Anissa Helou is a chef, food writer, journalist, broadcaster, consultant and blogger focusing on the cuisines and culinary heritage of the Middle East, Mediterranean and North Africa. Born and raised between Beirut, Lebanon, and Mashta el-Helou, Syria, she knows the Mediterranean as only a well-travelled native can. At the age of 24, she opened an antiques shop in Paris, and shortly after became a freelance art consultant based in London. She also briefly lived in Kuwait acting as an advisor to members of the ruling family. Ms. Helou is the author of numerous award-winning cookbooks including Sweet Middle East, Levant, The Fifth Quarter, An Offal Cookbook; Modern Mezze; Savory Baking from the Mediterranean; Mediterranean Street Food; Café Morocco; and Lebanese Cuisine which was her first cookbook that got published.
This episode is an explosive indulgence into Anissa’s free-spirited and glamorous life. Anissa shares some lovely memories from her childhood days in Beirut to her endearing equation with her parents. She takes us through her more than eccentric journey of living across the globe, meeting new people, trying and testing career options to eventually find her peace and haven in the art world which eventually led her to go back to her cultural attachment to food. Anissa talks about writing her cookbooks which she was acclaimed for and realizes wanting to do it out of a pure need of enjoying the food rather than researching to make bucks out of it. Listen to her episode now.