The moment you step inside the Williamsburg home of Eden Grinsphan and Ido Nivron, your taste buds light up. The aroma of warming spices fills the air and suddenly, all you can think about is getting your hands on whatever is in that oven. The foodie is cooking up something special, and today — just a few months before the arrival of their first child — I’m lucky enough to be crashing Eden and Ido’s date night. As the energetic and passionate foodie behind the Cooking Channel show Eden Eats, Eden travels the world with her husband discovering and eating delicious food (dream job!), then back home in Brooklyn, she translates that inspiration into her Middle East-inspired healthy dishes. Keep reading for a few of Eden’s signatures (she can transform beets like nobody’s business), and to hear her argument for why tahini makes everything better.
Follow Eden’s adventures on Instagram or catch her as the judge on Cooking Channel’s Sugar Showdown and Donut Showdown and Food Network’s Chopped Canada. Most exciting of all, keep an eye out for Eden’s Middle Eastern restaurant debut, Dez in NYC!
*photography and interview by Alison Engstrom
Current favorite color palette for parties:
White, green, grey, gold and some orange or coral.
Ido picked up two bouquets at Eden’s favorite florist, Sprout Home in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Your must-have entertaining tool:
My variety of plates that I have collected from Jaffa, Israel.
Eden and Ido have a wonderful collection of plates collected from all over the world. The gilded tea cups and coral plates are perfection.
Is there an entertaining rule you rarely break?
Having music on. I strongly believe that music is as important as the décor, food and lighting.
The fresher the better, Eden enjoys the smell of cilantro before garnishing her dish, Chermoula Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
Who are your dream dinner guests?
The cast from Bridesmaids.
The restaurant meal you’ll never forget:
Port Said and North Habraxis in Tel-Aviv and all of the street food in Thailand and Vietnam.
Eden and Ido were two kindred souls. Before they even met, they both collected vintage scales. Once they got together their collection doubled and now they serve as decorative details around their Brooklyn home.
What scares you about entertaining?
Not having enough food… I always make way too much.
The taste you’re always craving:
Everything with tahini… always.
The perfect dinner party playlist includes:
Fleetwood Mac and the Rolling Stones.
Your standard hostess outfit:
Jeans and a T-shirt.
Click here to get the recipe for Eden’s Chermoula Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
Your signature entertaining dish:
Lamb tagine, Mediterranean sea bass or my eggplant baladi.
The table is set with Eden’s recipe for Pomegranate, Beet and Hazelnut Salad that will convert non-beet lovers into beet adorers. Her secret? Roasting them with vinegar and a bit of orange zest. Click here for the recipe!
Secret to a great dinner party:
Family style. I love having an assortment of salads, vegetables and meat dishes that everyone can serve themselves. You get to experience the food together, so you can really share that experience, plus it makes for great conversation.
Always in your refrigerator:
Tahini, Greek yogurt, harissa, eggs, herbs, olives, feta and champagne;) duh!
Your entertaining style in 5 words or less:
Fun, colorful, family, eclectic and exotic.
