Dedicated to my mother Thuraya, and my late father, Michael.
My personal relationship with food started in my youth. Inspired by my mother’s cooking and the cuisine of the Levant, I began cooking and mixing flavours at a very early age. This project started with the intention of documenting my mother’s recipes for my sister and I, then snowballed into a cookbook to share this amazing culinary and culture experience with the world.
From humble beginnings to a culinary journey.
Both of my parents grew up in Jordan. My mother was born and raised in Amman, in a large family of nine siblings, to an As-Salt–born grandfather who was a butcher by trade. My father, born in Jerusalem, moved with his three siblings to As-Salt following the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, then to Amman, where he met my mother. My parents married in 1967, and from humble beginnings, they built their family and future through hard work and dedication.
I fondly recall the sights and aromas of my mother’s kitchen when we invited people over, pretending to help while trying to get my hands on anything I could sample in the kitchen. The same holds true for my memories of Nana, my grandmother who taught us the pleasure of truly enjoying not only the food experience, but also the cultural side of it.
The recipes on this website, and in the book, are a selection of the snacks, salads, main dishes and desserts that we ate at home. I’ve tried to capture this experience to the best of my ability, to show through photography and stories the things that brought warmth to my heart (and still do).
I hope you enjoy this culinary adventure as much as we all have.
Al-Salt, Jordan. Where it all began.
Once an Ottoman Empire trading hub, As-Salt has deep significance with respect to my roots. Nestled among three mountains with magnificent views and a thriving central square, this city is where my mother’s family originated and was a haven for my father’s family after they left Jerusalem in 1948.
