Meet Shef Shereen, the Former Recipe Writer Bringing Egyptian Food to Shef
Shef is proud to work with people from all over the world who are passionate about bringing people together around a plate of food. One of our talented Shefs, Shereen, shares her story of learning to cook, her desire to contribute to her community through her food, and her excitement about bringing Egyptian food to Shef.
How did you learn to cook?
The tradition of cooking has been in my family for generations. I picked it up through a trail of artisan food makers, from my grandmother to my mother and aunts. I took a little bit of something from each ancestor, whether it was a recipe or a special cooking technique.
From my mother, I learned how to cook, and from my grandmother, I learned how to bake. My grandmother was amazing at baking. She taught me how to be patient in making food and how to put my love into the food I was making.
My grandmother would always say, “Don’t rush the cooking and take your time with it. If you do it this way, people will feel the love in the food.” I believe you can taste the love in food; it has a certain, special feeling.
How would you describe your cooking style and taste?
My cooking is a combination of all of the food traditions that have been passed down in my family. My palate has changed over the years, so I welcome more foods and incorporate new ingredients into my traditional recipes. Still, I always try to stay close to the main ingredients to keep the recipes and traditions alive and honor the traditions.
One of the tenants of my cooking is to cook healthy food. When I cook, I think about feeding my daughter. I want to make sure she eats wholesome, nutritious meals.
Do you have a favorite memory from your childhood surrounding food and cooking?
Growing up, my mother was known in our community for hosting big dinners where she would cook for our family and friends. I remember there being close to 100 people at the dinners.
My mother would begin preparing for these dinners days in advance, asking my siblings and me to join in on the cooking. I was always happy helping her in the kitchen and by the age of 12, I was making complicated Egyptian dishes.
What is your favorite thing about cooking?
Cooking brings peace to me. I feel at ease when I am in the kitchen. My stress completely dissipates. The circle of making and sharing food with loved ones is my safe haven — my place of comfort and happiness. Culturally, this is how we, Egyptians, are raised to welcome people into our homes. It is the only way that we know. That has always been my way of life. We come together over food.
Sharing food brings me fulfillment. I always thought it would just be something that I did for fun, but now it has become a reliable source of income, and it has allowed me to practice the craft that I love and become a positive contributor to my community.
What did you do before working as a Shef?
Before Shef, I was a recipe writer, creating menus for hotels and their brand. I loved this job, but I could never create food myself and have it be my brand. I wasn’t able to showcase my craft. I’ve always wanted something that was just me and didn’t belong to anyone else. My own brand — something that I can build on and grow from. My dream is to open a cafe.
Can you describe your experience working at Shef?
Working with Shef has been the best, from marketing to delivery. The team always works their hardest to find a solution to my problems. We are a team together. Even during the pandemic, they were there to support me, and I won’t forget that.
When I came on board as a Shef, they even made a new category for me. Egyptian. I love the diversity of this platform; it is so welcoming. People who have never left the country can take a tour of the world with us just through our cooking.
Why did you decide to become a Shef?
I wanted to be able to share my food with people and contribute to my local community through my cooking. That’s what I’ve always wanted in this life, to use my passion for cooking to contribute positively to my community and to my neighbors and friends. To be able to be of service to them, for them to not only enjoy my food but be nourished by it means everything to me. Shef has given me that gift.
You mentioned you like leaving a positive impact on the community. How else do you do this other than working at Shef?
Every time that I cook for Shef, I make extra meals, and I give them to the homeless in Hayward. I think about the people who can’t get meals, and I want to take care of them and share the wealth that I have made from Shef.
When people buy food from me, I thank them by feeding the homeless. I make them little care packages of food and water and hand them out. It is my way of giving it back. Through Shef I have been able to feed them.
I think to myself that food is comforting to everyone, and even when someone cannot find shelter in place, I can still give them shelter through food. As long as my customers keep ordering from me, I will be able to keep feeding those who are less fortunate than us. That is what Shef is about; it is about supporting your local community, about taking care of each other.
Try a delicious meal from Shereen or other Shefs when you order from Shef today!
