Meet the 2014 BFBA Winners: Rose Water & Orange Blossoms

It’s been especially inspiring to be back here, where I spent all of my childhood summers, after living in Chicago for many years. Michigan is such a great place to be involved in Middle Eastern cuisine, Lebanese in particular, since there are so many of us here. I can tap into all kinds of culinary history with extended family and friends at any time, and find most any element and fabulous bakery breads (like the very thin, chewy pita that is a Lebanese staple and just can’t be replicated at home).

My grandparents are Lebanese immigrants from the turn of the last century, so my interest was born out of my love for the Lebanese culinary traditions that have always been an integral part of our family life. Looking back, I see that the real education I received was in her Lebanese kitchen learning to bake impossibly thin flatbread (what I’d give for another lesson from her today!) and how to turn out fresh, creamy yogurt every week with a starter from the last week.

After what can only be described as my lifelong yearning to get there, i made my first trip to Lebanon just two years ago. The strife in the region had kept me, and many in my family, from making the trip at various times over the years.

I met family I’d never known, really rather close relatives, and couldn’t get enough of both the classic Lebanese dishes I’d grown up with as well as the very exciting innovations that are such a part of the ancient and cosmopolitan culture there. All of the posts that were inspired by my trip to Lebanon have been important to me not just to capture what happened, but in addition to unpack all of it emotionally and in the kitchen.

I’m thinking of my post about the huge dinner my cousin made for us , using the grape leaves harvested from their vines in the family village, and all that evening meant to me. So even though the Lebanese are devoted above all to a perfect platter of ripe fresh fruit for dessert, I love exploring Lebanese baking, all sweets. French pastry too—which is intimately connected to Lebanese cuisine because of the French influence in Lebanon (Lebanon was a protectorate of France for many years). I have two ways of posting: either I start with a method I love or want to know more about. Develop my stories from there, or I have a particular story I want to tell and discover the method that goes with it as I explore writing the story.

Much of this is grounded in memory, nostalgia (in the best sense of the word), and my deep desire to carry on, perfect, and share Lebanese culinary traditions and the goodness of cookery at home. I like to develop several posts around each week’s method, so that I can explore components, techniques, and favorite things that are related to that method. This is about being open to the inspiration of the seasons, components and the events of life.

I find tons of inspiration and creativity in them, and keep my finger on the pulse of what’s new and interesting. I think often of my experience in culinary school and the year I spent in San Francisco not long ago, and I like to draw on that in fun ways too.

There is inspiration in the very air we breathe in Northern Michigan ( the cherries , the crop , and the pies aren’t so bad either!). This place goes deep for me, and it’s so photogenic that I like to share a Postcard from Up North whenever I can, photos of every corner of this lovely place.

I am just super grateful to have the opportunity to do work that is so meaningful, and so much fun that it hardly seems like work at all.