Life and Art from FT Weekend

Spring cooking tips with chef Ayesha Nurdjaja

Apr 23, 2024

Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja, known for her vibrant Middle Eastern cuisine, shares spring feast inspiration and tips for using seasonal veggies like ramps and artichokes. She discusses her upbringing in a household of global cooks blending Italian-American and Indonesian cuisines, and emphasizes the importance of fresh herbs in culinary creations.

18:59

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Ayesha Nurdjaja

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Quick takeaways

Ayesha Nurdjaja's culinary style blends Middle Eastern traditions with New York's diverse culinary landscape for a unique dining experience.

Her innovative use of fresh herbs like dill, cilantro, and mint enhances flavor profiles in spring dishes.

Deep dives

Innovative Collaboration with Macallan and Bentley Motors

The podcast highlights the exclusive collaboration between Macallan and Bentley Motors, introducing the Macallan Horizon, a limited edition release with a unique 180-degree twist vessel symbolizing shared excellence. This partnership signifies a significant milestone in both brands' pursuit of uncompromised quality, inviting listeners to explore further at Macallan.com.

Introduction

2min

Spring Bounty and Seasonal Eating

6min

Preparing a Quick and Flavorful Spring Seafood Dish

5min

The Versatile Use of Herbs in Culinary Creations

5min

Creative Fulfillment, Event Links, and Sponsorship Mention

2min

Spring is upon us, which means a bounty of fresh, green seasonal vegetables, from asparagus to artichokes to ramps. To help inspire us to make our own spring feasts, Lilah invites Ayesha Nurdjaja into the studio. Ayesha is the executive chef and partner at Shuka and Shukette, two beloved New York restaurants. Shukette has been called “a Middle Eastern party”, both for its open kitchen and bountiful meals, and for its energy. Visitors are encouraged to mix and match kebabs, breads, herb-covered fish and more in an approach Ayesha calls the “rip and dip”. She shares tons of tips and recipes for spring, and talks about growing up in a household of great global cooks – where her mother’s Italian-American food melded with her dad’s Indonesian cooking.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews on Apple, Spotify, etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Ayesha is on Instagram @ayesharare

– Her restaurants in New York are Shuka (in SoHo), and Shukette (in Chelsea)

– Last year we talked to Ayesha about balancing and building flavour for our food and drinks series. You can check out that conversation here: https://on.ft.com/3Up7mQe

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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