Demolition, 12 Day War, & Here We Go

There's no turning back now!

Marhaba! Hello……

To say it’s an unsettling time to invest your life’s savings and put your heart and soul into your first restaurant, is a bit of an understatement. Air raid sirens punctuate my day in a disconcerting way as we hear the distant booms of missiles from Iran being intercepted by the Iron Dome. While it’s unlikely the theater of war that’s been opened up in the region will spill over into Jordan, the repercussions will nonetheless undoubtedly be felt. Similarly, the very large community of foreigners who largely make up the non-profit/aid sector here in Amman, whom I anticipated being a loyal customer base at Harvest, is quickly evaporating as the NGO sector worldwide has been impacted by Trump’s heinous, and frankly cruel, policies. But a good friend of mine has held my hand and told me to just keep moving forward because there will always be noise, always be a reason NOT to do something that really should be done. I’m going to channel my best Lebanese spirit and keep plunging ahead regardless (and at this point I really don’t have much choice).

We’ve reached the finish line in the theoretical exercise that is starting a restaurant and have now launched quickly into the tangible, practical part of this journey. Last week was filled with signing our lease, finishing our bank account set up, finalizing our kitchen design plans, signing with our contractor, and paying vast sums of money to various parties to make everything start moving forward. A trip to the far reaches of Amman to discover a very special handmade cement tile factory and a consultation with a landscape gardener about our options for growing herbs and veggies of our own on site rounded out the week. Saturday morning, as I stood in front of our space with my dear friend Gita and her mom who is visiting from India, incense burning and blessings bestowed on the space in the form of vermillion and turmeric powder and rice on the Hindu God of prosperity and luck, Ganesha, it all became very real.

The demolition of the truly ugly former space which was a nargileh (or hooka) cafe has been incredibly satisfying (and quick!). Inside, when they removed the fake dark wood panelling, lovely traditional Jordanian stone was revealed, windows had been boarded up behind the walls, floors raised in places for no good reason, and there was a hideously placed wall that was a thrill to see knocked down. What’s left behind is a huge, bright, promising space that I can’t wait see turned into our dining room.

ON THE MENU

Last time I mentioned that there were ladies who I was hoping to collaborate with by selling and using their traditional Jordanian/Levantine products at Harvest. Tara, Tamara, and I made the short journey to hilly Salt, among the olive groves, to meet with a few of them and Rudaina, who started her enterprise, BookAgri back in 2015. She explained that while Jordan had a robust archaeological tourism industry, the everyday traditions and cultural aspects of life here were being overlooked by visitors. She started putting together experiences for tourists, many revolving around food, so that they could connect with locals and witness traditions in real time. Through all of this I’m learning there’s so much more to Jordanian cuisine that just Mansaf (a lamb and rice dish cooked with jameed, a fermented dried yogurt). There’s a wonderful looking chicken pie called Makmoura, Arboud bread, baked in coals underground, and a sweet pastry cooked in gee with sugar called Lazzagiat. Armed with a list of the ladies’ products, I’m excited to incorporate them into our menu and share them with our customers.

Meanwhile, now that we’ve started construction we have a better sense of when we might actually open…..September??? With that in mind, I’m trying to finalize what we’ll serve that will be seasonal but I have to admit to being a bit overwhelmed by the prospect of having my name on the door (not literally, of course) and showcasing the best of my recipes while still being mindful of the inevitable hiccups we’ll experience as we get the wheels turning in the kitchen. A seasonal element I’m particularly excited about is my handmade sodas. As a daytime dining spot we’re not looking to offer alcohol but I’m determined to serve something more interesting that your usual waters and sodas. I’ve been playing with fermenting various fruits, vegetables, and spices in a sugar syrup that I mix with fresh ingredients and herbs before topping off with soda water. They’re delicious, refreshing, and a perfect way to reflect back to customers what’s growing in the fields around us right now.

ON MY RADAR

In doing more research about traditional Jordanian dishes after my meeting with the BookAgri ladies, I came across this article from Atlas Obscura about the ancient traditions of Jordanian bread and how they’re being revived. Rudaina told me about one particular kind of cracker that’s still popular around Easter in the Christian world (because it is the one Christ ate the day before he was crucified) and during the olive harvest among Muslims….I have so much to learn! The meanings, stories, and history of food in this region thrills me.

As someone who spent a good portion of her culinary career as a private chef I found this article from Taste on the secret lives of private chefs a good reminder of what I don’t miss (particularly the summer I spent on a sailboat in the Mediterranean for a gaggle of uber rich socialites). Not exactly sure why men who cook and don’t scream and shout are being called “soft boy cooks” by the New York Times, but I guess it’s good that times are changing? Grub Street listed the grocery stores in New York that are changing the way we eat….and I love that more people are gravitating towards this kind of hybrid (hello Harvest) between restaurant, grocery, and cafe. One of the places mentioned is Edy’s Grocer who I follow on Instagram for his sheer joy in sharing his Lebanese heritage with a sprinkling of gay pride, immigrant stories, culinary community importance, and lots of delicious looking food.

This week my friend Farrah Berrou shared on her wonderful Substack Aanab this article by Layla Yammine about the disappearing traditions of mouneh (preserving pantry items) and zero waste cooking in Lebanon and how tricky it is in our fast-paced modern lives to retain this way of life. And finally, I’m so looking forward to seeing Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi’s latest book, Boustany. While we all wait, here’s a vegetable-centric menu with recipes from the book to drool over.

WHAT TO COOK NOW

In an effort to lighten my load, I’m going to forego this section for now, but I hope you’ll always take a look at my recipe box over on my website for seasonal inspiration.

More culinary conversations coming your way soon…..

xx CSJ