Heart of Lebanon

Greg Malouf grew up surrounded by the warmth of women sitting around the kitchen table as they prepared traditional Arabic dishes as they had been made for centuries.

The Melbourne-based chef has established a modern Middle Eastern cooking style that blends innovation with influences from his early memories, Lebanese heritage and extensive travels.

He is admired as one of Australia's most influential chefs and cookbook authors.

A sign of culinary genius is when food not only tastes exquisite but is infused with integrity and meaning. When I tasted the food at his Melbourne restaurant, MoMo, each mouthful - layered with flavour - told stories of passion, history and foreign lands.

I talked with Malouf earlier this year when we compared travel notes as he was about to leave on a gastronomic research tour of Lebanon and Syria.

He ventured and savoured, and on his return produced Saha (it means a blessing or toast to good health), which records his journey. For Malouf, it was an emotional culinary homecoming.

He was able to see and taste dishes remembered from his childhood, and to find fresh inspiration.

As well, he's happy to be able to share a different Lebanon and Syria from those shown in the media over the past few decades.

Particularly intriguing are his photo essays of artisans at work ... making carob molasses, distilling arak, harvesting pine nut, making cheese, and at work on other gems of which Malouf had been unaware.

"We went to visit an orange grove and stumbled across stacks of beehives," Malouf says. "We didn't even know beekeeping existed in Lebanon."

His writing partner, former wife and now good friend, Lucy Malouf, is the talented storyteller who documented the journey, complete with heartwarming yarns of the people they met and the fragrant food they shared.

"This is food that we can all relate to," Malouf says. "The flavours are wonderfully refreshing. Lebanon's cuisine uses lots of lemon, yoghurt, coriander and mint, so it lends itself well to our climate.

"In Lebanon there are distinct seasons and people truly cook to each season - a practice that's being lost over here.

"In Lebanon's summer there are no lemons, so sumac [a sour berry] is used instead, soaked in water to produce a sour liquid."

Malouf is keen to serve more heritage cuisine at his restaurant and encourage the Lebanese custom of eating fresh crunchy vegetables as a separate course at the start of a meal.

He is also enthusiastic about the tradition of communal food. "I love how food comes to the middle of the table and is shared.

Malouf is busy juggling his executive chef role at MoMo with guest appearances and taking master classes.

He is looking forward to Christmas in Melbourne when his extended family will get together for a meal featuring a blend of traditions. The menu will be turkey and tabbouleh, possibly a ham, and definitely vine leaves, kibbeh and pastries - which is just how it should be for a proud family of Lebanese heritage celebrating Christmas Downunder.

* Saha: A Chef's Journey through Lebanon and Syria, by Greg and Lucy Malouf (Hardie Grant, $69.95)