I am Joumana Accad, born and raised in Beirut, and I have been living in the US since 1979. I founded this blog in 2009 out of a burning desire to share my beloved Lebanese heritage with the world through recipes, anecdotes, and cultural tidbits. This full-time occupation is a testament of gratitude to my téta (grandmother), Sitt Nabiha (Aftimos) Zabbat, a native of Deir el-Qamar in the Chouf Moun
tains, who delicately handcrafted the most incredible dishes. I have tried to emulate her while raising my children in the US with the food of my native country, to give them a taste of my childhood. The more than 1,200 recipes, 45 YouTube videos, and 1,400 images answer this dilemma: What is the best way to recreate these traditional morsels within our modern time constraints? With a few sprinkles of stories and historical trivia, I have creatively interpreted classic dishes while remaining faithful to the original ingredients and techniques. Taste of Beirut is a window into the Eastern Mediterranean, where Lebanese food mingles with Turkish, Syrian, Persian, Iraqi, and Egyptian among a score of other flavors. I personally curate the original content of Taste of Beirut as well as style and photograph each and every image. A Taste of Beirut cookbook was published in September 2014, with Health Communications, Inc. I have worked both in the United States and in Lebanon as a food stylist, recipe developer, menu consultant, and cooking instructor. I have a large inventory of styled, copyrighted food images available if needed. I am interested in styling food for corporate clients and in brand sponsorships. Contact me by e-mail at [email protected] or on social media.
