Australia as my new home. My early childhood
Marriage meant leaving the securities of my large
years in Lebanon are precious with memories
wedged deep in my heart.
Lebanese family, and thus began my inception into
the kitchen as headmistress. My mothers’
philosophy was simple - if you’re a woman, a
mother, and have a family then your fate is sealed!
That sums it up for her generation. I don’t agree
with her that being a woman carries the title of “the
cook,” but luckily for me, cooking is one of my
leisure activities. And when I’m bored, I’m likely to
be in the kitchen trying a new recipe, or
experimenting with a new technique.
At home I relished the comfort of my mother’s
feasts and the hustle and bustle of a big family.
My mother taught me to cook from the heart. I
know it sounds like a cliché but it’s so true. It
took me a long time to understand this – but how
can you make beautiful food if you don’t like
cooking or appreciate food? And two of my
favourite things are: cooking and eating...
There was a time between my formative years
and married life, where my presence in the
kitchen was dismal, as I was busy working as a
hairdresser in a city salon, but that’s a whole other
story! (It was the 80’s and it was all about big
hair, fluorescent colours and Madonna!)
Shortly after leaving home, I inherited a collection
of Woman’s Weekly cookbooks from a friend who
moved abroad, and to my utter delight, I discovered
the art of cooking. Exploring these new and
wonderful cuisines highlighted Lebanese food and
sparked the urge to learn more about my own
cuisine. It was a natural course so I started with all
the classic dishes while experimenting with other