We partnered with Karen Mordechai, the founder of the communal cooking school Sunday Suppers, and her culinary community to host a spirited Friendsgiving dinner in her Williamsburg, Brooklyn studio. Guests feasted on a rustic menu featuring recipes from Karen’s new book, including a truffled turkey, luxurious mashed potatoes and a pumpkin creme brulee served family-style. Read more interviews with the guests and get the recipes here.
New York-based designer and illustrator Erin Jang owns a design studio, The Indigo Bunting, and is the author of the book Make & Give. We talked to her about the designs she’s created for Sunday Suppers, her cooking philosophy and how she gets her son involved with cooking.
Tell us about your background. How did you get your started in design? What projects are you working on now?
As a child, I loved to draw and make things; I was the kid that always tried to get away with turning every school assignment into an art project. In college, I studied journalism and art, and started designing for the Boston Globe. I moved to New York City and worked as an art director at some of my favorite magazines (Esquire, Martha Stewart Living). Three years ago, I started my own design studio, The Indigo Bunting, and it has been a joy to work on a variety of creative projects, from designing books and magazines to bedding and stationery. The biggest project I’ve been working on is my craft book, called Make & Give. It’s a design-driven book of simple and modern crafts meant to be shared with those you love. It just came out in October!
How did you become involved with Sunday Suppers?
Karen and I met through a dear friend of ours, Suann Song. Karen asked me to create the designs for her Sicilian Supper. It was such a fun project — my favorite part was hand-lettering the menu onto a giant table runner. Since then she and I (and our little ones) have become friends. I love Karen’s work and seeing the beauty she brings to the table.
What is your food and cooking philosophy?
Cooking is a way to show love. Growing up, my grandmother only spoke Korean and when I’d go visit her, she would always prepare my favorite things — a simple stew, rice, side dishes and pickles made from vegetable she grew, a sweet rice drink. Such a humble meal, served on her tiny table, but so special to me because I knew the time and care that went into making it from scratch. Even though we couldn’t always communicate, I felt her love for me through her cooking. That has always stayed with me. I am hoping to express a bit of that when I cook for others.
You have a series of food illustrations —how does food find its way into your designs?
Food is a running theme in my work! I did a series of food sketches because I was inspired by the patterns, colors and shapes of certain dishes. I designed a bedding collection for children called Farmer’s Market — my 3-year-old loves fruit and I wanted to make him blueberry sheets. I have a lot of fun incorporating food into my stationery design. I created a line of food valentines for Paperless Post, thinking of the kinds of cards I’d want to get. Like a card with ramen that says, “Let’s canoodle” or a drawing of pig trotters that says, “I like you an offal lot.”
Do you cook and entertain at home? If so, how would describe your entertaining style? What are your favorite things to cook when you entertain?
I love to cook! And my husband and I love having friends over. It’s slightly selfish, because now that we have a child, it’s easier to have our friends come to us. We put our son to bed and stay up eating and laughing with friends around the kitchen. I used to make elaborate meals and spend days preparing for a dinner. But now I keep things easy because my husband and I have such busy schedules. I like to make simple, well-liked dishes with good ingredients. A chicken and rice dish. Salmon and sesame noodles. A salad with something special from the farmer’s market (I’m a 10-minute walk from the Greenmarket). We use paper napkins. I ask someone else to bring dessert. I’m learning it’s better to have friends over more often, than to be self-conscious about mismatched utensils. People are so happy to be invited to a home; everyone in NYC works a lot and eats out, it’s rare to be invited over for a home-cooked meal.
What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving rituals?
Growing up, my parents always had a bowl of kimchee next to the turkey. Now, we keep that tradition alive and have a piece of home on the table. Last year, we had a platter of Chinese noodles next to the mashed potatoes. This year maybe I’ll make some Korean vegetable pancakes.
What are your favorite things to eat/cook during the holiday?
I need to have a good salad with Thanksgiving dinner! Everything is so heavy — the turkey, the stuffing, the potatoes. It’s nice to have something fresh. I always make that one Bon Appetit kale and brussel sprout salad that went viral a few years back!
How do you get your son involved with cooking? Does he get excited about Thanksgiving?
Miles loves helping me cook. I got him a small knife and cutting board and I give him little tasks. I’ll cut vegetables into strips and have him chop them into smaller squares. His favorite is putting a pinch of salt on everything while I’m cooking. This year we are hosting dinner at our place, and I’m excited to have him decorate place settings for everyone.
Have you ever hosted or been to a Friendsgiving? What are the elements that make a memorable gathering?
My favorite part about Thanksgiving is that my sister-in-law’s family makes their annual trip to NYC. Around the dinner table we have my family, my sister’s family, my sister-in-law’s family and her brother-in-law’s family. We’re related, but we’re also truly good friends. So I guess you can say we always have a Friendsgiving! It’s definitely a little crazy with all our families crammed into a small apartment, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. And it brings us so much joy seeing all our kids together.
Do you have any upcoming design projects that you are excited about?
It’s exciting (but still feels unreal!) to see my craft book, Make & Give out in the world! It was such a labor of love, as my good friend and co-author, Steph Hung and I spent two years writing, designing and photographing everything ourselves. The book teaches how to make super easy, thoughtful gifts that will brighten someone’s day. It’s those small gestures — inviting someone over for a meal, writing a note for someone, or crafting a simple gift — that are so meaningful. I hope people will read the book and feel inspired.
You can have anyone in the world at your dinner table—who would you pick?
My family and my husband’s family. A dozen of my closest friends. (But can I have it catered by Ina Garten?)