How's this for a story with true flavour? Eva Rihani is a Jordanian mother of three whose passion for food led her away from a teaching job towards the sizzling environs of the kitchen. It's turned out to be a pretty good decision.
The self-taught chef has been featured across several prominent Arab magazines and television channels and is on the cusp of becoming the star of her own cooking show project – nurtured and shaped by twofour54 creative lab. Here's a deliciously intimate one-on-one with Chef Eva.
Many people have a real passion for cooking, but aren't able to take that passion anywhere. You actually gave up your teaching job to fulfill your dream - talk to us a little bit about that.
Well, let me first give an idea about my background. The nature of my father's business necessitated that we had guests in our house over dinner at least twice a week, and my mother was always the one to prepare all the food. I developed real interest in what she was doing at an early age, and by twelve I was able to prepare varieties to fill a whole dining table, which impressed everyone around me at the time.
So the dream started to grow and I started creating new recipes and looking for new things to try and do. Even in my classes, I used to teach my students through doing many activities with them including cooking and baking. With the support of a loving husband and great family and friends, I enjoyed it and deep inside I knew that I was going to pursue this passion.
How does a mother of two juggle her home responsibilities together with embarking on a successful cookery career?
Cooking is a family activity that we always enjoy. It is how my family communicates with one another, which makes it much easier for me as a mother as well as a wife to handle all the different responsibilities that I have.
My daughters are usually the first to give their opinion on whatever I cook, whether it is a new recipe, a traditional one, or an oldie that is made differently. Involving them is one thing that makes me enjoy and love what I do, helping me pass the feeling on to the food I cook .
Could you tell us a little bit about the cooking show you have planned? What makes it different, does it have a global flavour?
It is called "5-1 with Eva" - easy, simple, quick recipes that are easy to accomplish by all the young women and men who do not have time to cook and who would love to enjoy a healthy quick meal in quite a short time. The recipes have the global flavour as one might say... but with my own different twist.
What's the relationship you share with twofour54 creative lab? What role have they played in bringing this dream of yours to life?
creative lab liked the idea and the passion I had and brought the dream that I always had to life. They are a lovely entity to work with - very professional with an amazing team.
Could you tell readers details about the show and when they can expect to see it. Also, what are Eva's plans for the year ahead?
The show is currently under production and I'm not quite sure when the readers will get the chance to see it, but it is soon I'm hoping. I will continue to fulfill the other parts of my dream as I'm planning to have a cozy restaurant providing a comfortable atmosphere for people to dine in. At the moment, I have a segment twice a week on the radio and I'm trying to finish my own cookbook and hopefully publish it soon enough. I'll make sure everyone stays updated!
If you have an idea for a film, music video, mobile app, game, television programme or any project that can enrich community discourse and add to a growing diversity of views, creative lab can help. Our team is always looking for home-grown ideas that can be developed into robust content. Read some of the stories on how we’ve helped creative minded people translate concepts into finished projects, and connect with your peers in the community for feedback and advice. Flesh out your idea, and then get in touch to see how we can offer support and incubation.
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Cooking up a storm
How's this for a story with true flavour? Eva Rihani is a Jordanian mother of three whose passion for food led her away from a teaching job towards the sizzling environs of the kitchen. It's turned out to be a pretty good decision.
The self-taught chef has been featured across several prominent Arab magazines and television channels and is on the cusp of becoming the star of her own cooking show project – nurtured and shaped by twofour54 creative lab. Here's a deliciously intimate one-on-one with Chef Eva.
Many people have a real passion for cooking, but aren't able to take that passion anywhere. You actually gave up your teaching job to fulfill your dream - talk to us a little bit about that.
So the dream started to grow and I started creating new recipes and looking for new things to try and do. Even in my classes, I used to teach my students through doing many activities with them including cooking and baking. With the support of a loving husband and great family and friends, I enjoyed it and deep inside I knew that I was going to pursue this passion.
How does a mother of two juggle her home responsibilities together with embarking on a successful cookery career?
Cooking is a family activity that we always enjoy. It is how my family communicates with one another, which makes it much easier for me as a mother as well as a wife to handle all the different responsibilities that I have.
My daughters are usually the first to give their opinion on whatever I cook, whether it is a new recipe, a traditional one, or an oldie that is made differently. Involving them is one thing that makes me enjoy and love what I do, helping me pass the feeling on to the food I cook .
Could you tell us a little bit about the cooking show you have planned? What makes it different, does it have a global flavour?
It is called "5-1 with Eva" - easy, simple, quick recipes that are easy to accomplish by all the young women and men who do not have time to cook and who would love to enjoy a healthy quick meal in quite a short time. The recipes have the global flavour as one might say... but with my own different twist.
What's the relationship you share with twofour54 creative lab? What role have they played in bringing this dream of yours to life?
creative lab liked the idea and the passion I had and brought the dream that I always had to life. They are a lovely entity to work with - very professional with an amazing team.
Could you tell readers details about the show and when they can expect to see it. Also, what are Eva's plans for the year ahead?
The show is currently under production and I'm not quite sure when the readers will get the chance to see it, but it is soon I'm hoping. I will continue to fulfill the other parts of my dream as I'm planning to have a cozy restaurant providing a comfortable atmosphere for people to dine in. At the moment, I have a segment twice a week on the radio and I'm trying to finish my own cookbook and hopefully publish it soon enough. I'll make sure everyone stays updated!
If you have an idea for a film, music video, mobile app, game, television programme or any project that can enrich community discourse and add to a growing diversity of views, creative lab can help. Our team is always looking for home-grown ideas that can be developed into robust content. Read some of the stories on how we’ve helped creative minded people translate concepts into finished projects, and connect with your peers in the community for feedback and advice. Flesh out your idea, and then get in touch to see how we can offer support and incubation.
login or register to comment on this content
Come dive into the Middle East’s largest, most vibrant online creative community.