My 32nd Birthday Celebration. 24 Aug 2014

I’m not someone who likes experimenting with food or creating recipes. But I feel like dancing around the kitchen every time I put on my apron and start cooking/baking. Cooking is therapy, joy, and art. I feel the joy throughout the whole experience, starting from buying the ingredients and ending with hearing “yummmmm” around the table. I’m a planning freak, and that applies strongly when it comes to planning a cooked meal. This was, I guess, where the idea of my 32^nd birthday celebration came from. A fancy, home cooked meal for a group of 14 girls.

Cooking was never one of my interests. I baked my first cake when we moved to our new house a year before turning 32 and it was the beginning of a new passion. It's amazing how with time, our taste and knowledge in food builds up and it’s such a beautiful journey to learn about herbs, spices, cooking techniques and weird utensil names.  Only a year later, I found myself standing in my kitchen with many cookbooks opened in front of me and 14 ladies to feed at night.

The only item that was cooked a day ahead was the olive spread that I served with the Bruschetta as a starter. All the other dishes were cooked on the same day. I walked into the kitchen at 9am, started with the desserts and drinks and moved to the main dishes in the afternoon. I left the kitchen around 5pm and started dressing up until my friends started arriving by 8. The table arrangement was done by my friend Mariam, who came in the afternoon to add her touches and help with choosing the serving plates.

The menu:

Two salads and Bruschetta were served as starters:

1. Beetroot Salad.

2. Spinach Salad with Strawberry.

3. Bruschetta with Three Spreads: Tomato, Pesto and Olives. 

Four main dishes were served afterwards. By then, i was relaxed and happy to see my friends enjoying the evening AND the food! 

1. Fish with Tahini Sauce. 

2. Meatballs with Cherry Sauce.

3. Spaghetti with Zucchini, Tomatoes & Sage.

4. Chicken with Cream

Wrapping up, each person was served with three mini desserts:

1. Mango Sorbet (with a hint of coconut)

2. Chocolate Mousse (with espresso added in the mix)

3. Mini Victoria Cakes

Turkish Coffee, Lemongrass Tea, Arabic Coffee and Black Tea with Mint were served with dessert. 

As my first experience with hosting and cooking at the same time, i felt that i didn't find the right balance between dining with the guests and being in the kitchen to serve the food. But that was improved with time as i got addicted to those kind of warm dinner parties. By the end of the day, and when i finally took my breath, the girls surprised me with a cake! 

All recipes were chosen from Arabic cook books (Suzan Husseini, Dalal AlSherougi) and websites (mainly foodnetwork.com). 

It was a very special night for me, an achievement that i highlighted as the top achievement of 2014: Cooking a meal from A to Z to 14 people. 

London Dining - Listing (2014/2015)

To make this post more practical, i'll avoid long reviews and list my suggestions with short comments and few photos. Hope you find it useful:

1) Palomar: A small busy space that serves modern dishes from Jerusalem. I thought that Tahini was overused in most of the dishes but food was good in general. Lively and joyful atmosphere.

2) Spuntino: Different always wins, and Spuntino is definitely different. There are no tables for you to be seated and you just have to wait till you find space on the bar where food is served. Good food. A mood lifter! 

3) Mount Street Deli: A perfect cafe for a quick breakfast or a cup of coffee when you're around Mayfair.  It was an ideal writing spot! 

4) 5th View: When you're done book shopping at Waterstones Picadilly, head to the 5th floor for a cup of coffee while flipping through your new books. 

5) Honest Burger: Some people claim that this is the best burger in London. I still think that nothing beats Byron! It's worth a try. 

6) Ergon: An interesting Greek Deli that we found by coincidence while walking under the rain carrying our shopping bags near Selfridges. It's currently closed. 

7) Nordic Bakery: A very neat Scandinavian cafe. The smell of the freshly baked cinnamon bread makes it impossible not to order one. 

  

8) Balthazar:  The atmosphere doesn't beat the New York branch but it somehow goes well with the new additions in Covent Garden. Good food. 

9) Kurobuta: Japanese like you've never seen it before. Buzzing atmosphere and excellent creative dishes. Must visit! 

10) Orsini: If you're looking for a quiet break in Knightbridge away from all the busy cafes then this is a good Italian option. It's tiny and authentic.

11) Roti Chai: A cafe-style restaurant that serves delicious modernized Indian dishes. Interesting interiors and decorations. 

12) Workshop: Excellent coffee, gorgeous blue cups and the most delicious brownie i've ever had. 

13) Matsuri: A pure Japanese experience that i enjoyed very much. The food was good but it was more about the atmosphere and watching our food being grilled. 

14) Homeslice: Huge and delicious pizzas that we shared on a bench outside the restaurant under the rain. Unforgettable experience! 

15) Monmouth: Most people think that they serve the best coffee and brownies. But i'm more of a Workshop person. 

16) Fernandez & Wells: Their coffee is good for sure but we were disappointed with their breakfast. 

17) 202: It's a fashion store/restaurant in Notting Hill that serves very flavorful dishes.  Enjoyed every bite. 

18) Bone Daddies: A casual walk-in restaurant that serves ramen and Japanese snacks. The food was not wow but it was fun to try.

19) Vintage Salt: This is where you should be when it's sunny and warm. It's located on the rooftop of Selfridges. Excellent food. 

20) Pachamama: A Peruvian restaurant with beautiful pieces of furniture and delicious food. Highly recommended. 

21) Timberyard Seven Dials: Bright and cheerful for coffee and cake. 

22) Department of Coffee & Social Affairs: Grab a cup of coffee every time you pass by it! 

23) Dirty Burger: Loved the tiny space and limited chairs. 

24) Borough Market: Endless food stands that sell all kinds of baked goods, vegetables, seafood, oils, Indian food, Falafel etc. It could be your wonderland if you love cooking or simply enjoy trying different kinds of food. My favourite was the Truffle Oil stand.  

For more recommendations, check my other London posts: 

http://apronandnapkins.blogspot.com/2014/05/london-diners-heaven.html

http://apronandnapkins.blogspot.com/2012/05/where-to-eat-where-to-dine-in-london.html

More to come, for sure..