Mesopotamian Aroma

05/23/2026

Shavout Dinner featuring dishes inspired by Mesopotamian and European Mediterranean cuisines. Beginning with a Levantine caramelized zucchini-yoğurt soup before proceeding to the beloved “Zesty Zucchini Yoğurt Tahini” dip, homemade Alfredo, and a Türkish cucumber tzatziki kale salad.

With the Shavout culinary theme centered around dairy, let’s talk about yoğurt fermentation in ancient Mesopotamia. Nomadic Mesopotamians fermented milk to preserve it, creating a foundation that became a defining element of ancestral soups.

This practice is directly reflected in the soup on this menu: “Shorbat Laban.” Historically, yoğurt-based soups are deeply tied to the ancient Levant and Mesopotamia. They were designed to nourish, cool the body, and utilize staple crops such as grains (rice or bulgur), summer squash (zucchini), and proteins like chicken or lamb.

Lastly, the herb temper: the method of frying dried mint and garlic in ghee or olive oil, then pouring it over a warm yogurt soup, traces directly back to ancient Mesopotamian flavor traditions.

03/20/2026

A few years ago, I celebrated Nevrûz in Paris. While I am not Iranian myself, I was born in a country where Kurdish people honor this ancient holiday rooted in Zoroastrian and Persian traditions. Nevrûz was more than an official public holiday—it was our annual family reunion in Iraqi , where we welcomed the spring equinox with bonfires burning from day into night, grilling that perfumed the air, Govend circle dances pulsing with rhythm, vibrant Kiras û Kolankak gowns in motion, and the sweeping views of Mt. Ezmer embracing the city of Süleymaniye.

While I carry these memories closely, my celebration in Paris was not an act of nostalgia—it was an act of solidarity with the Iranian people, who remarkably bore the early weight of the pandemic with profound loss.

Today, I celebrate this holiday with a new community in , with deeper intention: to honor my earliest Nevrûz memories in —Baghdad and Kurdistan—and to stand in solidarity with the Iranian people, from the protests that shook the streets to the conflicts that followed. Nevrûz Pîrûz!!!

02/04/2026

Türshana — Compote d’abricots, de prunes et de noix. Drying and preserving fruit was a Mesopotamian agricultural breakthrough that allowed communities to carry the harvest across and terrain. Apricots and plums, long cultivated throughout the region, appear here as a restrained sour compote. For Tu BiShvat, the dish reflects a core idea of the holiday: fruit as legacy—what the land provides, and how human ingenuity ensures it endures.

Tu Bishvat, the holiday of trees, was the first holiday I celebrated in since moving from Seattle. Within a community that welcomed me with open arms, I commemorated it by executing unique dishes that drew on techniques developed in the land between the two rivers, Mesopotamia—modern-day . The Cradle of Civilization and the Holy Land met on one table. Borders may have been defined by law and relations by politicians in power, but friendships transcend borders and politics, and flavors bridge millennia.

02/04/2026

Tu Bishvat, the holiday of trees, was the first holiday I celebrated in since moving from Seattle. Within a community that welcomed me with open arms, I commemorated it by executing unique dishes that drew on techniques developed in the land between the two rivers, Mesopotamia—modern-day . The Cradle of Civilization and the Holy Land met on one table. Borders may have been defined by law and relations by politicians in power, but friendships transcend borders and politics, and flavors bridge millennia.

12/25/2025

One week in , and I already got an amazing culinary related opportunity: The Magzoball party, one of the largest social events of the year. Dubbed as the “nation’s #1 holiday party, MatzoBall is a popular annual Christmas Eve party in the U.S. designed primarily for young Jewish singles. Big thank you to my dear friend for this magnificent exposure opportunity.

12/25/2025

Aegean olive-oil-roasted pumpkin wedges with onions and eng red peppers, finished with oregano. As a final remark, tnstead of doubling down with another stew, the strategy pivoted to vegetables and herbs-celebration over substitution.

12/25/2025

My zucchini dip—listed on the menu as Zesty Zucchini Yoğurt Tahini—is a signature I served across countless dinners during my years as a host, chef, and culinary educator in . Presenting this dish at one of my favorite Jewish institutions, and sharing it with the wider community, was a genuine honor.

12/25/2025

12/24/2025

A celeriac-based tray layered with green chard and chickpeas. Another vegan feast from western .