{"id":49207,"date":"2025-04-25T13:15:20","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T17:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=49207"},"modified":"2025-04-25T13:15:22","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T17:15:22","slug":"how-edy-massih-feeds-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-edy-massih-feeds-community\/","title":{"rendered":"How Edy Massih Feeds Community"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Edy Massih<\/a> is a Lebanese-American chef, caterer, owner of Edy\u2019s Grocer<\/a>, and cookbook author. But it\u2019s his Brown Paper Board<\/a> business\u2014Middle Eastern grazing spreads laid out on butcher paper\u2014that\u2019s propelling him into the grazing board spotlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2017, Massih started catering directly out of his basement, just like his idol Martha Stewart in the \u201970s. One day during a photoshoot, he realized he had forgotten several of the platters he typically used. He was forced to improvise and arranged the mezze dishes on butcher paper. Brown Paper Board was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOftentimes, Americans don\u2019t know much about Lebanese food beyond hummus,\u201d Massih says, but his clientele\u2014many of whom share his Middle Eastern background\u2014are eager to learn. His favorite dishes include chili crisp labneh<\/a>, spanakopita, falafel bites, and of course, Edy\u2019s famous mezzes. The boards often feature cheeses too, such as halloumi, Armenian string cheese, and Akkawi, a funky cheese curd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through his boards, he merges his chef\u2019s instincts and skills with artistry. In 2022, he trademarked Brown Paper Board, however, he loves when people recreate his spreads. \u201cI take it as a compliment,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Community is central to Massih\u2019s work, from his early days in Lebanon to the activism he engages in today. He learned to cook from his Teitas (grandmothers), Odette and Jacquo, and Kivi, his childhood housekeeper. At 10 years old, he immigrated from Lebanon to the US with his family, not speaking a word of English. His debut cookbook Keep It Zesty<\/em><\/a> <\/em>(HarperCollins, 2024), is a nod not only to the Middle East\u2019s affinity for lemons but also his queer identity, and includes letters to all the influential women in his life, including Oprah Winfrey. He opened his deli in Greenpoint to carry on the legacy of his good friend and fellow immigrant, Maria Puk, and her beloved Polish grocery store. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing an immigrant really matters to me and I take that into consideration in my day-to-day,\u201d he says. For his 30th birthday, Massih hosted Yalla Fest, a Lebanese Festival in Manhattan to celebrate Lebanon\u2019s Independence Day and to fundraise amid the ongoing conflict afflicting the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhenever I visit Lebanon, I see how they\u2019re living in such a different world, and I want to give back,\u201d he says. \u201cTo have the platform I have here, I am always trying to advocate for my people.\u201d Massih regularly fundraises for Lebanon and collaborates with organizations such as the Queer Food Foundation, Ali Forney Center, and Helem, which support the LGBTQIA+ community; Helem specifically advocates for LGBTQIA+ people in the Middle East.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having assembled many a mezze spread over the years, from weddings to brand events such as Netflix\u2019s Pride Party, Massih feels he\u2019s solidly established the Brown Paper Board style. In the future, he\u2019s exploring DIY kits so anyone can easily recreate his famous spreads. \u201cThe clients made me realize this is more than just boards,\u201d Massih says, \u201cthis is something beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Edy Massih is a Lebanese-American chef, caterer, owner of Edy\u2019s Grocer, and cookbook author. But it\u2019s his Brown Paper Board business\u2014Middle Eastern grazing spreads laid out on butcher paper\u2014that\u2019s propelling him into the grazing board spotlight. In 2017, Massih started catering directly out of his basement, just like his idol Martha Stewart in the \u201970s. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":126,"featured_media":49209,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"coauthors":[34701],"class_list":["post-49207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow Edy Massih Feeds Community - culture: the word on cheese<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/how-edy-massih-feeds-community\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Edy Massih Feeds Community\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Edy Massih is a Lebanese-American chef, caterer, owner of Edy\u2019s Grocer, and cookbook author. 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