It's Really Happening, I'm Starting My Supper Club!

Ciao tutti! As I venture into this new journey of hosting supper clubs for young professionals in Boston, a huge part of my thinking process has been WHAT THE HECK AM I GOING TO COOK FOR PEOPLE?! and WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING?!

Naturally, I have been thinking of dishes I love to make and (I think) taste good. I’m trying to think about it one dinner at a time, so, so far, this is what I’ve come up with for my very first time trying this.

Antipasto: Tris de Syrian Spreads - Hummus, Labne, and Baba Ghanoush accompanied by Roasted Peppers

These spreads have been with me throughout my childhood and beyond. Enjoyed with pita bread, they are perfect in every sense of the word. All have a thick, creamy consistency, but each has its own distinct flavor.

What could ever go wrong with roasted peppers? They are sweet and colorful, and when cooked with fun spices, you have a lovely, sweet-and-savory dish.

Primo: A choice between Pasta al Tonno or Zucchini Carbonara

Pasta al Tonno is an explosion of all the Mediterranean flavors you love. Rigatoni with a colorful, bright sauce made of tuna, olives, capers, onions, and tomatoes. This is one of my favorite pasta dishes; its strong flavor wins over anyone who tries it.

Zucchini alla Carbonara is my vegetarian version of the famous Roman dish. Creamy, comforting, cheesy, and marvelous. A little less intense than the Pasta al Tonno for those who prefer a more delicate flavor.

Dolce: Macedonia (fruit salad) with Mascarpone Cream

In the summer, this dessert has everything you could dream of. Finely chopped fruits of your liking with a rich, perfectly-sweetened, mascarpone cream poured on top. My mouth is watering just typing this.

I met a young woman at an Instagram Strategy workshop who asked me what kind of business I was starting and lit up when I told her. She immediately offered her driveway and friends for a beta-run of my supper club!

Below is my invite for a lovely group of 10 people this upcoming week. I’ve never met them. I’ve never been to this place. I’ve never done this before. But here goes! You never know until you try.

Aside from the Syrian and Italian cuisine I’ll be cooking, I want to give my guests an interactive, calming, and wholesome experience. A memory they’ll look back on and feel warm inside. How do I plan on doing this?

I’m going to show up as my authentic self. I’ll be honest and make it clear that I’m just practicing, and so they shouldn’t expect perfection. I’ll be vulnerable in sharing about myself to create a space for others to feel at home and be comfortable sharing about themselves.

I will also have an interactive element, an icebreaker if you will, where I’ll have my guests write on the tablecloth. At all my dinners, I’ll have a big roll of white paper as the tablecloth, with a marker placed on each seat so that guests can write whatever they wish directly on the table! This can be anything they want, from what they hope to gain from the dinner, how they want to show up, what they liked most about the food, and most importantly, how they feel!

I’m so excited, but so nervous at the same time. I’m having a tough time accepting that it won’t be perfect, but if I waited until it was… I would never get to this point. I am also feeling imposter syndrome BIG TIME. Am I really a good enough cook to host supper clubs? Are people going to have a good time? Are my guests going to like what I have to offer? Why me of all people?

The answer to all these questions: I won’t know until I try! So here goes. If you want to see all the behind-the-scenes of this new adventure, follow along on Substack and Instagram!

until the next meal,

Nadà

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