Your Lebanon Chef Feature:

Tamam’s Kitchen

Tamam of Tamam’s Kitchen is a chef, recipe developer and food blogger of Arabic, French & Italian cuisine. She adds a Middle Eastern touch to different cuisines, and shares her recipes through various cooking shows and on her pages. As a food blogger, she also shares her favorite must try restaurants and dishes from around Dubai!

Connect:

• Instagram: Instagram.com/TamamsKitchen
• Facebook: Chef Tamam’s Kitchen

Guest Recipe Features:

• Chicken Freekeh

Q & A with Chef Tamam

Please tell us about yourself:

I am of Palestinian origin and proud! I have a Jordanian passport, I’m married to an Indian and live in Dubai. Being married to an Indian and living in a beautiful city that isn’t my motherland has helped me appreciate different cultures, especially its cuisine. I love mixing different cuisines together and adding a Middle Eastern/Asian flare to it.

Where are you from:

 I am originally from Nables, Palestine.

Where are you currently residing:

 I live in Dubai, and have been living there for almost two decades.

 What is your favorite Middle Eastern dish to make:

Being Middle Eastern myself, it’s hard to choose just one dish that’s my favorite. But the one dish I never get tired of making no matter the occasion is Msakhan. Always a good choice.

Tamam’s Chicken Freekeh

Do you prefer traditional Middle Eastern dishes or Modern/fusion Middle Eastern dishes:

I honestly love traditional Middle Eastern dishes, but I would definitely say that if I had to choose I prefer modern/fusion dishes instead.

 What do you love most about cooking Middle Eastern cuisine:

 What I love about cooking Middle Eastern cuisine is that it can be easily cooked using any recipe and it’s healthy! What more can I ask for?

 What is your favorite Middle Eastern restaurant:

 My absolute favorite is Um Sharif Restaurant in Dubai. I just love trying everything they have to offer on their menu!

What is your favorite food blog:

I follow so many talented bloggers, but I feel like one of my favorites is definitely @busyavocado! Love it.

What is a must have tool in your kitchen for making Middle Eastern food:

A must have is a mortar and pestle. I know, not the typical knife and board. A mortar is a bowl made of wood, ceramic or hardstone. A pestle is a heavy club-shaped object. It’s used to crush and grind ingredients. Very useful to make different cuisines from different cultures.

What advice do you have for someone just starting to find their way around the kitchen:

Always try an easy recipe first. And always make sure to taste it before serving others 😉

What nostalgic candy bar would you grab on walks to the local deken when you were a kid:

Nowadays my favorite candy bar is hands down snickers. But when I was a little girl you could always find me holding a lollipop!