April 8, 7:00 P.M. Dinner: Spring Dishes of Sofreh with Chef Nasim Alikhani Presented by Capital One
April 08, 2024 07:00 PM
A Continuation of Nowruz with Brooklyn’s Heartwarming Persian Restaurant
25 11th Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA
On the heels of Nowruz (meaning “new day”) and spring awakening, we mark the changing of the season with this Persian feast led by cookbook author and James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef: New York State, Nasim Alikhani. A love letter to her native country, her Brooklyn-based restaurant Sofreh expresses chef Alikhani’s decades-long passion for championing Persia’s culinary heritage. There, she also shares her innate hospitality which stems from a lifetime of feeding people.
At this lively dinner, guests will relish a menu that spotlights the hallmarks of Persian food— harmoniously mixing meats, fruits, nuts, rice, and an array of spices and aromas. Please join chef Alikhani as she prepares recipes from her heart and homeland that showcase this exquisite cuisine that has lasted more than a millennium.
Dining Table $170 | Internal Chefs Counter $185 | External Chefs Counter $150
MENU
Hors d’Oeuvre
Koofteh Ghelgheli ba Albaloo > Tiny Meatballs with Sour Cherry and Salted Pistachio
Contains nuts
Kale Borani ba Zereshk > Kale–Yogurt Dip with Candid Barberries
Contains dairy
Kookoo Sabzi > Herb Frittata with Walnuts
Contains nuts
Saffron Vesper > Gin and Vodka with Lillet Blanc and Saffron
Sekanjebin Martini with Sofreh House Mint and Cucumber Syrup
Dinner
Salad Zaytoon Parvardeh > Olive Tapenade Salad with Pomegranate Molasses and Nigella Seeds
Contains nuts
Adami Garbel Proseco Brut NV
Maygou Zafarani > Pan-Fried Shrimp with Saffron and Cauliflower Puree
Contains shellfish
Fesenjoon > Duck Leg in Walnut–Pomegranate Sauce with Saffron Basmati Rice
Contains walnuts
Chateau Musar Jeune Rouge 2021
Freni ba Albaloo > Rose Water–Cardamom Custard with Sour Cherries
Contains dairy and gluten
Selection of Nowruz Cookies and Other Sweets
Contains nuts; gluten-free and nut-free options available
About Nasim Alikhani:
Born and raised in Isfahan, Iran, Nasim Alikhani is the executive chef and owner of the Persian restaurant Sofreh in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Her cooking has traversed a lifetime: from helping her mother in the kitchen as a child, to studying to become a judge, to her arrival in New York City following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and later, in her marriage and the raising of her twins. Alikhani’s journey in the kitchen has been one of a prolific home cook, expressing her life’s calling to nourish others through the foods and the deep warmth of Persian culture. With each return visit to her native Iran, Alikhani deepened her connection to the ancestral Iranian recipes of the women in her family and circle of friends and neighbors. While raising her children in New York City, Alikhani undertook massive catering projects for her kids’ schools, fundraising events, and homeless shelters. By the time she opened her first restaurant, Sofreh, in June 2018, she had spent more than two decades cooking, honing, and dreaming of sharing the extraordinary flavors, traditions, and communal spirit of Persian home cooking with the world. In 2023, Alikhani was named a James Beard Foundation nominee for Best Chef: New York State, and was invited to cook for President Biden, the First Lady, and their guests at a special Nowruz reception at the White House. Sofreh: A Contemporary Approach to Classic Persian Cuisine, is her debut cookbook.
Tickets to events held at Platform at Pier 57 by the James Beard Foundation cover the cost of food, education and a unique dining experience. Meals are prepared by culinary masters from all regions of the United States and around the world. Unless otherwise stated, alcoholic beverages are provided on a complimentary basis and are not included in the ticket price.
James Beard Foundation events permit guests age 21 years and older to attend events where alcoholic beverages are served.