Latest news with #Nabulsi
Gulf Today
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Kids at SCRF love delicious Palestinian pastry
The richness of Palestine's culinary heritage was brought to the fore in a flavoursome preparation by Palestinian-Canadian chef Maha Kailani at the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF 2025), on Friday. The session titled 'Taste of Palestine: An adventure with chef Maha Kailani' introduced young children and their guardians to authentic flavours from the Palestinian region. The Ontario-based chef prepared an enjoyable yet easy dish – za'atar and Nabulsi cheese puff pastry – using frozen pastry sheets and mozzarella cheese. The artistry and minimum difficulty involved in it as it went into the oven or air fryer made it a perfect dish that children could do alone or with limited help from adults. Maha, who is the author of the cookbook Yalla, Let's Eat, first set about cutting and rolling a thawed pastry sheet into small rectangular pieces dusting it with all-purpose flour to prevent it from sticking to the surface. She then transferred it into a baking sheet, lightly pricked the inside with a fork, smeared olive oil on the sides and baked it for 10 minutes. Once the sheet was out of the oven, she filled it with mozzarella, crumbled Nabulsi cheese and zaatar, taking care to leave the sides empty. 'This is like a painting, and children can do it,' she quipped as she returned it to the oven for another 12 minutes. When the cheese melted and the edges turned golden brown, she took it out and allowed it to cool before serving the eager audience. Chef Maha will be presenting numerous delicacies from Palestine during the course of SCRF 2025. Taking place from April 23 to May 4 at Expo Centre Sharjah, the 16th edition of SCRF promises an immersive experience under the theme 'Dive into Books'. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), this year's agenda will feature 133 guests from 70 countries, and 122 Arab and international publishing houses from 22 nations. For more information on this free-to-attend event, visit .
Arabian Business
28-04-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
EXCLUSIVE: Creator of viral ‘Dubai Chocolate' recipe says he was written out of global success story
The Filipino chef who co-created Dubai's viral pistachio kunafa chocolate has revealed he was an original investor in the venture before stepping away—only to watch the product achieve global recognition without him. Chef Nouel Catis, a dessert specialist with 16 years of experience in the UAE, said in an exclusive interview with Arabian Business that he co-developed the confection for FIX Dessert Chocolatier and helped purchase equipment to launch the brand. However, he exited the business arrangement before it went viral. 'It was really the intention to have an equal partnership, where I put my money into the technical side, the operational side, while she [Sarah Hamouda] does the branding [and] marketing,' said Catis, referring to FIX's founder. Catis said he felt disappointed at being excluded from the brand's public narrative as its success grew. 'If I'm paid for my work as a consultant, I don't expect credit. But if it's a collaborative project—something we developed together—then [credit] should be given,' he said. Much of FIX's origin story, widely reported as stemming from Hamouda's pregnancy cravings, remains intact. Catis confirmed she was pregnant during their partnership but noted, 'Chefs are there because if you don't have the skill set, they're there to make things happen.' He added that the growing media attention around the brand risks diminishing the role of professional chefs. 'It's kind of saying to chefs that their profession isn't something you work hard on. We need to validate that chefs have worked to become who they are,' he said. Intellectual property lessons from viral success The pistachio kunafa chocolate bars—blending nut cream and pastry inside a thick chocolate shell—exploded in popularity in 2024, triggering pistachio shortages and global imitation. As FIX's profile rose internationally, Catis said he found himself largely omitted from the public narrative, despite creating the signature recipe and investing in the initial production setup. 'The main takeaway for me was, because of what happened, I became a wiser person,' he said, urging culinary entrepreneurs to prioritise legal clarity. 'If you have to start a business with a friend or family member, you have to do what is right from the start, which is doing paperwork.' According to Catis, the two initially registered the business as partners with local authorities, but that registration was allowed to lapse. In 2022, Hamouda went on to trademark the brand independently, around the time Catis shifted into more of a support role rather than continuing as a partner. He said the arrangement gradually dissolved without a formal discussion. From Jordan to Dubai Catis's passion for Middle Eastern flavours began in Jordan, where he was first introduced to authentic Nabulsi kunafa. 'I fell in love with Arabic desserts and food. It just made sense for me when I was in Jordan, that I should continue my journey in the Middle East,' he said. Before the rise of 'Dubai chocolate,' Catis had already made a name for himself as a dessert innovator across the Gulf, contributing to several brands including Kuwait's Choco Melt. 'This isn't the only thing I've made viral—but it's the only one that made it global,' he said. 'Most of my clients are Kuwaitis. I've done a lot of famous recipes in the Middle East.' He recalled the painstaking early days of FIX, making chocolate bars by hand and delivering them to friends, influencers, and family for feedback. The process caused physical strain and eventually led to investment in tempering machines and custom molds to meet demand. 'I was making 28 bars at a time. It was very difficult,' he said, describing the 200-gram signature bars as 'thick and iconic.' Despite the challenges and the outcome, Catis said he bears no ill will toward the product's imitators. 'I've worked on so many brands that became iconic, and they all got copied. I'm okay with it, because it shows the idea works.' The Dubai chocolate phenomenon has had a noticeable impact on global markets, with pistachio prices reportedly rising from $7.65 to $10.30 per pound. Iran increased pistachio exports to the UAE by 40 per cent to meet surging demand. Catis's new venture, Snaap DXB, sold out its initial 3,000-bar batch within two days of launch in October 2024. The brand opened its first physical store in Dubai's Marsa Boulevard in February 2025. He now hopes to position Snaap as a homegrown UAE brand with global aspirations. 'It's a brand that can probably say it's made in the UAE, and it will represent the UAE to the world,' he said.
Gulf Today
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
'Yalla, let's eat': Delicious Palestinian za'atar and Nabulsi cheese puff pastry has children asking for more at SCRF
The richness of Palestine's culinary heritage was brought to the fore in a flavoursome preparation by Palestinian-Canadian chef Maha Kailani at the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF 2025), on Friday. The session titled 'Taste of Palestine: An adventure with chef Maha Kailani' introduced young children and their guardians to authentic flavours from the Palestinian region. The Ontario-based chef prepared an enjoyable yet easy dish – za'atar and Nabulsi cheese puff pastry – using frozen pastry sheets and mozzarella cheese. The artistry and minimum difficulty involved in it as it went into the oven or air fryer made it a perfect dish that children could do alone or with limited help from adults. Children can't wait to savour the dish. Maha, who is the author of the cookbook Yalla, Let's Eat, first set about cutting and rolling a thawed pastry sheet into small rectangular pieces dusting it with all-purpose flour to prevent it from sticking to the surface. She then transferred it into a baking sheet, lightly pricked the inside with a fork, smeared olive oil on the sides and baked it for 10 minutes. Once the sheet was out of the oven, she filled it with mozzarella, crumbled Nabulsi cheese and zaatar, taking care to leave the sides empty. 'This is like a painting, and children can do it,' she quipped as she returned it to the oven for another 12 minutes. When the cheese melted and the edges turned golden brown, she took it out and allowed it to cool before serving the eager audience. Attendees enjoy the event. Chef Maha will be presenting numerous delicacies from Palestine during the course of SCRF 2025. Taking place from April 23 to May 4 at Expo Centre Sharjah, the 16th edition of SCRF promises an immersive experience under the theme 'Dive into Books'. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), this year's agenda will feature 133 guests from 70 countries, and 122 Arab and international publishing houses from 22 nations. For more information on this free-to-attend event, visit
Boston Globe
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘The Teacher' has painful lessons to offer
Yacoub's struggles stem from his recent imprisonment for protesting Israel's policies. Then the boys' home is bulldozed by the occupying army, a routine act there, and soon after Israeli settlers set fire to the Palestinians' olive groves-- an attempt to stop that act of violence ends in murder. Advertisement Imogen Poots in "The Teacher." Watermelon Pictures The relationship between Basem and Lisa develops in the shadow of those events even as Basem secretly becomes more active in the resistance. (Palestinians rebels have captured an American who is an Israeli soldier, hoping to use him to get a thousand prisoners released; this was inspired by an actual incident.) 'It's a fictional narrative but it's deeply rooted in the truth,' says Nabulsi, who is from Britain but of Palestinian heritage. She as well as Bakri and Poots each spoke individually by Zoom last week. 'I've spoken with so many people who have experienced first-hand the cruel and absurd things that take place in the movie and I've witnessed some of this myself.' Advertisement When the Palestinian characters forgo revenge for the murder, instead seeking redress in the courts, she says, 'they are turning for justice to their oppressors, the people committing the crime in the first place. The system is beyond rigged.' The bulldozing of homes and the settlers' aggressiveness can also be seen in this year's 'It came quite naturally to me to marry that reality with the fiction narrative, because people need to love and laugh and exist even in tragedy,' she added. 'That brings you closer to the characters so you understand what's at stake and the potential of the lives they could be leading had there not been this oppression.' Poots praises the approach while acknowledging that in these polarized times there's no guarantee people will be open to hearing the other side. But she was unconcerned about any political backlash for appearing in a pro-Palestinian film. 'I think empathy should not be selective,' she says. 'You have to follow these things through if you believe in them. We tried making something that speaks to what's happening there. It's necessary, but it can never be fully sufficient.' The film debuted at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2023; and Nabulsi says that even though her film is set in the West Bank, not Gaza, distributors grew especially wary of releasing the film after Hamas's attack the next month and Israel's ongoing war in response. Bakri, who is Palestinian, says it's this fraught environment that makes the film especially crucial. 'We have a truth to tell and we hope we are opening people's eyes to what is happening,' he says. Advertisement Bakri, who grew emotional while discussing the subjugation of his people, didn't require research or preparation. 'I live in the grief of this reality, the humiliations we've had to face, swallowing all these poisonous day-to-day atrocities from the occupier,' he says. To capture the reality on the ground, Nabulsi filmed in the West Bank. 'When you're making independent cinema, you're always advised to find the path of least resistance,' she says, 'and this was the opposite, with checkpoints, roadblocks and other logistical issues.' Poots says the film will prove eye-opening to Western audiences. 'My understanding of the Middle East had been limited to everything I'd learned through the Western media and this was an on-the-ground education,' she says. 'If everybody had the chance to go and see this with their own eyes, what a different conversation we'd be having.' She says long walks in the evening gave her an appreciation for both the beauty of the land and the openness of the people, whether it was the old man she and Bakri played chess with or the kids who offered her their candy. Farah Nabulsi at the Red Sea International Film Festival last December. Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for The Red Sea International Film Festival 'Their kindness was quite astounding, and they don't speak about themselves like they're victims,' Poots says. 'There is also an insane creativity and inventiveness about them, which probably isn't spoken about enough.' Still, Nabulsi says, the grim reality was ever present. Six teenage boys were killed by Israeli military and settlers in the three months she was there and while they were filming the settlers burned the olive groves in the village that her characters lived in, just like in the film. 'We could see the smoke,' she says, adding that on another day she drove past a couple with their six children in front of their freshly demolished home. Advertisement Those incidents helped inspire her resolve but also took a toll, especially because she needed to stay upbeat and create a 'cocoon' of safety for the cast and crew. 'I underestimated how it impacts you emotionally when you're trying to do justice while the injustice is literally unfolding around you in real time,' she says. Still, she never wavered in the mission. 'I truly believe that's the power of cinema, to bring to life the distant, abstract and misunderstood.' One film will not, of course, bring peace to the Middle East, Bakri says. 'The world is not going to change right away,' he says. 'We leave a trace and hope that one day people will be ready for change. It's a cumulative process. We work for awareness because that is maybe the most dangerous weapon against any kind of oppression.'
CBC
30-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
From the West Bank to Western Canada: How these Palestinian goods made their way to Calgary — just in time
Social Sharing When the first boxes of olives, olive oil, Nabulsi cheese and za'atar (a spice mix) finally arrived at Reyad Abusalim's bakery in Calgary during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, he was overcome with excitement. "It almost brought tears to my eyes," he said. "Olive oil, specifically, and olives are tied to the people and the land, so when you're able to get it all the way here in Calgary ... that's an amazing feeling." "It's hard for people to travel [within the region], let alone products in that part of the world." Abusalim's Palestinian family runs Philistine's Bakery, which opened in the city's northeast last December. He placed the order for products through Watani and Sons Corp., a Canadian importer of Palestinian goods, months ago, but the shipment kept getting delayed due to the war. He had almost forgotten about it altogether. So when Abusalim finally received those products, he was overjoyed. Now, he can't keep them on the shelves. He said the response was "phenomenal" — and not just from Calgarians. Abusalim got calls from interested customers in Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Vancouver, and Winnipeg to name a few. "Felt like people were calling from all over the country," Abusalim said. "People wanted to support Palestinian farmers directly and it was amazing." Within a week, Abusalim's stock of one-litre olive oil bottles had sold out. Checkpoints, new regulations, and a long journey to travel Watany Ben Jamil Freij, the importer based in Ottawa, explained the shipping delay was caused an obstacle-ridden journey from Palestinian farms to Canada — one made even more difficult due to the war. The first challenge, he said, is that farmers are afraid to travel out to their farmland. The olive oil season begins Oct. 15, but especially in October 2023, widespread fear and violence prevented many from being able to tend their crops. Then there's the matter of Israeli military checkpoints — many newly constructed in the last year and a half — that slow down movement across the region. "A trip that's supposed to take half an hour, it will take a day because of the checkpoint," Ben Jamil Freij said. "So you have to take different routes to get to the location." Numerous security checks later, he said the cargo was also subject to newer regulations about mixed-good shipments. "We have to separate the oil from the olives. ... We couldn't mix the different spices together," he said. "We bring za'atar and some other spices like sumac ... we couldn't mix those. Every pallet has to be [of] one kind." 'This olive oil is part of my DNA' But while the cargo's journey is long and winding, Ben Jamil Freij said it's a deeply important one for him to facilitate. "We are living in a place where it's not our homeland [Canada] and we have to still be connected to the land that we belong to," he said. "There is no other means for us to be connected other than dealing with our families who are living there and the only way we can help is [by] helping them succeed." "When we are buying produce from farmers like olive oil, whatever it is, we are really holding our people. It's the connection to Palestine," he said. Ben Jamil Freij's father was an olive farmer in Kafr Qasim, an Arab city east of Tel Aviv. For him, the significance of olive oil runs deep. "I tell my kids this olive oil is part of my DNA. I can communicate with this olive oil. It knows me and I know it." Abusalim's grandfather was also an olive farmer in the West Bank. "It's our official badge of honor," he said. "Those olive trees significantly represent 5,000 years of… Palestinian culture on that land." Serving a taste of home Currently operating in its first Ramadan, Abusalim said Philistine's Bakery comes alive particularly close to sunset, when Muslims break their fast. And the shop's signature dish is kunafa, a traditional Palestinian pastry made with dough topped with a sweet syrup and the most important ingredient: Nabulsi cheese, imported from the city of Nablus in the West Bank. Twists on the dish, like their kunafa cheesecake and strawberry pistachio kunafa cup, are some of Azhar Abou Mehrem's favourite desserts; she visits the bakery weekly with friends and family, especially now, during Ramadan. Abou Mehrem, who is Palestinian-Jordanian, has never been back home. For her, the Calgary bakery is a way to connect with her roots. "When I go there, I feel like I'm home with my community and [have] the taste of home." Philistine's Bakery offered extended hours during the month to accommodate Muslims who were fasting to enjoy their desserts late into the day, and Abusalim said his business has been embraced by community members since its opening. As the sun sets on this Ramadan, Abusalim said that although the goods from back home were delayed, they really "came at the perfect time."
