Our chefs are the heart of Palate Sensations. Their love for food and passion for cooking lets them enjoy educating home gourmands and budding chefs alike. In this blog post, we’ve asked Chef Hana Madanat 8 questions so you can get to know her better. Let us introduce Chef Hana first. Chef Hana shares her knowledge, passion and cooking skills to participants who are looking to learn Mediterranean or Middle Eastern Cuisine in Singapore. Born in Jordan, Hana Madanat remembers spending part of her younger years in the kitchen with her six sisters and mother learning how to cook. Sixteen years ago, she started travelling with her husband, leaving behind her family, her culture, and her mother’s food. She started the search for a taste of home, heading to different Middle Eastern restaurants, but she couldn’t find the authentic taste which is deep in her heart, the taste which could take her back home to her mother’s kitchen. She started cooking in her small kitchen, and shared the food she cooked with her family and friends, and now, she would love to share it with more people.

What is your favourite part about being a Chef?

Sharing my passion with other people, I love it when people experience the authentic taste of my cuisine.

Who is the person you most admire in the food industry?

There are many people I admire in the food industry. I grew up watching Arabic Chefs like Chef Rams, Chef Osama. I love Nigella and Anthony Bourdain.

How would you describe your food?

My food is simple, full of flavour, easy to prepare even after a long working day.

What are three essential cookbooks on your shelf?

I have 3 books on my kitchen shelf: Mini Chef Cooking with Kids ( Sherdan Rogers) Marry Berry's Simple Cake The Real Meal Revolution.

What do you eat? What's your favourite dish? Why?

Arabic Mezzeh, it is light, refreshing especially in Singapore weather. There is nothing better than opening your fridge and finding a plate of tabouleh, or babgahnoug.

What was your biggest kitchen disaster?

I had a few disasters in the kitchen, the biggest one, my children asked me before they left for school to cook their favourite Arabic dish, and of course, there is nothing better than cooking something which your children ask for. After putting my heart in the food. I put it on the stove and went to watch T.V. I fell asleep and woke up to a burnt dish. I started all over again but this time, I put a chair next to the stove so I could sit and watch it.

What’s your guilty pleasure snack while watching your guilty pleasure TV show?

My guilty snack is Ben and Jerry vanilla Ice cream with a glass of wine :)

Last weekend on earth – what would you eat?

I would go for some mezzeh with a glass of ozo.

[See Chef Hana's upcoming classes ]

“My cooking is simple, affordable, yummy and from the heart.” - Chef Hana Madanat