Passion for good food has been a tradition in my family for generations. As a young kid, I watched my grandmothers and grandaunts work magic in the kitchen – grinding bright, fragrant spices, kneading layer upon layer of feather-light dough, and transforming cuts of meat into mouthwatering, fall-off-the-bone deliciousness – all accomplished with the simplest of ingredients. These formative years in the hot, colorful kitchens of our family’s matriarchs were integral in shaping me into who I am today. With a diverse culinary education – thanks to my father’s mother’s affinity for preparing exotic desserts and dishes, and my mother’s mother’s loyalty to solid traditional recipes – I developed a strong foundation in our Middle Eastern roots, paired with an openness and eagerness to explore my own culinary curiosity.

Much of that curiosity was satisfied by growing up in Dubai, where I was further exposed to many exotic dishes like Indian, Emirati, Persian, Chinese, and Pakistani. As I grew older and began to travel, I became appreciative of even more cuisines like that of Indonesia, Thailand, Italy, Mexico and many others.  All of this sent me on a wonderful journey where I have continued to explore and learn about food.

My academic engineering background and my career in the food industry taught me precision, accuracy, standardization and quality. Along this journey I have modified, adapted and invented many recipes that I have kept in two cookbook manuscripts and notes that I keep updating over the span of twenty years. I now believe it is time to share the culmination of those experiences with other food enthusiasts so that they, too, can embrace the magic of a truly delicious, especially healthy, home cooked meal.

-Maan Sardast, 2022

Cofounder & Culinary Enthusiast