Cooking for a Crowd, and Making it Look Easy

Writing from what might be the craziest season of my life—opening a restaurant (you can read the food coverage in Surface and Cultured magazines), launching a salad dressing brand (hitting later this summer), and surviving the annual avalanche of end-of-year commitments required by the NYC public school system (which Bess Kalb perfectly captured on her Substack). As if that weren’t enough, I couldn’t say no to the opportunity to create a sound, light, and culinary installation for the luxury lighting brand Lutron.

As I unloaded cooler after cooler from an Uber in SoHo, cars honked while drivers lobbed expletives at my sweaty back. I found myself wondering, Will the schlepp ever end?

No, I have not worked my way out of the cycle of load-in, setup, service, dish pit, breakdown, load-out, and leftover management. But there is nothing quite like the satisfaction of the moment the food finally hits the table, by the grace of God. It’s a small miracle to have remembered nearly every component of four courses, the bar, and the grazing table—and to have everything arrive on time. I duck into the bathroom, change into something presentable, and emerge as though it all came together with the flick of a wrist. The guests are happy. The clients are happy. For a few hours, I get to be the architect of their pleasure.

Then, in an instant, it’s over, and I’m left inviting all my real friends over to pillage the secondhand bounty.

For Lutron, I collaborated with friends to transform their headquarters from corporate office into an outdoor summer picnic. Artist Chloe Alexandra created a soundscape from field recordings, while April Johnson of Flowerpsychos used flowering fennel, wisps of grass, and poppy pods to create a wild, rambling installation that guests could wander through, picking flowers as they went. Ceramicist Doris Josovitz of Lost Quarry made every plate and serving piece by hand, which we mixed with bowls and platters molded from paper pulp and eggshells. We wanted everything to feel as though it had emerged from the earth, and it did.

The menu was simple but abundant—a version of the food I love to cook at home. A green salad overflowing with herbs, dressed in yuzu vinaigrette and topped with crushed sesame rice crackers. Sour cherry–braised lamb. Garlic shrimp so good I had to write up the recipe and share it with you here. And for dessert, berries with lemon verbena cream.

The final touch was my favorite: an overripe pear nestled inside a glass teapot alongside a bouquet of fresh herbs, inviting guests to brew their own tisane at the table.

This is such a simple way to prepare shrimp, based off the classic Spanish dish, shrimp al ajillo. Served swimming in garlic infused olive oil, I add a pinch of paprika and finish it with parsley. It makes excellent leftovers the next day, ideal for a summer buffet.

If you like your shrimp with a firmer, snappier texture, sprinkle them with a pinch of baking soda and kosher salt, then refrigerate them in a colander set over a bowl for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. This helps the shrimp firm up beautifully, but it’s entirely optional.

I love the farmed shrimp from Seatopia because they’re delicious and certified microplastic-free. Use code SALAD at checkout for $20 off your first order.