It's olive oil season so I thought I'd share another post from my archives, this one a recap of touring an olive oil press just outside Amman, Jordan. I talked to Tala Saket of Zeitt Oils and she showed us the process of making high-quality olive oil from start to finish.

The third instalment of Seven Things You Might Not Know About Me as my 50th birthday is now just over one month away. Again, I'm sharing little tidbits of weird, wonderful, and sometimes awful things that have happened in those 50 years here on Earth. I'm here to celebrate the little things and be grateful for the things that make me uniquely me. It's been a really fun exercise. Back on December 17 with my final birthday list!

A food market is just about my favourite place in the world and something I seek out in every place I visit. Perhaps my love affair started when we lived in Moscow and we’d go shopping at one of the utilitarian rynoks dotted around the city.

This interview I did with Kamal Mouzawak, the founder of Souk el Tayeb and the Tawlet restaurants around Lebanon (and now Paris) was first featured in Empowering Women Through Cooking Lebanon. He really should be President of Lebanon as he's done more to support and promote the food producers, cooks, and tourist industry of Lebanon than anyone I know. He's recently taken his Tawlet concept to Paris where it's been a roaring success.

Working as a woman in professional kitchens is hard, and the outdated attitudes towards the "fairer sex" I've encountered in various culinary situations in my travels have varied from casual sexism to outrageous double standards. This is my story.

Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest on Monday and I watched almost every moment of the opulent and very long ritual. It was beautiful to behold, the choral music especially moving, the bag pipes tear-inducing, and the floral bouquet on top of her casket the epitome of good taste. All of it got me thinking about mourning customs and the different kinds I’ve experienced and while they’re never easy, they are supremely necessary.

Just three months today until I turn 50 (God help me)! And I've come up with 7 more things you likely don't know about me....but if you do I apologize. My aim is to celebrate the little (and not so little things) that make me me and take a look back and be grateful for each and every one of them. This month I've tried to focus on my undergraduate college years which were a little hit and miss, but we got there in the end.

A day well-spent at the glorious Babylonstoren estate in the Cape Winelands of South Africa. We toured the very special gardens and picked up a bit of the fascinatating history of this area. An absolute must-visit if you're ever in the neighborhood!

Perhaps my favorite place on earth. Beirut. Lebanon. A place I encourage everyone to go visit even if the news is a bit grim. Currently you'll likely experience some power outages, for god's sake use only cash that you exchanged on the black market, there might be gas shortages....but it's still one of the most vibrant, generous places you'll ever experience. Here's a round up of my favorite spots for the many of you who ask. Go!