The Mother-in-Law of ED’s Editor Sets the Perfect Tabletop for a Persian Feast
If you follow ELLE Decor’s fearless editor in chief, Whitney Robinson, on Instagram, you’ve no doubt witnessed his mother-in-law, Bibi, serving up a mouthwatering plate of sticky rice on “Tadig Friday.” For our entertaining roundup, we asked Bibi for the inside scoop on how she sets the table for a traditional Persian-Jewish meal—and she shares the little things that make her Shabbat dinners the most special meals of all.
IDEAL DINNER PARTY “When all of my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren sit around my dining table.”
GUEST LIST “My family!”
MENU “I start with gefilte fish. For the main course I serve Persian food, typically eggplant-and-chickpea stew, or a celery, parsley, and mint stew served with rice—and, of course, the signature tadig sticky rice from the bottom of the pot.”
SIGNATURE COCKTAIL “Our signature cocktail? Kiddush wine, of course. Natural sweet wine. Concord grape is sweet, but not too sweet.”
DESSERT “I make a fruit plate, and sometimes I add a plate of cookies, all served with cardamom Persian tea.”
PLAYLIST “We don’t listen to music, but if the family is here, we sing Shabbat songs.”
SEASONAL BOUQUET “Yellow tea roses or, in the springtime, tulips.”
HOSTING DO’S AND DON’TS “Be warm and welcoming to guests, and let them know they always have a seat at the table. Here’s a big don’t: No TV during dinner!”
BEST DINNER PARTY EVER? “Every Shabbat dinner is special in its own way.”
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