the absence of color

If simplicity defines ultimate sophistication, then Karen Mordechai has mastered the art. “You don’t need a million things in your kitchen,” she says. “You actually only need a few great ingredients.” The founder and creative force behind Sunday Suppers—the Brooklyn-based cooking destination that fuses food and community in a laid-back manner—has now extended her minimalist approach to both ingredients and design in her most recent venture, ILA. The line of pure, meticulously sourced products, like an amazing black salt to throw on your avocado toast or a cold-pressed olive oil from Spain, aims to help even novice chefs step up their cooking game. “Sunday Suppers was the foundation and now ILA is the grown-up sibling,” says Mordechai. Dressed in black with labels printed in copper foil, ILA offers a cool, graphic contrast to Sunday Suppers’ airy, all-white kitchen. “I liked the idea of this monochromatic approach,” she explains, “having something that is a little bit masculine with just a touch of color.”

Poached Eggs on Yogurt With Za’atar and Black Croutons

  serves 2 1 tablespoon black sesame paste 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup olive oil (from ILA) 2 cups dark miche bread, hand torn into large bite-size pieces 3–5 cloves of garlic, smashed 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt 4 free-range eggs 1 teaspoon za’atar (from ILA) olive oil, to taste (from ILA) 1/4 cup chopped parsley and thyme Cyprus flake salt, to taste (from ILA)

To make the croutons: Preheat the oven to 425F. In a large bowl, whisk together the black sesame paste and balsamic vinegar. Slowly whisk in 1/2 cup of olive oil. Place the bread pieces and smashed garlic cloves into the vinaigrette and toss around to coat (best done with your hands).

Spread the croutons onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and season with salt. Place in the oven and roast for about 5 to 8 minutes, just until the bread begins to brown.

To assemble: To serve, spoon 1/4 cup of yogurt into the bottom of each bowl. Add the croutons and top with two poached eggs per bowl. Divide the za’atar over each serving, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with herbs and Cyprus flake salt to taste.

Sweet Dukkah With Yogurt

serves 6-8 1/4 cup dukkah 2 cups plain Greek yogurt 1/4 cup black mission fig compote (we love Boat Street Pickles Pickled Figs, but any fig jam will do) olive oil, to taste (from ILA)

For the dukkah: ⅓ cup black sesame seeds (from ILA) 1/4 cup poppy seeds ⅔ cup raw almonds, roughly chopped 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted and finely chopped 1/4 cup walnuts, pulverized by a food processor or mortar and pestle 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (from ILA) 2 tablespoons shredded coconut flakes, chopped

Combine all dukkah ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Spoon 1 cup of yogurt into each serving bowl. Top with 2 tablespoons of fig compote and 1 to 2 tablespoons of dukkah. Drizzle with olive oil to taste.

Radish Toast

serves 2 2 thick slices of pullman loaf, lightly toasted 2 tablespoons crème fraîche 2–3 radishes of various colors, sliced paper thin (preferably) with a mandoline edible flowers and purple radish shoots, to garnish olive oil, to taste (from ILA) black lava salt, to taste (from ILA) lemon zest, to garnish

Spread each slice of toast with 1 tablespoon of crème fraîche. Layer half the radish slices atop one slice of toast and the remaining radish slices on the other slice of toast. Arrange the edible flowers and radish shoots among the radish slices. Drizzle with high-quality olive oil and black lava salt to taste. Garnish with lemon zest.