Laila and the edible
So much information don’t you think? We live in the era of constant and unstoppable receiving without even having the chance to filter…Our minds being inflated with fake news, true news - does that term even exist? - alarming details about the pandemic, the climate change, the upcoming economical depression, the conspiracy theories, the fascists on the rise, the refugee crisis and few good news for the required antithesis.
But our minds still need to be able to perform and keep us on track. In that case, a break from all of the above is a matter of life and death right now. I started to try and find ways to distract. Quit overthinking and analysing for a few moments. One of the things that allow me to do that is cooking. And watching other people to cook as well. Following the stories they build alongside their dishes..
Laila is one of those story tellers. She is a true artist who creates marvelous little universes using the edible. Yes. You can eat everything. But everything looks so well established you might hesitate smashing it with your teeth, just for a few moments at least! Cause everything looks wildly delicious as well…
Laila was born to Egyptian father and Turkish mother and grew up in Cairo. Influenced by her father who was experimenting with food, she started cooking by using a spiral - bound thick cookbook that her family owned. She and her sous chef sister started to give those recipes a try, they even evolved into having “phases”, something that characterises her work until now. Phases are about a six months to one year period where she is fixated to find the perfect version of one ingridient or recipe.
So she bacame a food expert who relocated in New York 11 years ago after her studies in university of Miami. She hosts catering events that enhance creative communication while…eating. Her works of art are being consumed and, you know, pooped! That is actually what attracts her the most; the ephemerality of the matter. Her interest in history and materials infuse into working with textural ceramics, interactive foods and participation rituals. People are invited to play with and dig out the food and, while doing so, they become part of telling stories and creating memories…
Hosting appeals to me as well…I truly enjoy preparation, searching for menu ideas and visiting the market to find the best ingredients. Music and decorations play a key role…and the drinks of course! I need to go easy on the stress thing though, I ‘ve been fighting with perfectionism all my life. But now in the Covit-19 era home entertaining might be all we have…so we should be able to enjoy it as much as we can, shoudn’t we?
Here are some hosting tips from Laila’s cool perspective I intend to bring more of in my life:
Tips for home entertaining:
- shop abroad
- let obsessions take over
- prep in advance so you can enjoy your own dinner
- play with proportions
- for dessert, small can be big
I enjoyed researching for Laila so much. She is a bright young woman who walks in parallel ways with her also creative partner Omar Sosa, co-founder of Apartamento magazine. As a constantly evolving and caring human being, didn’t hesitate to have fostered a baby lamp in her aparment for six weeks or declare she daydreams about becoming a neurosurgeon (!). And what a great sense of personal style - like all the creative and brilliand women of this world. Take a look at this marvelous new collaboration of hers and you will know what I mean…
“Always go bigger” she claims.
And I couldn’t agree more…
