Obviously, it's all about the Smile To Go (The Smize, for those in the know) at lunchtime, here at OC. Personal favorites include the rotisserie roasted potatoes, the Moroccan carrots, and all of the cute staff. The food is what you wish you could serve your most-cherished dinner party guests. It's not fusion and this ain't no molecular gastronomy, it's just damn fine food. The chef largely responsible is Melia Marden, who recently released Modern Mediterranean—a collection of seasonal recipes inspired by childhood vacations spent with her family in Greece. I figure with Melia's cookbook I'd be queen of the dinner parties in no time, but I realized that perhaps my kitchen scene left a little to be desired. I asked Melia to show me her top nine kitchen utensil essentials and point out some of her favorite recipes from the book.
Photos by Brayden Olson
Shop Modern Mediterranean by Melia Marden here.![]()
Melia in her kitchen
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Metal kitchen tongs: "Everyone should have these kitchen tongs, they’re the only things I use when sautéing. They're all you use in professional kitchens but people at home don’t always have them."
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Microplane: "The Microplane exploded onto the scene! It’s really great to use when zesting lemons and oranges. (I like using citrus zest in my cooking because it’s more intense than juice.) You can use the Microplane for Parmesan cheese too."
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Mandolin: "The only slightly hard recipes in my book are dishes that need fine shavings of vegetables. This mandolin gives a really nice texture, especially with pickles and sautéed asparagus. Watch your fingers!"
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Garlic press: "I use this a lot. When roasting a chicken, for example, I would press four cloves, then mix it with olive oil and chopped herbs and rub it on."
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Ceramic knife: "These ceramic knives are great as you never have to sharpen them. Whenever I go to someone else's house, their knives are always so dull! This size—I think it's called a chef's knife—isn't too small or too heavy. You can use this knife on anything."
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Small serving dishes: "I collect these little vintage dishes and use them when prepping dinner—they're the perfect size for chopped shallots and the like. They were originally used as tip dishes at restaurants."
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Cast iron skillet:
Photos by Brayden Olson
Shop Modern Mediterranean by Melia Marden here.
Melia in her kitchen
Metal kitchen tongs: "Everyone should have these kitchen tongs, they’re the only things I use when sautéing. They're all you use in professional kitchens but people at home don’t always have them."
Microplane: "The Microplane exploded onto the scene! It’s really great to use when zesting lemons and oranges. (I like using citrus zest in my cooking because it’s more intense than juice.) You can use the Microplane for Parmesan cheese too."
Mandolin: "The only slightly hard recipes in my book are dishes that need fine shavings of vegetables. This mandolin gives a really nice texture, especially with pickles and sautéed asparagus. Watch your fingers!"
Garlic press: "I use this a lot. When roasting a chicken, for example, I would press four cloves, then mix it with olive oil and chopped herbs and rub it on."
Ceramic knife: "These ceramic knives are great as you never have to sharpen them. Whenever I go to someone else's house, their knives are always so dull! This size—I think it's called a chef's knife—isn't too small or too heavy. You can use this knife on anything."
Small serving dishes: "I collect these little vintage dishes and use them when prepping dinner—they're the perfect size for chopped shallots and the like. They were originally used as tip dishes at restaurants."
Cast iron skillet: