. If people require disposable plates, cutlery and paper napkins, I can provide them upon request. Meals catered after 17:00 consist of cocktail party bites, walking dinners, buffets or "coffee table mezze" for small casual gatherings. These can range from a variety of Arabic mezze to Italian-themed aperitivo with bruschettas and pan-Asian finger food. On special occasions, I provide Palestinian soul food dinners and sit-down meals at the host's residence for up to ten guests, sometimes with a customised theme. One example is the Mad Men Dinner, which is a four-course artisanal meal with anecdotes from the chef, preceded by home-made appetisers and a welcome drink. A small selection of sweets will be available in the future (with vegan options). At the moment, desserts are exclusively served at sit-down multi-course dinners. I still occasionally give mezze workshops and am also currently studying miso and kombucha-making, with a growing fascination for fermented and pickled foods. Some of these items will be introduced in my mezze dishes later this year. A long-term project to create a tangy home-made vegan labneh (Arabic yogurt curd) is still in development, along with a recipe in progress to produce a ripened plant-based cheese. The last two products should be available by 2018. The most exciting news of 2017 is that I'm launching a line of mezze dips and "happy hoisin sauce", which will be sold at a few spots in Amsterdam starting in April, so check out my Foodie DNA wall for updates! For an impression of my cooking, click on the photo album section of my Foodie DNA page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/foodiedna/photos/?tab=albums. If you're interested in my mezze assortment (or if you would like a catering gig to be customised to your preference), let me know what you have in mind and I'll reply with a list of suggestions accompanied by a quote. Every catering assignment is a new venture that contributes to my development as a cook. My aim is to provide memorable dishes at your lunch, picnic, dinner or festivity, and to share my passion for cooking. If the food I serve puts a smile on your face and your guests still feel mezzenized the next day, my job has been accomplished. Looking forward to feeding you,
Nihal
