Today, The Platinum Mask channel would like to introduce Mona Daiban for a conversation.
Hey! Please explain to the audience what you’re promoting.
My traditional Yemeni cookbook that I wrote, photographed, and designed from scratch. This cookbook features traditional Yemeni recipes that I collected and made with actual measurements (It’s a known fact that most people from the Middle East don’t usually cook with measurements which makes learning/replicating the traditional recipes somewhat difficult so I view my cookbook as an accomplishment).
What was the biggest obstacle in your journey and how did you overcome it?
The biggest obstacle was starting over every time I failed. I had to start over from scratch about 4 times and it affected me emotionally, but I would always try and think of my end goal and that helped motivate me to start over so I can reach it.
What separates you from similar businesses in the Dallas-Fort Worth area?
My cookbook is a 100% representation of my Yemeni background, and there aren’t many Yemeni businesses here in DFW. It is a bilingual cookbook so it’s written in both English and Arabic, which also makes it unique in the cookbook world.
Is there anything you wished you would have known earlier in your journey?
I wish I would’ve known more about the printing process earlier in my journey. It was one of the issues I faced later on and even though I ended up finding a great printing company, but the process itself was time consuming and it wasn’t easy to find a company with affordable prices and good quality prints.
Do you have any favorite spots in the Dallas-Fort Worth area?
I love nature so my top two favorite spots are the Dallas Arboretum and Fort Worth Botanical garden.
Were there any major challenges due to the covid-19 pandemic? How did you overcome them?
Not really. This was a work from home project. The only challenge that may be related to the pandemic is the inflation as well as the worldwide paper shortage (it didn’t affect my printing or delay it thankfully, but it was the main cause for the higher than normal prices)
What was your upbringing like and did you discover your passion early on?
My parents instilled our love for our culture early on. Having a unique culture and living in the US was hard at times, especially for a child, but we were always taught to be proud of our background and who we are. We also visited Yemen a lot so we got to know more about our rich culture and the amazing Yemeni cuisine. In terms of my passion for cooking, it started when I was about 10, and I initially started baking and making different desserts. To be honest, baking and dessert making is my true passion, but as I got older, I became more interested in cooking savory dishes and making authentic Yemeni dishes from scratch.
Do you have a mentor and can you remember any key advice they have given you?
My parents are my mentors. Their advice is to always do what I love and be confident in what I do.
Were your friends and family supportive of your mission?
I initially kept my project a secret from everyone. My mom found out 3 months before I got my draft copy. Only 2 of my friends (1 of whom encouraged me to make this cookbook) knew about it. Everyone else found out when I had the draft copy in my hands. It was a wonderful surprise and they were all extremely supportive and proud of my cookbook.
Any links you want to share for the viewers?
