We had the good fortune of connecting with Jacqueline Hamati and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jacqueline, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
Born & raised in the Middle East I became passionate about Middle Eastern cuisine, which is highly influenced by my travels to Jordan, Palestine, Qatar, Dubai, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and more. I am of Lebanese descent, born in Jordan, and lived in Palestine where food has important cultural and symbolic meanings that go beyond what is on the plate. I love to meet people with “Ahlan wa Sahlan” which means “welcome”. I brought delicious dishes to my customers to experience the Jordanian culture of generosity without leaving LA.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I teach, cook, and cater authentic, delightful, and traditional Middle Eastern meals. I also bake some Middle Eastern favorites, such as Baklava and Knafeh. I think my Baklava is special because it’s made with lots of love. My Middle Eastern desserts are homemade from scratch, use organic ingredients, and are light on sugar. My Baklava is especially dear to me as it is one of my favorite delicacies. I make it with 33 layers of dough, each buttered and laid individually. To stay in the mood, I put on my belly dancing scarf, sing, dance, and cook.
I love the way people’s eyes glisten when they take the first bite of my Baklava. They and I shared hundreds of videos and photos that we took on special events on social media. I got amazing feedback. It was not easy to get to where I am today, and I still have a long way to reach my dreams. When I first arrived to the Us, I decided to go back to school. I got my BA, a high GPA, and was the ceremony speaker. A mother of four kids and three grandchildren at that time, in 2016.

Two years ago, I switched from being a full-time to a part-time Human Resource Manager and decided to follow my passion. I started as a Private Chef Instructor and got over a hundred 5 stars reviews. Then when COVID hit, I had to pivot, so I remembered what one of my students told me after trying my Baklava for the first time. He said it would be a sin for the world to not get to try my Baklava, so that was going to be the new direction I take my journey in. I wanted to create something less like supermarket baklava loaded with corn syrup and palm oil, and more like a dance of spices, flaky phyllo, and organic clarified butter.

I learned that with practice, consistency, and a clear direction, my dream will come true.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Many friends and family members deserve recognition in my story. The biggest credit goes to my children. They continuously support me, each through the gift they have. Jessica is a School Principal. She listens to what I need to say and helps with finding solutions. Julie is a schoolteacher and a designer. She reviews and improves my designs. Jacob is a Financial Manager. He launched the www.jackiesmiddleeastern.com website and keeps improving it. Rajai is a Mechanical Engineer. He follows up with me daily; design and creates the labels and stickers for the products. They do much more than I can write here.

Website: https://jackiesmiddleeastern.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/foodiesjackies/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinehamati/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jackiesmiddleeastern

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.