Nadeem’s mother, Thuraya, has always said that meals should be a sensory and multidimensional experience to be memorable: good company, colourful presentation, amazing aromas, refreshing drinks, and, of course, great food are all of equal import. “Habibi, the eye eats first, then the palate” my mother always said, indeed it does. In this book, Nadeem richly captures the experiences he grew up with at his mother’s table and all of the skills she passed down to him.

At its heart, Thuraya is a culinary diary and loving tribute to the plates of Jordan and the Middle East, documenting the food and traditions passed down from mother to son. It is a cultural journey through a culinary lens, of the food Nadeem and his family ate at home growing up in Amman, Jordan.

Photography: Maya Visnyei
Food styling: David Grenier
Prop styling: Catherine Doherty