Meet Rana
Hello, I’m Rana—and I’m so glad you’re here.
I grew up in Zarqa, Jordan, where food was never just about eating. It was how my mother showed love, how our family connected, how we celebrated every moment worth celebrating. The kitchen was the heart of our home, filled with the aromas of za’atar, sumac, and fresh bread baking in the oven.
When I was 16, my life took an unexpected turn and I found myself in the San Francisco Bay Area. Those early years were challenging—new country, new culture, new everything. But one thing that made me fall in love with my new home was the food. The Bay Area’s incredible diversity, the farmers’ markets bursting with fresh produce, the way people from all over the world brought their food traditions here—it reminded me that food is a universal language.
Your Introduction to the Mediterranean Lifestyle
Here’s what makes me different from other food bloggers: I bring 30 years of professional food industry experienceto every recipe you see here. I’m not just a home cook with a blog—I’m a former café owner, recipe developer, and co-founder of a successful organic gluten-free granola company. I’ve tested recipes at commercial scale and understand what truly works in real kitchens.
Every single recipe on this blog is tested at least twice before I share it with you. I include detailed step-by-step photos for every recipe because I never assume you know a technique. When you follow my recipes, you can trust they’ll work—I’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to worry.
Finding My Path
In 2001, I did something that felt both terrifying and absolutely right—I opened my own café in Marin County. Every morning, I’d arrive before sunrise to prep, cook, and get ready to feed my community. Those years taught me so much about what it means to cook for others, to create recipes that need to work perfectly every single time, to listen to what people actually want and need from their food.
Later, my daughter Sandra and I built an organic, gluten-free granola company together. We developed recipes, sourced ingredients, figured out production—the whole journey. I’ve also worked as a recipe developer and food consultant, helping other businesses bring their food products to life. These experiences gave me a deep understanding of recipe development, but more importantly, they taught me that the best recipes are the ones people actually make and come back to again and again.
The Journey That Changed Everything
Last year, I spent three months traveling through the Mediterranean. Eleven countries. Forty-two cities. It was a journey I’d been dreaming about for years.
I took cooking classes with local chefs in Morocco, Barcelona, Greece, and Italy. I wandered through farmers’ markets in the early morning light, talking with the people who grew the vegetables and made the cheese. I ate in tiny family-run restaurants where grandmothers were still making recipes passed down through generations. I watched how people shopped, how they cooked, how they gathered around tables that stretched late into the evening.
What struck me most wasn’t just the food—it was the whole way of life. The way people valued fresh, seasonal ingredients. The way meals weren’t rushed. The way cooking and eating together was simply part of daily life, not something special or complicated. It reminded me so much of my childhood in Jordan, and it made me want to share that with others.
The Journey That Changed Everything
In 2024, I spent three months traveling through the Mediterranean—11 countries, 42 cities—immersing myself in the authentic Mediterranean lifestyle. I took cooking classes with top chefs in Morocco, Barcelona, Greece, and Italy. I wandered through farmers’ markets, talked with locals, and learned regional variations of dishes I’d grown up making.
That journey showed me something important: Mediterranean isn’t a diet you go “on”—it’s a lifestyle you live. It’s about valuing fresh, seasonal ingredients. It’s about taking time to cook and share meals with the people you love. It’s about movement, joy, and savoring life—not restriction or rules.
This firsthand experience, combined with my Jordanian roots and decades in professional kitchens, gives me a unique perspective I’m excited to share with you
What I'm Creating Here
This blog is where I bring together everything—my Jordanian roots, my years of working in food, and the experiences from my travels. I share recipes from my mother’s kitchen, dishes I learned on my journey, and my own creations inspired by the Mediterranean way of cooking and living.
Some recipes here are quick weeknight meals because I know what it’s like to come home tired and still need to get dinner on the table. Others are traditional dishes that take more time but are worth it for special occasions. I test everything at least twice before I share it, and I include step-by-step photos because I never want you to feel lost or unsure. I’ve learned that clear guidance makes all the difference between a recipe you try once and one you make over and over.
I focus on fresh, whole ingredients—the kind you can find at your regular grocery store. No shortcuts, no processed stuff, just real food. That’s how I learned to cook, and it’s what I believe in.
Why I’m Here
I started this blog because I wanted to share not just recipes, but a way of approaching food and life that’s been meaningful to me. Mediterranean cooking isn’t complicated or intimidating—it’s about fresh ingredients, simple preparations, and the joy of sharing meals with people you love.
Whether you’re here because you’re curious about Mediterranean food, looking for healthier ways to feed your family, reconnecting with your own heritage, or just wanting to try something new—I’m really happy you found your way here.
This is my kitchen, and you’re always welcome in it.
Let’s cook together.
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I’m Rana—born and raised in Jordan, and deeply inspired by my travels across the Mediterranean. My recipes blend the bold, comforting flavors of home with fresh ideas from the kitchens and cultures I’ve explored.
Simple ingredients. Vibrant meals. A taste of the Mediterranean—wherever you are.
featured recipes
Jordanian Breakfast
Enjoying a traditional Shepherd's Pie with family is nothing short of magical. Prepare the recipe for your loved ones; it may bring warm memories and cozy feelings
Black Sea Bass
Make a great dinner! All in one pot, delight your palate with a delicately tender fish’s buttery and flaky taste of a delicately delicate fish.
Carrot Coconut Soup
This nourishing bowl of soup is full of flavor from the delightful mix of lemongrass, curry leaves, key lime leaves, ginger, and garlic combined with a hint of mustard for extra zing!
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