ABOUT

Welcome to my blog! My name is Noha.

I was born, raised and have lived in Egypt until August 2013 when my husband and I decided to (gulp!) pack our bags and move to Australia, where we currently live.

I love to write. I love books and cats. I love wildlife documentaries and slightly inappropriate jokes. I love photography, making things from scratch, stories and cooking…but most of all, I love food.

In our Egyptian household, food has ALWAYS been a big (HUGE!) deal…so much so, that it kind of felt like a sixth member of our family, along with my father, mother, older sister, younger sister and I. There was always something cooking, and it was always delicious!

I attribute my immeasurable love of food to my parents, both of whom were (and still are) remarkable cooks. While other families relied on ready-made or catering, I am blessed with endless memories of helping prepare huge family dinner parties and barbeques, lovingly crafting novelty birthday cakes and mouth watering traditional desserts, and the countless impulsive hungry midnight cook-ups (my personal favourites of all memories).

For most people, food is pretty much just fuel…but for me, it is SO much more than that. Food is about sharing and expressing… it is about family and celebration, togetherness and tradition…and most of all, food is about love.

At the age of 21, almost immediately after my dream of marrying my high school sweetheart and the love of my life finally came true, I was diagnosed with an absolutely awful chronic autoimmune disease called IBD. It is a horribly debilitating and nasty affliction, and I was utterly shattered. Apart from that, I also happen to suffer from being a chronic over-thinker, stresser-outer and anxiety-prone worrier of EPIC proportions. Needless to say, it’s been tough…but through it all, I have ALWAYS found solace in the clinking of metal pots…the gentle bubbling of a simmering sauce…the sweet aroma of vanilla wafting out from the oven. Simply put, the two places I always managed to find comfort and consolation are my husband’s arms and my kitchen.

In this space, in hopes of inspiring you to put on your aprons and pick up your wooden spoons, I will share with you the food I like to cook and eat and the memories it evokes, as well as all the thoughts, nostalgia, rants, emotions and inevitable stories that come along with it.

Love,

Noha