The Mediterranean Dish: Simply Dinner

Introduction

Reimagine Dinner, the Mediterranean Way

So many of us view making dinner as a grind—but what if it didn’t have to be? What if we channeled the casual, relaxed, fresh, and delicious Mediterranean approach and used dinner as an opportunity to enjoy the company of one another—a lifegiving exercise, not a chore? On her popular podcast One Real Good Thing, Ellie Krieger asked me about my three Mediterranean Diet principles: Eat with the seasons, use mostly whole foods, and, above all else, share. She asked me what stood out as my one good thing. Without hesitation I said sharing meals the Mediterranean way.

I was not talking about entertaining or elaborate meals and fancy silverware. (I told Ellie that I object to the idea of “entertaining” because it comes with certain expectations.) As someone who grew up with the Mediterranean, and specifically the Egyptian, principles of hospitality, I love the way people come together casually to share a meal—no special occasion required. No fuss. Not a ton of planning. Just spontaneity and open hearts. And whether you’re gathering for a cozy Sunday azooma (feast) or a simple snack board of veggies, nuts, and feta cheese (see page 64), there is only one unspoken rule: Just show up! Show up as you are because you are needed at the table.

In my first book, I drew from my childhood in Egypt, where I took you to the souq in Port Said where my late father taught me how to pick the best produce, while instilling in me a sense of community and a love for others. I shared a glimpse into my mother’s Egyptian kitchen and the varied flavors, including Middle Eastern, North African, Greek, Italian, Turkish, and more, that seamlessly came together in her meals. You saw my favorite tabouli salad and the celebratory maglooba rice dish that I learned in my mother-in-law’s Levantine kitchen. My kitchen had been a vehicle to honor my family and to connect my Michigan-born daughters to the sunshine of the Mediterranean—to their roots.

But it’s equally important for me to note that I have lived in the United States for more than twenty years, far, far away from my mother’s kitchen. I created homes with my husband and two daughters in the snowy parts of Michigan and Iowa, before finally moving to the heart of the American South. Over these decades, my accent has morphed to reflect my new identity—still Egyptian, partly Michigander, and ever so slightly Southern. I am all three at once.

It’s no surprise to anyone who knows me even a little that, like my accent, my cooking is a bit of a synthesis—a deliciously messy fusion. It’s informed by travel, my past, and my current home, and yet it is also fully rooted in Mediterranean principles. All executed with my own flare—that of a busy working mama in a North American kitchen.

My Farmers’ Market Avocado Hummus (page 38) is clearly nothing like the hummus kassa of fourteenth-century Egypt, nor is it guacamole. My mom has never made a Tuesday Night Skillet Lasagna (page 103), but she does make a mean casserole loaded with zucchini and topped with creamy bechamel (see page 181). And how do I make my chili? With shredded chicken, white beans, and spicy Green Chermoula (page 256). I wouldn’t dream of having the Southern stamp of approval on my BBQ Chicken Wings with Pomegranate, Honey, and Harissa Sauce (page 155), but they sure carry a similar vibe—somewhat spicy, tangy-sweet, and appropriately saucy. And I heartily believe that a small arrangement of mezze like Simple Marinated Chickpeas with Halloumi (page 60) and Roasted Pepper and Feta Nachos (page 59) are as worth gathering around as is a beautiful Greek-style spatchcock roasted chicken (see page 178) with loads of vegetables, all wrapped in a parchment parcel that, once opened, never ceases to elicit oohs and aahs.

“Labor of love” is a common phrase used to express the idea that toiling is required to show affection, but I don’t think it has to be that way. My mission has always been to help you eat well and live joyfully. One way to get there is to keep the love and ditch the labor—and that’s what I’m emphasizing in this book of simple, efficient, Mediterranean-delicious dinners (with desserts, too, of course).

The last thing I’ll say about reimagining dinner (well, at least for now!) has to do with flavor expectations. In this book, you’ll see recipes that reimagine familiar classics like a wedge salad, cornbread, and homemade ice cream with a new twist, leaning on wholesome ingredients and Mediterranean flavors from familiar fresh herbs (not just for garnish), garlic, citrus, and olive oil, to pomegranate molasses, feta cheese, and slightly smoky urfa pepper. And let me tell you, the wonderful people who tested every recipe in this book were totally on board in every way—and I know you will be, too.