The Culinary Institute of America

Interview with Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja of Shukette

Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja is a James Beard Award Finalist and serves a Middle Eastern menu at Shukette restaurant in New York. Her plant-forward dishes draw on the rustic, vibrant flavors found throughout Morocco and Tunisia. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Ayesha is the daughter of an Indonesian father and Italian mother. She talks about her culinary influences, and her penchant for taking inspirations from classic dishes with unique flavorful ingredients.
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A’ash Reshteh at Sofreh

Chef Nasim Alikhani of Sofreh, in Brooklyn, shows us how she makes a’ash reshteh, a classic Iranian stew. This intensely aromatic and rich stew is made with beans, lentils, noodles, herbs, the liquid from strained yogurt, and liquid whey. The a’ash reshteh is topped with mint oil, more liquid whey and onion chips.
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Anarbij with Cauliflower Steak at Sofreh

Chef Nasim Alikhani of Sofreh, in Brooklyn, shows us how she makes anarbij with cauliflower steak. Anarbij is a fragrant stew from northern Iran, made with an abundance of herbs, pomegranate molasses, onion, and ground walnuts. She serves the stew as a hearty vegan entrée at her restaurant plated in a shallow bowl and topped with a grilled cauliflower steak brushed with pomegranate molasses.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Interview with Chef Nasim Alikhani of Sofreh

Nasim Alikhani is chef/owner of celebrated Persian restaurant, Sofreh, in Brooklyn. Growing up in Iran, Nasim Alikhani was a passionate cook from childhood, spending the first years of her life in the kitchen alongside her mother. When she departed after the revolution, it was by re-creating the dishes of her youth that she was able to feel connected to home. It took Nasim 25 years to realize her dream of opening a restaurant, and, in the summer of 2018 at age 59, she opened Sofreh to great critical acclaim. Chef Nasim Alikhani strives to create a hospitable, dinner-party atmosphere in her restaurant. She talks about the plant-forward traditions of Iranian cuisine and her love of cooking with herbs.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Chili Crisp Wedge Salad a la “Fat Choi” at Golden Diner

Samuel Yoo is chef/owner of Golden Diner in New York City’s China Town, and shows us how he makes a vegan chili crisp wedge salad. He delights in taking a traditionally creamy dish and transforming it into a vegan creation, and this salad is no exception. He tops the iceberg lettuce wedges with vegan ranch dressing, vegan blue cheese, mushroom bacon, diced tomatoes, and a generous amount of chili crisp.
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Mushroom Reuben Quesadilla at Golden Diner

Samuel Yoo is chef/owner of Golden Diner in New York City’s China Town and shows us how he makes a Mushroom Reuben Quesadilla. He uses Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and mushroom pastrami. Making the mushroom pastrami is a 3-day process. Portabella mushrooms are cured overnight, drained, roasted, chopped, and smoked for 2 days.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!

Interview with Chef Sam Yoo at Golden Diner

Momofuku alum, Samuel Yoo, is a rising star and chef/owner of Golden Diner in New York City’s China Town. Fusing his fine dining background with a reverence for traditional American diner fare, Golden Diner serves Latin, Chinese, Greek and “Brooklyn vegan” inspired cuisines. Samuel Yoo talks about techniques for making vegetables shine, and how eating in Queens diners in his childhood influenced his menu.
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Silken Tofu with Tomatoes at Eleven Madison Park

Chef Mike Pyers is chief culinary officer at three-Michelin-starred restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, and shows us how he makes silken tofu with tomato and anise hyssop. He makes the tofu in-house using locally produced soymilk. The tofu sets in a steam box for 5 minutes, then is topped with tomato confit, fresh tomatoes, Calabrian chilies, and anise hyssop.
Watch the full documentary and find recipes here!