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 [email protected]. 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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