Julie Tabouli started the evening by sharing an anecdote outside the Marcellus Free Library, in Marcellus, while preparing Kafta, a Lebanese barbecue recipe. She enjoys getting back to her roots and preparing food. A cookout for her hometown was the perfect blend.
Turning around a hobby
Born a Lebanese-American, she has been cooking classic Lebanese dishes her entire life. And recently, she has turned her hobby into a science. For more than a year she has been traveling and preparing dishes for the people of Central New York area.
“I just had my one year anniversary in May,” she said. “And I do feel in part like I’m helping give exposure to our cuisine.” 
Lebanese food is creating a buzz in the food world. The Food Channel, Food Network, and TasteTV have featured Lebanese dishes more often, Tibouli said. Locally, she has prepared Lebanese cuisine on WSYR multiple times. And in Syracuse, Byblos, a Lebanese cafe opened in early June.
Tabouli uses her job as a way to engross herself in her culture while also giving others a taste of another side of the world. She is currently working toward hosting her own television show and completing a cookbook.
Building a community
After the demonstration, attendees were invited to try the Kafta. Tiboulie’s aunt Mona, who had helped with the preperation, chimed in from the back row: “Lebanese people judge you on how much you eat.”
Tabouli is happy to see her culture infiltrate main-street America, but she won’t stop until everyone has at least tried her Laham Mishwi.
“It’s about spreading the love, I have, for our food,” she said.
Tabouli said goodbye to each person individually – staying connected to her community is important. Among the crowd there were some familiar faces. People she called her “regulars.”
She is especially looking forward to September 1st. She will be at the New York State Fair.
“It will be great,” she said. “Obviously there will be all these new people there and then I will also see some of those familiar faces.”
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