Each month, we feature a different food blogger who is part of EatLiveBegrateful community. This month, we feature Anna, a Lebanese expat, living in Dubai who writes the blog Anna’s cooking concept , where she blogs about clean eating and homemade food and shares her passion for experimenting with recipes to make them a little bit cleaner and healthier.
Can you tell our readers about yourself, where are you from, where do live?
My name is Anna. I’m from Lebanon and I moved to Dubai 2 years ago after I got married. I am an architect by day and a food blogger by night. Currently, I live here in Dubai with my husband.
Can you tell us about your blog, how long have you been blogging and
what inspired you to start a food blog?
My blog is all about clean eating and homemade food. I have been blogging since 2016 and started my log as a way to share my passion for experimentations. I like to play with traditional recipes from different cuisines and make it a little bit cleaner and healthier. And when I say clean I don’t mean counting calories and using low-fat ingredients but what I mean is to use clean ingredients at there must natural state as I can and it is available and avoid any artificial additive and unnecessary chemical ingredients. For that homemade is always better for me. And I work on making all the recipes I make meal-prepping and packing friendly because I need that in my lifestyle like a lot of people also who follow my blog.
What do you like the most about blogging?
What I like the most are two things the recipe developing and food photography. I like this feeling of satisfaction and happiness whenever I compose a new recipe and it turn out delicious and same when I build a scene and take pictures for the recipe and the photoshoot turn out even better than I expected and reflect the deliciousness of the food, especially with my healthy clean food that is not as easy as comfort and junk food to take pictures of.
What is your
biggest challenge as a blogger?
Social media is my biggest challenge. I work so hard on each blog article from recipe developing to photoshoot and article and it seems that the social media platform are not fair with content vs reach wise, and that has been my struggle always but I try always not to let that issue bring me down and make me hate my passion for food.
What is your favorite Middle-Eastern dish?
Honestly, I love all kind of food in our middle-eastern cuisine but if I have to choose one It have to be the “mouloukhiye” for me I can have it for lunch each and every day
Name 3
ingredients you love using in your dishes
Cinnamon, sumac,
dates
Lebanese date tart
Give your Top 3
Food blogs that inspire you the most
Ambitious kitchen
Oatmeal stories
Crowded kitchen
What’s your
favorite recipe from your blog?
I have a lot of recipes that I love and proud of but one of my favorites must be the falafel burger
Falafel Vegan Burger
What’s the one
kitchen tool you could not live without?
I could say my instant pot (pressure cooker machine) because it is a lifesaver when it comes to meal prep and amazingly good in preserving flavors and saving time
Instant Pot Chicken CurryLebanese Peas Stew
The best piece of advice or tips you would give for people who want to learn how to cook.
Experiment and don’t be afraid of failure. If it doesn’t work the first time try again and again until it works. Cooking is an art and a personal taste so never be afraid of adding your touch and most importantly enjoy it!
