By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
At the heart of every kitchen, behind every simmering pot and fragrant spice, lies a story - one of resilience, heritage and love. If food is a universal language, then mother-daughter duo, Sivine Tabbouch and Karima Hazim Chatila, are perfectly positioned to tell their tale of the power of females in hospitality, this International Women’s Day.
With hands dusted in flour and hearts steeped in tradition, they have crafted more than just meals; they have woven a tapestry of culture, connection and community. Through their immersive cooking experience, Sunday Kitchen and their lovingly penned cookbook, Sofra, the pair has become stewards of a cuisine that transcends borders, binding generations together with each lovingly prepared dish.
For Sivine, food is memory. It is the aroma of za’atar on warm bread, the quiet rhythm of hands rolling vine leaves and the echo of laughter around a bustling kitchen. Growing up in Lebanon as one of 15 children, she learned early that cooking was more than sustenance - it was storytelling.
"Sunday Kitchen is about storytelling,” she says. "It’s about reflecting on migration, honouring the women before us - my mother, my grandmother - and keeping our heritage alive while embracing who we are today.”
Her daughter, Karima, absorbed these lessons like olive oil into a warm pita. Though her journey first took her into fashion and design, she found herself drawn back to the kitchen, to the language of her ancestors that spoke in scents, tastes and textures.
"I came to learn not only about my own family’s story, but the stories of many Lebanese in the diaspora through food,” she shares. "Preparing dishes like stuffed vine leaves or handmade pastries is laborious, but it is in these quiet moments that stories emerge, binding us to our past.”
This dedication to preserving heritage culminated in Sofra, a love letter to their family, their culture and the vibrant Lebanese food tradition that has travelled across oceans and generations.
More than a cookbook, Sofra is a testament to the enduring power of food to unite and to heal. "It’s about preserving and documenting these stories and anecdotes for the Lebanese diaspora and future generations,” Karima explains. "It’s a way to share our heritage with the world.”
The Lebanese dining table is not just a place to eat - it is a stage for storytelling, a sanctuary of solace, a theatre of togetherness. In today’s fast-paced world, where meals are often hurried and connections fleeting, Karima and Sivine remind us of the sacredness of communal dining.
"Feeding people is an expression of love, generosity and belonging,” Sivine says. "It breaks down the isolation of migration, eases the longing for family we’ve left behind and transforms the table into a place of laughter and shared memories.”
In their classes, as they teach home cooks how to knead, stuff and stir, they are passing down more than just recipes - they are gifting traditions. They are ensuring that the rich, fragrant legacy of Lebanese cooking is not confined to restaurant menus but remains alive in homes, hearts and hands.
"The difference between restaurant food and home cooking is love,” Sivine muses. "Restaurants focus on service and presentation. Home cooking is about patience, about ensuring those we love are nourished - not just in body, but in soul.”
Through Sunday Kitchen, Sofra and their tireless advocacy, Karima and Sivine have become cultural ambassadors, bridging past and present, Lebanon and Australia, tradition and evolution. They remind us that food is never just food - it is history, identity and belonging served on a plate.
This International Women’s Day, let us raise a glass (perhaps of aromatic mint tea) to the women who stir pots and shape stories, who pass down recipes like heirlooms, who remind us that the warmest welcome is found in the breaking of bread.
