Meet our new Food Editor // Mandana Shabani

We are delighted to welcome Mandana Shabani to the Raemona team as Food Editor.

A multi–award-nominated chef and one half of a husband-and-wife culinary duo, Mandana trained at the French Culinary Institute in New York City before working across some of NYC’s most respected kitchens and later owning and operating a vegan-friendly café in Dubai. With Californian and Persian roots and a passion for fresh, veg-forward cooking, she brings a deep love of seasonal ingredients and the stories behind them.

Mandana’s curiosity, creativity and genuine love for the hospitality industry make her a perfect fit for the role – and we can’t wait for you to experience the Dubai's food scene through her lens.

//

Was there a moment you realised cooking wasn’t just a hobby, but something you wanted to pursue seriously?

I got my first cookbook on a trip to London, when I was 8 or 9 years old. As soon as we were back home, I distinctly recall pulling up a stool so I could reach the counter and cooking my first solo dish, Chili Con Carne. I always loved to cook, but my dream was to work in fashion, which eventually brought me to NYC. A few years in, I found myself deeply unsatisfied with my dream career.

One Monday morning, I woke up in my apartment, looked at myself and had the unstoppable urge to make a change earlier rather than later. So I walked into work, put in my notice and on my lunch break I went to The French Culinary Institute in Soho and signed up. I was giddy with excitement. There was no doubt in my mind the joy that cooking professionally would bring me. I think this is a common thread amongst most chefs, cooking for others is a profoundly intimate act of nurturing. That was 15 years ago, and it was the best decision I have ever made, aside from marrying a chef. 

Is there a dish that instantly takes you back to childhood? And what would your 'desert island meal' be?

The scent of saffron, turmeric and black lemon wafting from the kitchen will always be the most comforting feeling in the world. These are the holy trinity of spices in Persian cooking. The sounds of barberries or sizzling onions caramelizing, the aroma of basmati rice steaming, or lump charcoal burning and saffron chicken skewers hitting the grill are core childhood memories for me. 

The desert island meal question is always so difficult for me. I really love all kinds of food and often joke that I haven’t met an ingredient I don’t like. My mind immediately goes to anything cooked for me by my family.

My mom’s dolma and samosas, recipes that are unique to her alone,  combining the influences of her Arab and Indian neighbors and her Persian roots while she learned to cook in Dubai as a young wife. My sister’s Roast Lamb Shoulder, slow cooked for hours with her own special mix of spices. Or my husband’s seafood feast; A big pot of perfectly cooked mussels, a couple dozen oysters and cold Bay of Fundy Lobsters, cooked in seawater by the fishermen who catch them...

And for dessert, Creme Brulee Cheesecake. With a special mention for the runner ups, the Sweetbread crostini at Juana La Loca in Madrid and the Lombatina di Vitello at Trattoria Sergio Gozzi in Florence.  

What’s always in your fridge?

I grew up with a second “garage” fridge to hold our condiments and special ingredients my mom would have imported from her hometown. So it is no surprise that I have a fridge dedicated to my must haves. I usually have at least six different mustards, french butter (Maison Bordier), a variety of cheeses, homemade jams, pickles and pate, for last minute hosting. In addition to global ingredients like gojuchang, saffron and bottarga.

We always bring back a small carry-on of our favourite ingredients from our travels, so there’s always an Italian Lardo or Spanish Tinned Sardine kicking around as well. We cook a lot of international dishes throughout the week, so the only thing we need to pick up is the fresh produce, we have most other ingredients on hand. The pantry is a whole other story!

Last month I shipped myself 20 gallons of Olive Oil from Italy. Most people dream of luxury walk in closets, I dream of a massive walk in pantry, with an island showcasing the Jamon Iberica stand and an entire wall of cabinets dedicated to my collection of colorful tableware. 

As Raemona’s Food Editor, what kind of food stories excite you most?

Stories that connect us to the world, our neighbors and our community at large. I am more interested in what a chef eats on their day off than the gold leaf crusted cold steak in a briefcase. I crave real connection, authenticity and feel good stories. I'm drawn to the storytelling aspect of food and resonate with the deeply intimate act of cooking as an expression of feelings. So I love stories that paint an image of who the cook was, before they became a chef and how cooking was an outlet or a tool in their lives.  I highly recommend Yes Chef: A Memoir, by Marcus Samuelsson and  of course, Anthony Bourdain’s Magnum Opus, Kitchen Confidential. The latter being a profoundly life changing read. 

What do you think people really want to read about when it comes to food right now?

Honesty and genuineness. There’s a shift happening in audiences’ trust of what is being consumed online with influencer culture and big publications sounding more and more like advertisers. We all hunger for truthful content that can be trusted. To write with authenticity is to have a firm belief in integrity first. Having said that, I am a big opponent of unforgiving and unsympathetic attitudes toward restaurants. I believe there is a way to be candid and reliable while maintaining kindness & compassion that sometimes things don’t go perfectly, and to just enjoy the ride. Some of the funniest memories I have are of the not so perfect moments in a restaurant whether I was in the kitchen or as a diner. It is all perspective. 

//

To contact Mandana, please email hello@raemona.com