About the Editor

My culinary training began at my mother’s side when I was around 11 years old . By age fifteen I could core and stuff squash and potatoes, roll perfectly shaped grape leaves and dough for turnovers; properly chop vegetables and herbs, and de-fat cuts of meat.

In 1975 we traveled to the U.S. to visit siblings. The trip was unexpectedly extended due to the Civil War in Lebanon. I was compelled to continue my university education here and landed in Texas. At 20 years old, and on my own for the first time, my life and cooking skills became more refined. I got married and we entertained friends, which required me to re-awaken my food presentation skills.

In 1985 my husband and I moved from Texas to California where three of my siblings lived. After my daughter turned six, I started a catering alongside my full-time job as a Technical Director.  Cooking was my creative outlet, a way to feel fulfilled… a passion my daughter and son share, as do so many members of our large family.

After getting laid off in 2010, and at the behest of my now college-aged daughter, I opened a small Café  across from the U.C. Berkeley campus. This fulfilled a dream. The cafe was voted ‘Best of the East Bay’ in its category within 5 months of opening. I had to sell the café due to stress and spent the next 13 years researching the link between disease, supplements, nutrition and healing. I incorporated my learning by altering most all my recipes transforming them into health-supportive versions. I published my research, recipes and holistic healing options to a blog that tuned into a website.

Several times over the years I would think about publishing mother’s cookbook in English, but the task was too daunting. I was aware that my eldest sister Selma, with a few friends, had translated mom’s recipes in the early 70’s. When she passed on in 2012 I was given a large box filled with iterations of the recipes as typewritten pages. The effort transfer these 500 pages to a digital format seemed overwhelming.

It wasn’t until 2021 that the name 101 Arabian Bites came to me and prompted the idea of offering her recipes in several volumes (101 recipes each).

The final prompt came when a new friend who learned about my mother’s skills and our family history, mentioned how important it seemed to keep her legacy alive. I realized the time had come. And so I selected the first 101 recipes and re-edited them to suit today’s lifestyles and nutritional considerations.

This effort of love that began with my mother, and making it accessible to others, fills our hearts with gratitude and joy…mine and the 53 members of our amazing family. May you enjoy every morsel in good health.