“The Middle East is home to an ancient cuisine; one of the oldest in the world. It is wholesome, based on the seasons and packed with a mouthful of exotic flavours. Yet, very little is known about it besides hummus, tabouleh and kabobs -these also only becoming more popular in the last 10 years or so. Sure, mezze has become quite mainstream, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s far more to Middle Eastern cuisine. There’s a whole world of exotic stews, casseroles and home-cooking to soothe a hard-worked soul. There’s the fascinating Middle Eastern pantry, too and all the wonderfully exotic spices. And to go beyond that, there is a wonderful and little known culture of how-to-eat and be hospitable, of giving generously, of always having enough for unexpected guests.See, a Middle Eastern feast is not made up of three courses, but is rather less structured. An array of many different dishes served for each person to dig into what they fancy making it a way of eating that once unlocked, there’s no going back.

My aim is to try to demystify Middle Eastern food and make it more accessible. I want to change perceptions that Middle Eastern food is complicated and laborious (sometimes it can be) and get more people grappling their fear of the unknown with the cuisine. I like to cook both classical and Middle Eastern inspired dishes and try to always present them in an un-intimidating manner with easy to follow instructions.“