Palm Beach dining: Matchmaker marries career with love of cooking
Last March, Lisa Ronis was preparing to hunker down and wait out the pandemic.
As one of a handful of high-end East Coast matchmakers, she thought the industry was headed for a slump.
But by April, the phone at Lisa Ronis Matchmaking started ringing off the hook. Her clients were ready to get back out there. Plus, a lot of new business started to roll in.
“I guess I became a matchmaker very naturally because I love people and I am very social. I love bringing people together and I also love feeding people,” said Ronis. “It is an important part of my Syrian Jewish heritage. My mom (Marcelle) was a great teacher in all aspects of life. She was an amazing cook. So, for that I thank her.”
She is cooking, sharing meals with friends outdoors and meeting them at restaurants for socially distanced, al fresco dining. Her Palm Beach favorites for romantic dining are Bice, Café Boulud, Renato’s, Café Flora, Sant Ambroeus and Trevini.
Ronis creates fresh, healthy, traditional and modern dishes in the Middle Eastern mezza style when she entertains. Inspiration often comes from two of her favorite cookbooks, Aromas of Aleppo by Poopa Dweck and Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi. The following recipe was adapted from Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem.
*
Middle Eastern Spinach Salad with Medjool Dates and Red Onion
* 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
* ½ red onion, thinly sliced
* 3½ ounces pitted Medjool dates, cut in quarters lengthwise
* Salt
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* ½ cup slivered or sliced raw almonds
* 3½ ounces thin pita chips broken into pieces
* 2 tablespoons sumac
* 5 ounces baby spinach, rinsed and dried
* 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
* ½ red bell pepper, finely diced
* ½ cup Moroccan black olives
Put vinegar, onion and dates in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and mix well. Set aside for 15 minutes. Heat butter and half the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook for four to six minutes, stirring until the nuts are browned. Add the pita chips and stir for one minute. Remove from heat and mix in the sumac and a pinch of salt. Set aside to cool.
When ready to serve, toss the spinach with the pita mix in a large bowl. Add dates, onion and remaining olive oil, lemon juice and another pinch of salt. Garnish with red pepper and olives.
Makes four servings
Social guidelines
during a pandemic
Food, socializing, the charity circuit and entertaining friends at home have always been an important part of Lisa Ronis’ personal and professional lifestyle. Because of the pandemic, a new set of social guidelines for her clients had to be developed. She came up with the following:
* Try not to meet someone just to get out of the house and go on a date, she advised. Look for someone who meets your criteria, has similar values and is serious about finding a partner.
* Ask questions up front to avoid investing time and emotions that might lead nowhere. Find out if the other person is taking the pandemic seriously. The first meeting can be a FaceTime or Zoom call. It might feel a bit awkward, but it is an effective way to break the ice and decide if this is someone you want to meet in person.
* If things seem to be going well and you feel there is potential for a relationship, make plans to meet the person. She still feels the man should call the woman to ask her out to dinner and pay for it. Find a restaurant that feels safe and has socially distanced seating.
* Eat outside if possible. These days, it’s fine to meet at the restaurant instead of meeting up and going together. Try to avoid kissing and hugging hello. If you are sharing food, try not to eat from the same plate. Ask for separate plates and serving utensils or ask the waiter if they can spit shared dishes in the kitchen.
* Try not to drink too much and let your guard down. Avoid table hopping and too much socializing.