For our “Radical Bridges” gathering with Oxer at Grenaa Harbour, we had invited Éloïze Shifa Doğuştan to be our chef for the three nights at May 16-18th 2024. Any gathering is premised around food, and Shifa along with her friend and collaborator Brune Renault, managed all the cooking and all the logistics around food (sourcing, storing, fermenting and pickling etc) too. Brune brought flowers, and decor to our tables and gathering, and all the spatial details that comes with having worked as a stenographer for 15years straight. And the total work included preparing and serving - 5 course meals for 40 people each of the three nights, to be specific. Each meal housed at the Marine House, Grenaa Harbour.

Food runs as a core concern through Hosting Lands, and our living amidst Denmark’s heavily agricultural landscape. Of all mainland Danish land, two-thirds land is farmed and under heavy commercial agriculture too. So how then do we eat amidst such plantations and live with that eating? Most of the ingredients used were locally produced in smaller farms in Denmark, and the menu reflected the season of spring in which we had gathered. Shifa was also “not scared to use preserved fruits and vegetables if needed (frozen, canned).” And her main inspiration was Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food because she grew up with it, and “it's delectable so why not.” 💥💥

Shifa ended up preparing vegetarian food “with the intention of freeing the dishes from the label:” so as to make you forget “there's no meat involved, because it's simply fucking delicious (that's the mood and goal at least).” (Shifa’s
And how would a tasty future look like? Shifa furthers, “Generally I have strong interest into cooking plant forward, meaning building deliciousness and complexity primarily with plant based ingredients, but not totally discarding animal products (used as flavor). Basically not being a purist but having a firm political agenda: being more in touch with what makes sense to eat here and now + cultivating a real wish to change food habits in my part of the world and reverse climate change (well, and also overthrow capitalism). One plate at a time. That's how I have been cooking for myself, my friends and communities for the past several years, and it simply works.”

Below is Shifa’s menu for the gathering:

Menu day 1 - Fried foraged nettles with ricotta cheese and garlic - Pink bean salad with tahini garlic lemon sauce, hard boiled eggs, parsley and pickled chilis - Fragrant freekeh pilaf with dates, soy beans, pak choi, shallots, coriander seeds and cumin - Apple and fennel salad, goat cheese, toasted walnuts - Strawberries in balsamic vinegar, pinch of pepper - À côté: Lacto fermented turnips and cucumbers, zaatar and olive oil dip, chili paste, homemade foccacia

Menu day 2 - Whipped feta and smoked paprika purée - White bean and estragon cold soup - Zucchini ribbon salad with parmesan cheese, parsley, olives and lemon juice - Vegetable paella with roasted and smoked vegetables - Olive oil cake with lemon glaze - À côté: Lacto fermented turnips and cucumbers, zaatar and olive oil dip, chili paste

Menu day 3 - Roasted root vegetable in lemon basil sauce - Spicy whole chickpea salad - Creamy rice and cauliflower - White cabbage crunchy salad - Macerated berries and lilac flowers in foamy prosecco wine - À côté: Lacto fermented turnips and cucumbers, zaatar and olive oil dip, chili paste

Below are two decks of images from the Marine House at Grenaa. The first is of the food across the three nights, and the second is of gatherings, and tables, and life at the same said space. Thank you so much Shifa and Brune for feeding us with so much love, and we can only repay our gratitude in words. And below are Shifa’s concluding words on her time with us at Grenaa Harbour.

Huge thanks to the best kitchen assistant + set designer Brune Renault for bringing beauty, detail and good taste into this holy moly guacamole.

Last but not least, I'm proud to honour invitation from @hostinglands and @lab_aesthetics_and_ecology curators for feeding everyone during the event. Your eye on the world, the care you put into building relationships with collaborators, people and communities you work with, the way you say Yes to things, conveying and redistributing resources to make it possible is both unique and exemplary. I am fortunate to build trust, experience and great shared memories together with you. See you!