Your Lebanon Chef Feature: Cooking Journey
Nahed of Cooking Journey shares unique twists to traditional Middle Eastern Dishes. We love the vibrant colors in her food! Illustrative, informative captions accompany her posts, and we’ve certainly learned a new thing or two about dishes we thought we were already familiar with!
Connect:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/cooking.journey
Guest Recipe Features:
Q & A with Nahed
Please tell us about yourself:
My name is Nahed Alfar, a Palestinian/ Jordanian/ British national. Born in Amman, Jordan.
My parents are from Jaffa and Lydd in Palestine. I studied a degree in English Literature at the University of Jordan and a Master Degree in English Linguistics. I worked for the Arab Bank in Amman before I got married and moved to the United Kingdom where I started working as a translator for the U.k Visas and Immigration.
At this stage of my life, I became interested in learning more about Middle Eastern dishes and recipes. Living away from home and missing my mother’s cooking, made me realise that food is a way to preserve connections to family, childhood memories and culture. Cooking and baking became my passion and a way of keeping my daughters attached to their roots, background and identity. At the end of last year, I started sharing my passion of authentic Palestinian and Levante dishes on Instagram and it’s great.
What is your favorite Middle Eastern dish to make:
The first two dishes that come to my mind are Wara’ Enab and Tabouleh. Both are my favourite, very distinctive and delicious.
Do you prefer traditional Middle Eastern dishes or modern/fusion Middle Eastern dishes:
Both
What do you love most about cooking Middle Eastern cuisine:
I love the fact that it’s plentiful with so many different options to appeal to every palette. It is so healthy as it depends on the abundance use of seasonal vegetables, fruit, grains and extra virgin olive oil. I am also in love with the cuisine’s culture, rituals, skills, the sharing of food and most importantly carrying on our traditions.
What is your favorite Middle Eastern restaurant:
Can’t remember a specific name but my favourites are in Lebanon and Turkey.
What is your favorite food blog:
@yourlebanon@jamieoliver@palestineonaplate@gordongram
What is a must have tool in your kitchen for making Middle Eastern food:
Mortar and pestle
What advice do you have for someone just starting to find their way around the kitchen:
Be organised and don’t be afraid to experiment!
Sharing a meal is about bringing people together! – Nahed
Food artist Nahed , I liked everything you did in cooking journey.