The Friday Dinner Club
- Asian
- European
- Mediterranean
- Middle Eastern
- Turkish
- Kosher
- Vegan/Vegetarian
- Gluten-Free
- Allergy-Friendly
- Can work with Limited Kitchen
- Enjoy Teaching
- Event Catering
- Breakfast & Brunch
- Desserts & Pastries
Growing up in a Moroccan- Lebanese home was the starting point of my journey into the realm of professional kitchens.
Acquiring my culinary degree in Israel gave me the opportunity to establish my own version of Mediterranean - Middle Eastern cuisine.
All pastries and desserts are done by me and my wife, the pastry chef , Leetal. you can view more of her creations on her profile:
http://www.kitchensurfing.com/leetalarazi
You can also find me on my website -
http://www.nyshuk.com/
Having learnt the fundamentals in culinary school, I decided to broaden my culinary resources in NYC. Working under mentor chefs as Yuhi Fujinaga, Hiromitsu Takahashi and Susur Lee gave me a close insight to both a traditional and a modern take on Japanese and Chinese heritage cuisine.
Merging this experience with my Moroccan - Lebanese roots gave me an opportunity to create my own unique style of middle eastern- Mediterranean cuisine. I executed those different styles of cooking as a sous chef in a Spanish inspired tapas restaurant in Israel.
Having a Moroccan mother means that every Friday night (no exceptions!) we all seat together to enjoy a traditional Moroccan dinner. As a child, I remember coming back from the synagogue with my Dad to those amazing smells of stews cooked with cinnamon, cumin, saffron, onions, to name a few. We start by blessing the wine and the fresh challah that my mom made, sitting down at this amazing colorful table that includes dishes such as: Matbucha, za'aluka, slada dil'barba and many others to start with. We then continue to a big center plate of hand rolled couscous accompanied by braised saffron chicken with preserved lemons and olives. Every meal would end with a hot cup of mara mia which is sage blossom tea and a small piece of homemade marzipan or sfinge (honey soaked doughnut) on special occasions.
Being a kitchensurfing chef, am hoping to bring my take on a Middle Eastern family meal to NYC kitchens.
Certified in food protection by the NYC department of health.
corriander seeds , chili pepper and cured lemon
A wedding reception in the restaurant I was working for. A Mediterranean feast! Menu included:
Anchovy stuffed olives
Hearts of lettuce wrapped with sirloin roast and saffron aioli. Toasted sourdough bread with fresh grated spicy tomatoes. Tomatoes and bell peppers gazpacho
Homemade empanadas.
Calamari with fresh herbs, grilled tomatoes and olives
Stuffed Swiss chard with zucchini and yogurt
Charred cauliflower with almond sauce
Seafood paella
Ricotta gnocchi with Syrian olive oil and chilies
Grilled crystal shrimps with corn butter and miso
Panzanela salad
Artichoke hearts with labane cheese and fresh za'atar
couscous topped with braised meat
challah
potato salad
Pumpkin stew with caramelized onions, almonds and raisins
roasted eggplant salad on toast
meatballs stuffed with quail egg in a spicy tomato sauce
Baba Rum
chickpea and meat stew
Harrisa spiced carrot salad
Hand-rolled couscous
| Languages Spoken | English Hebrew |
| Min. booking | 10 hours |
| Max. people | 80 |
| New York, United States |