cuisines. Since my husband didn’t enjoy cooking,
I became the designated home-cook.
made gourmet foods to an audience I knew was
keen to experience new flavours. My range
included fragrant fruit syrups, exotic jams, tahini
spreads and Middle Eastern treats that captured the
tastes of my homeland.
Then in March 2010, I launched my first cooking
class, followed by a series of pop-up dinners,
guided food tours and various food adventures
along the way... I am now working towards
producing a TV show about Lebanese food.
By now, I was smitten with cooking, and my
passion for Lebanese food inspired me to learn
more about this ancient cuisine. As a lover of the
foodie/farmer’s markets, I discovered no one was
producing Lebanese condiments. While the basic
ingredients were available, these gourmet
products were not, and you had to search for
Middle Eastern grocers to source them. My idea
was to produce and sell a small range of my
home-made gourmet products, interact with
customers while gaining some credibility, and
move on to my cookery school. The cooking
school was always the goal.
The birth of Norma’s Lebanese Foods is a
collection of my childhood food memories
combined with my passion and love for Lebanese
food. Even though Sydney is dotted with
Lebanese restaurants, there was no-one educating
foodies in the fundamental techniques and basics
of Lebanese cooking.
It was November 2008 and the time felt right to
launch Norma’s Lebanese Foods. I started off at
a foodie market selling a small range of home-
I started my journey of exploring Lebanese food
many years ago and my thirst for ingredients has
not been quenched yet. Every time I discover a new
Lebanese dish or a rare ingredient, my passion is
ignited again, to learn more and discover more.
Lebanese food to me is about abundance,
generosity, family gatherings and food prepared
with love. As a cook, you give a little of yourself
when you feed your family and friends. And what a
humbling feeling it is to know your food is loved
and your effort appreciated!
www.normaslebanesefoods.com.au