$17
I am Fida Milki, founder of "Fertayket Fida," (@fertayket_fida), an Instagram page launched in the spring of 2020.
Growing up in Lebanon, food was my family’s love language: my mother would take to the kitchen every morning at the crack of dawn, and by the time we’d wake, our home would be filled with the warmest aromas of traditional village stews, baked doughs, and my favorite kibbeh labnieh. These were the most elaborate and meticulously prepared recipes... but she made it all look so easy! When my cousins would come over each Sunday, we’d gather around a home cooked feast, sharing our stories among an abundance of vibrant dishes and colorful mezze.
When everything shut down due to the pandemic, my daughter encouraged me to begin sharing my own recipes online for the first time. With the help of my niece (a wonderful social media coordinator at The Kezbara Studio in Lebanon), we launched my page. This became such a revitalizing outlet, elevating my passion for healthy, uplifting, and visually-pleasing recipes as I invited my virtual community to take part in every dish. In a time of global isolation, I turned to mother nature for the inspiration behind each flavor and decoration...like the blooming florals in my backyard, and the fruit trees that would greet me during my healing neighborhood walks.
This book is the culmination of my Instagram page and the love and joy I’ve poured into cooking through the last decade. Here you’ll find some of my favorite recipes with original twists, drawing from an exciting blend of diverse, multicultural ingredients that still feel like home. May these pages inspire you to live a beautiful, wholesome, and colorful life filled with rich, invigorating flavors in every bite!