Out of all the breads in the world, there is always one type I can never resist, and that is cornbread. I love that cornbread tastes delicious both sweet (with a little butter and honey or jam) or savory, dunked into soups, stews, or chile. In part 2 of my cooking series to celebrate and honor South Africa for their dedication to human rights, I will focus on their Mealie Bread, or cornbread.  As South Africa is the 9th largest producer of corn in the world, this grain is a huge staple in their diet, feeding millions of people every year. Mealie bread is a popular street food there, wher ..read more

With Arab American Heritage Month, Eid al Fitr, and Greek Orthodox lent upon us at the same time, there is one dish that fits the bill for all 3 occasions, Fatayer Sabanekh, or Arab style spinach pies! The word “fatayer” itself means pastry in Arabic.  These vegetarian hand pies, which are popular in Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria,  are similar to mini calzones. Triangular shaped pillowy dough envelops a lemony spinach filling with sweet onions and tangy sumac, perfect for lunches, picnics, potlucks, and parties.  Traditional arabic spinach triangle hand pies As a child I ..read more

While this website is dedicated to middle eastern food, today I wanted to honor the country of South Africa by featuring their cuisine. I haven’t posted in a while, as I have been seeing horrific images coming out of Gaza. Continuous photos of skeletal children being deprived of food and aid are just too much to bear. I feel guilty even eating when such atrocities are happening in real time. However, the country of South Africa reignited my inspiration, with their compassionate stance for human rights for the people of Gaza. So I thought I would do a series on some of their most popular dishes ..read more

There is something about a cold rainy day that makes me yearn to bake homemade bread. The art of baking bread makes me nostalgic for the days of my childhood, reminding me of my gentle great auntie Bahieh. She NEVER bought bread from the store, instead baking her own loaves every Saturday. I could smell the yeast from the front door, and would walk into the kitchen: counters covered with flour, the low humming sound of a warm oven, and fluffy bread piled up high in a basket like goose down pillows.  She would tear off a piece the second she saw me, and top the bread with either some fresh ..read more

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area my whole life, I never understood the celebratory nature of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The whole city comes alive with massive get togethers with friends and family, and of course, decadent food. It is not uncommon for people cooking outdoors to invite strangers passing by to join the fun, an action that would sadly be alien in northern California.  So to capture the aura of New Orleans on Mardi Gras, I interviewed a chef who brings a taste of New Orleans to San Francisco. Chef Brenda has deep roots and family ties to New Orleans, coming from a line of ..read more

Hello Dear Friends,  I realize that it has been a while since I have posted a recipe, please know that I have not forgotten you! I have been busy working on a lot of charity events, as well as my job at NBC, and I will be sure to share some of my favorite NBC stories with you. For now I will share a new recipe that I developed, specifically in response to countless viewer requests.  Let’s face it, there is an epidemic of diabetes not only in the United States, but globally. In the Arab world, diabetes stems mostly from eating copious amounts of rice and sweets, even though the diet i ..read more

Hello Dear Friends, I hope you are all doing well this holiday season. If you haven’t been following me on Youtube or Instagram, you might not know that I am having a sale on my cookbook the entire month of December. Right now you can use the code BLACKFRIDAY and get 15% off here: https://secure.mybookorders.com/mbo_index.php?isbn=9781545675113 This over 200 page book is great not only for your kitchen, but your coffee table as well! I break each recipe down so that you can make authentic Middle Eastern dishes from your home easily. This book is full of glossy photos, stories, and historical r ..read more

Hello Dear Friends, I wish it was like any other year at this time, where I would be sharing multiple recipes gearing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sadly this has been probably the worst month in my family’s and my life. To watch hopelessly the carnage on the other side of the world has been devastating. I have taken a pause from my normal content to attend to other callings in my life, which I will catch you up on if you choose to read about it below. If you are seeking recipe ideas for Thanksgiving, you can check out my Thanksgiving playlist, with recipes for side dishes, salads, desser ..read more

Hello Dear Friends,  Today’s video came in response to multiple viewers that requested I share a dish they could take to their next potluck, and I immediately thought of my roasted vegetable and maftoul salad!  Maftoul is like couscous, only larger so that it is more chewy to eat and absorbs that much more flavor. It is popular among Moroccans and Palestinians, and is used in a variety of soups, stews, and pilafs.  If you don’t have maftoul, you can use orzo, freekeh, farro, quinoa or even wheatberries if you wish. For this recipe, I love the vegetables of the Mediterranean, li ..read more

One thing I love about my job as a correspondent on NBC’s California Live is getting to interview so many phenomenal chefs! I learn something new from every one of them, and I love to play it forward and pass their tips on to you. Probably my favorite fall harvest food to cook with is pumpkin, and did you know that all pumpkins are squashes, but not all squashes are pumpkins? Chef Gus of Jack O’Neill Restaurant, a beautiful dining establishment overlooking Santa Cruz beach in California, taught me his phenomenal method for this Harvest Pumpkin Bisque. The soup was creamy and velvety, with jus ..read more