Nothing says freedom like a sidewalk party

A big part of my life is hosting dinner parties, whether it’s for my friends and family in my spare time or as part of my job. My work is analog – it involves my hands and an exchange with people in physical space. As far as my career is concerned, “working from home” does not exist. Like many of us, the pandemic was very difficult for me because physical interactions (and therefore my job) no longer existed. But as restrictions began to ease, I began to dream of bringing the people I love together around the dinner table. I work out of a studio in New York’s Chinatown, located in a quiet, somewhat desolate corner between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges. The sidewalk just in front of the studio is very wide. One day during the pandemic, I thought to myself, ‘What if I put a table on the sidewalk and invite a few friends over for dinner down the street?’ We could socially distance by being outdoors while still being together. With this, the sidewalk tradition was born.

Every other day I would set up a table outside and invite people from all walks of life to just be together

Those sidewalk dinners saved me. Every other day I would set up a table outside and invite people from all walks of life to just be together. They gave me something to look forward to. This table has become a small ray of light. Once, I invited the super in my building to dinner. It was late spring and I had a particularly large arrangement of forage branches that had explosive little orange buds in the middle of the table. Eddie, my boss, told me it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. I was reassured that, even in the most difficult circumstances, beauty saves. And even though the pandemic seems behind us, the sidewalk tradition has remained.

It doesn’t take much to set up a table on the sidewalk. The first thing to consider is the neighbors. In my case, my neighbors welcomed it and I invited many to join. The police don’t seem to be bothered even though there is a police station just across the street. I wouldn’t say it’s the most scenic street in New York. For this reason, I like the table to be very colorful and pop against the more subdued background; this can be done with flowers, colorful plates or a bright tablecloth. For this celebration, I chose color-block tablecloths that I design for my brand, Gohar World.

And to eat, I opted for a pork shoulder slowly braised in milk with lemon zest and sage – a riff of maiale al latte. The pork is juicy and needs a starch to soak up the sauce, so I served it with boiled potatoes and a little parsley. I had also found puntarelle, a common chicory in Italy, at the market. I made puntarelle alla romana, with olive oil, vinegar, anchovies and garlic.

I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to summer yet, so the rest of the menu included a bean and tomato salad and a very simple cucumber salad. I originally had different plans for the cucumbers, but once I tasted them they were so sweet and complicated that I decided it was better not to spoil them too much. That’s why, while it’s good to have a plan of what to cook, it’s just as important to be deviant once you’ve tasted the ingredients.

Cucumbers have become the stars of the meal. I dressed them simply with a little salt and lemon. When you come across a really good ingredient, give people the luxury of tasting it in its pure state. There’s always something to celebrate, whether it’s a cucumber or a beautiful sprig of tiny orange flowers. And when times are tough, it’s especially important to spark new traditions that will see you through and hopefully carry on into better days. My sidewalk table is my reminder that after dark, light truly comes.

Maiale al Latte

Traditionally this recipe is made with pork loin, but I prefer a fattier cut, like shoulder

1. The day before, dry the pork well and season all around with about ¼ cup of salt. Pour the fish sauce over the pork. Leave to marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Take the pork out of the fridge two hours before you’re ready to cook it and pat it dry with a towel. Heat a casserole dish and place the pork in it, skin side down. Cook for a few minutes until browned. Repeat on all sides until golden brown.

3. Add the garlic cloves, lemon zest strips and sage to the pot. Let them sizzle for a minute. Then add the milk. The pork should be ¾ submerged. If not, add more milk. The acid in the lemon will cause the milk to curdle. That’s what you’re looking for here. It will also curdle further in the oven.

4. Preheat the oven to 130°C/ 300°F/thermostat 2. Cover the casserole and cook for three hours. Uncover and cook for another hour, turning the pork every 20 minutes or so. When cooked, the pork should be tender and pull apart easily. If it’s still hard, continue cooking for another 30 minutes and test again.

5. Remove from the oven and let the pork rest for 30 minutes in the pot before serving. I like to serve pork at room temperature or barely warm, and with the juices in the pot.

@lailacooks