Lunch with Eva

Get to know the blog's inspiration! I set up a lunch date with Eva to ask her a few questions about cooking:

Who’s your favorite person to cook for?
There isn't just one person. My favorite is to cook for my family! I love nothing more than family gatherings. I also love when my kids (now adults) bring their friends over to try my Lebanese food.

How does your cooking technique differ from those you learned from?
I learned from my mother, my grandmother, and my mother-in-law. All three women dedicated a lot of their time to cooking (as many women in Lebanon did). When I had my children, I wanted to keep the Lebanese heritage as much as I could, and for me that meant cooking the traditional Lebanese meals. What made me different from my mother and grandmother is I had a full-time job outside the home. I realized I could still make these meals, but that I had to create some shortcuts to fit my lifestyle. 

What’s one piece of advice you can give to your blog visitors?
Some recipes may look complicated, but don’t be discouraged. The first time you make it, it may not look pretty, but it will taste good! Each time you make it, it will look better and better! It took me years to get my chicken and rice to taste exactly like my mother’s, who passed away too young. In those years, it was still delicious, but I really wanted it to taste like I remember. 

How would you feel about your blog visitors changing around your recipes?
I take no offense to my visitors making a recipe their own! In Lebanon, every individual has their own way of cooking, and no matter your ethnic background, you still have a say in what makes a recipe work for you.

If you have a question for Eva let us know and your question will be used in the next Lunch with Eva post. :)