My name is Derek Farwagi, 
I was born British of a Greek mother and a father who was half English and half Palestinian. I grew up in Egypt was educated in England and as an international marketing consultant I have lived and worked throughout Europe, Asia, Australia and for the past 25 years, the Middle East. I now live in Washington DC with my wife Marcelle with whom I share the joy of good food and cooking.
I am a self taught cook and given my background and links to the Mediterranean, my cooking and the recipes on this website are inevitably influenced by the region’s cuisines but when I started cooking in my early teens, little did I know that the Mediterranean Diet was to become a global phenomenon.My only claim to culinary fame was that I once appeared as a guest cook in Vogue Travel magazine.I started this website to help busy people enjoy quick and easy gourmet dishes whether for midweek meals or special occasion dinners. I have adapted many of the dishes I grew up with and enjoyed throughout my travels and most recipes take about 45 minutes to prep and cook while retaining their unique flavour and texture.I also wanted to share my passion for food and the cultures, traditions and tastes embedded in the recipes I cook. My multicultural upbringing and travels gave me a vast array of food experiences from the street stalls of Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco,Thailand and Japan to the hallowed, multiple Michelin starred Tour D’Argent and Grand Véfour in Paris, the Domaine De La Tortinierre in the Loire Valley, the Colombe D’or in St. Paul De Vence and everything in between.
Street vendor in Cairo
A common thread that links all these experiences is not only the enjoyment of the food, but the friendships and bonds that it creates. That is what I remember and many recipes on this website bring back distant memories of my childhood in Cairo, my early student and career days in London, my decade in Sydney Australia and my recent 25 year stint in the Middle East.
Le Grand Véfour dining room. Paris
My approach to cooking is pretty simple and was influenced by my Greek grandmother who was a full of advice on life, love, the pursuit of happiness and of course food. A long time ago she told me “it is better to excel at simple meals than deliver mediocre elaborate productions”. This from a Greek who as we all know are the masters of elaborate drama! For ease of prep and cooking I have simplified the recipes of many of my favorite dishes without compromising too much on taste and I am constantly looking for ways to give simple dishes a lift.
The Colombe D’Or with its own, world famous art collection. Then young struggling artists like Picasso, Chagall and Miro exchanged their art for meals.
All the pictures are mine. So too are all the recipes and I cook and test every one. I draw inspiration from my memories and the countless recipes that have been shared with me by my family, friends, cooks and chefs along my journey and I am indebted to them . Occasionally recipes by other cooks catch my attention and inspires me on a path to develop a new twist and I have credited them where appropriate.
I hope you enjoy the dishes and the friendships you make around them.
Derek
