08/15/2026
Before I became a chef, I was just a kid watching my mother cook and working alongside my father on the land. 🇵🇸❤️
Some of my strongest childhood memories aren’t photographs. They’re smells, flavors, sounds, and moments around our family table.
I remember my mother, Rasmyee, cooking for our family—the aroma reaching me before I even walked through the door. I remember working alongside my father on the land and in the commercial greenhouses he built, growing tomatoes, watermelons, olives, and so much of the food that eventually made its way to our table.
Growing up, I didn’t realize how deeply those moments were shaping me.
Years later, thousands of miles away in New York City, I find myself recreating those memories through food.
When I cook makloubeh, musakhan, kufta, or simply drizzle Palestinian olive oil over a plate, I’m carrying a little piece of my childhood with me.
Qanoon is more than a restaurant to me. It’s a continuation of my parents’ table, my childhood, and the Palestine I grew up knowing.
Maybe that’s the beautiful thing about food: you can leave home, but one bite can take you right back. 🇵🇸❤️
What dish takes you back to your childhood? Tell me in the comments. Many thanks for مريم الخاجة for doing this video.
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