Hi there. My name is Nada which is Arabic for “dew on the morning roses.” Poetic, right? In Spanish my name literally means “nothing.” It’s okay. It makes for a funny icebreaker!

I’m a professionally trained chef who grew up in Lebanon, watching my mother prepare meals for her family. Mom’s hands always smelled of fresh mint and lemon. Her cooking was consistently punctuated by a hint of za’atar, a traditional Lebanese spice combination of mountain thyme, sumac, sesame seeds, salt and mom’s special secret ingredient. To this day these aromatic flavours take me back to the pure joy of my childhood and the depth of my mother’s love.

My parents were avid gardeners and passed on their love for the earth and the bounty it gives back to us. Mom taught me the fundamentals of fresh ingredients, traditional flavour combinations, the infusion of love, simplicity and soul in all things and how to execute a recipe with passion and dramatic flair. (Okay. The dramatic flair is all me. Truth be told, I’ve always dreamed of being on Broadway.) 

Here in the real world, cooking class is my stage. It’s where I teach time-honoured culinary techniques for the modern kitchen. The featured dish, infused memories, the laughter, even the belly dance finale — it’s guaranteed to be an authentic experience from someone who loves to cook, to eat, to laugh, to dance and to share. 

COVID restrictions have expanded my reach from in-home, face-to-face classes to an online audience, and I have to say, I’m more than a little excited at the prospect of becoming a global sensation. 

— Nada