Lebanese food is one of the great cuisines of the world - and in Lebnani, husband and wife team Jad and Aga Youssef do something more than document its recipes. They tell the story of family, culture, and a country through the dishes that have shaped them.
 
In this intimate conversation and demonstration, Jad, the chef-patron of Lebnani restaurant, author, and alum of Celebrity MasterChef UK discusses the personal journey behind the book: what it means to carry your heritage in your kitchen, how food connects the diaspora to home, and why sharing a meal is always, at its deepest level, an act of love. Chaired by food writer Nic Miller.
 
Format: Demonstration & Interview & Q&A
Themes: Non-Fiction, Adults, Young People, Food
 
Jad Youssef Books: Lebnani
Beirut-born Jad Youssef has the flavours and recipes of Lebanon in his blood. Between helping his mother make home-cooked meals and assisting his father at work in his pastry shop, Youssef grew up in the kitchen and has made it his mission to share his rich heritage. After completing his culinary training in Beirut, he embarked on his restaurant career working in top kitchens around Europe. 
Jad Youssef, an alum of Celebrity MasterChef, is celebrated as one of the foremost experts on Lebanese food, known for his reverence for traditional dishes while making the cuisine relevant to today’s dining landscape. His rustic, authentic cooking is exemplified in Sawda Djej, his rendition of Beirut’s simple dish of chicken liver in pomegranate molasses, which gained cult status after Time Out London named it one of “The Best 100 Dishes in London.”
Lebnani, his first book, has garnered widespread praise. Sami Tamimi - chef, writer, and co-owner of Ottolenghi - wrote: “In these recipes, Jad offers more than flavour - he shares his experiences and warmth. This book is a true celebration of Lebanese home cooking, grounded in memories and full of heart.” The Independent described it as “more than just a collection of recipes; it’s a love letter to Beirut’s food culture - its generosity, its patience, its stories.”
 
Nic Miller
Nicola is a Bury St Edmunds–based food, travel and culture writer and broadcaster. She won the Guild of Food Writers Best Online Writer award in 2020 for her newsletter Tales From Topographic Kitchens, and was named Fortnum & Mason Cookery Writer of the Year in 2022 for her monthly print and digital column in Suffolk News.
Nicola writes for publications including OFM, The Guardian, and Waitrose Food, co-hosts a lunchtime show on Suffolk Sound radio and regularly chairs live events. In 2025, she chaired her first event for the Bury Literature Festival, interviewing Olia Hercules and Felicity Spector, and she previously served on the committee for the festival’s inaugural year in 2017.