My friend Miguel took me to get my first chopped cheese at Hajji’s at 110th Street and 1st Avenue. I know it’s named Blue Sky Deli & Grocery now but we still call it Hajji’s. Little did I know, this excursion would inspire Mig’s birthday menu months later. It was not all cake and candy, I’ll tell you that!

It was fun brainstorming this one because he was open to experimentation, new ingredients like rye berry and keeping it as low waste as possible. Using compostable materials brought down our budget and made it super easy to clean up, too. I know I need to refine my plating a little more but hard to practice when you’ll only be serving a menu once! It was a lesson in speed and preparation because I needed to plate 50 of each before a movie screening. After that, it was party time with wine and beer.

Planning a birthday party? Inquire about my available dates in NYC and the Bay Area!