Sunday Kitchen — Local services in Sydney

Last weekend I attended a Lebanese Cooking Class run by the lovely Karima @sundaykitchenau & her Mum, Sivine. For someone who does cooking classes myself it was a fabulous experience to be on the other side of the table, listening and watching someone else take the driver’s seat.

Before this class, I was almost embarrassed to admit that my knowledge of Lebanese food was limited to Hummus, Kebabs & Tabbouleh. Because like the way Indian food has been stereotyped by the Indian restaurants in Australia, Lebanese food has met with the same treatment. The famous Lebanese restaurants have an assortment of kebabs & hummus with bread to mop it all up with. So, imagine my surprise when I saw the menu and didn’t find any of those dishes.

Karima’s energy and passion for her family, cuisine, & country were contagious and familiar because they reminded me of India and everything I missed and why I did cooking classes. Her mum, Sivine, relegated us with stories of her own family’s quest to leave a war-ravaged country and the challenges of making a home in Australia. Not having the right spices & ingredients to cook with, not being close to family, and having no resources to rely upon didn’t stop her family from starting a life and amalgamating themselves in this multi-cultural environment.

We laughed a lot, cooked a lot and ate a lot of food, and to my surprise, there were a lot of vegetarian options as well. There was Kibbeh Nayyeh, both meat & a vegetarian version made with bulgur wheat. We had smoky Eggplant salad and Baba ghanoush. There was Samkeh Harra, a Spicy Tahini fish, and Sayaduyeh, Golden fish rice for the fish lovers that was dotted with an assortment of nuts. And lastly, there was Tabbouleh made with loads of fresh Parsley, Tomatoes, Coriander, & more bulgur wheat. Finally, there was Batata Harra, deep-fried potatoes in a Garlic & Coriander sauce.

We mopped it up with Lebanese Coffee & tea, homemade cake, & a delightful pastry stuffed with dates. Watching mother and daughter cook & share the same passion was so beautiful that it made me miss my mother. Isn’t food wonderful ? The way it...

It is rare in Sydney to find a food experience as personal, nourishing and informative as the ones hosted by the mother-daughter-best friend-trio that is Karima, Sivine and Aunty Ghada.

As an avid traveller, I was disheartened when the COVID-19 pandemic hit as typically my holidays are spent traversing the world connecting with different people and learning about their culture through food. From the moment I entered the kitchen, that feeling of loss washed away, my senses excited by the smell of fried Lebanese bread and zaatar wafting throughout the room; the vibrant snacks and ingredients thoughtfully placed on the table, and the warm welcome received by Karima, Sivine and Aunty Ghada.

Each of these powerhouse women walked us through the history and process of making each dish whilst we sat back and relaxed, occasionally being summoned to chop up some vegetables for their colourful fattoush, more frequently to devour a morsel of Aunty Ghada’s vegan kibbeh nayyeh, Sivine’s Tabbouch dip (I wanted to steal the whole bowl to myself), or inhale the melt-in-your mouth lamb shoulder.

You can genuinely feel the love and the generations of experience that goes into each and every dish, yet none of what was taught felt intimidating. They equip you with all of the resources and confidence to go out and cook the dishes for yourselves, even throwing in tips on where to source good quality ingredients and which brands are the best to look out for when shopping.

Thank you Karima, Sivine and Aunty Ghada for kindly opening up your kitchen to us. I will be thinking of you all and Tayta Amineh each time I cook one of your dishes ❤️

I would highly recommend this class to anyone who wants to be transported to a Lebanese food wonderland, connect with lovely human beings and learn how to cook heartwarming food in a relaxed environment. Bring your family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues too - you will not regret it!

Class...

Doing this class was such an enjoyable experience! Karima and Sivine make the day a thoroughly professional presentation and yet it also feels like you’ve just been invited into their home to be part of a beautiful family lunch and you are now part of their family.

Food is made using the freshest and most carefully selected ingredients, and every step taken is done with care for the food and love of the process.

Doing Sunday Kitchen was not just about learning to cook and eat the finished product, it was hearing the stories about why these dishes were chosen and the significance the dishes have had in the lives of Karima and Sivine. So many personal touches made this memorable.

I’ve eaten plenty of Lebanese food, and none I have had out and about compares to what I had here. I feel sorry for every Lebanese restaurant I go to because I always compare the Fattoush to what I had at Sunday Kitchen....no one ever comes close.

Can’t recommend highly enough!!!

We also received all the recipes and detailed instructions to help prompt what we learned for recreating at home. I can confidently say that I successfully made the most amazing eggplant dip we learned on the day, so thank you to Karima and Sivine for sharing your beautiful recipes and knowledge with us, Love you guys!!! Can’t wait to come again and...