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.
