Cruise The Culinary Mediterranean At New York's Boulud Sud

Chef Daniel Boulud is known for letting his young chefs shine.  This spring and summer, Chef Travis Swikard of Boulud Sud is hosting the Voyage Dinner Series, a collection of dinners that will bring you the best eats from the Mediterranean the second Monday of each month.

Travel to Israel on April 7; Greece on May 12; Sicily on July 16th; and finally to Côte D'Azur on July 14th to celebate Bastille Day.  All dinners start at 7pm and are $95/person.  A package for all four is available for $356/person. The regional cuisines will all be paired with regional wines, bringing out the flavors of each destination even further.

The series kicks off with Israel, which will feature a sampling of Israeli salads, dips like hummus and babaganoush, lamb flatbread, and of course, falafel.

Chef Swikard has provided us with his recipe (which is delicious, we tried it!):

Herbed Falafel
Serves 40

1⅓ cups chickpeas, soaked in water overnight
½  cup bulgur wheat, soaked in water overnight
2  tbsp olive oil
⅓  cup diced red onion
1  tbsp garlic
⅓  cup chopped parsley
¼  cup chopped mint
¼  cup chopped cilantro
1  tbsp white sesame seeds
1  tbsp baking powder
½  tsp cumin
1  tbsp salt
1  tsp harissa paste
1  tsp ground black pepper

Strain chickpeas and bulgur wheat. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add red onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until translucent. In a food processor, combine cooked onion with chickpeas, bulgur wheat, parsley, mint, cilantro, white sesame seeds, baking powder, cumin, salt, harissa paste, and ground black pepper. Pulse, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula, until the chickpeas are finely minced and everything is well combined. Roll the mixture into chestnut-sized balls and chill.

To Finish
1  cup thick Greek yogurt
2  tbsp harissa paste
vegetable oil for frying
salt

For dipping sauce, combine Greek yogurt with harissa paste. When ready to serve, deep-fry balls in 350°F vegetable oil until browned and crispy, sprinkle with salt and serve with yogurt sauce.

Bon Appetit and Bon Voyage!