Abeer Najjar is a self-taught chef & food writer. She is a professional late-night snacker with an addiction to good coffee accompanied by great conversation. Abeer believes the best meals are those that are fun, simple, and shared amongst others.
“If you have extraordinary bread and extraordinary butter, it’s hard to beat bread and butter.”
-Jacques Pepin
Born on the south side of Chicago to Palestinian immigrants, Abeer’s love for food started in her mother’s kitchen. That love was also deeply influenced by the multi-cultural neighborhoods she was raised in and her cooking reflects a fusion of those worlds.
Abeer writes to preserve memories of cooking with her mother and to share her food experience. She hopes that by sharing this, she inspires a deeper appreciation for food and the cultures in which it comes from. For many children of immigrants, traditional food is often a source of embarrassment. Abeer wants to shift that embarrassment to pride.
When Abeer isn’t obsessing over food, you can find her spending time with her family, traveling, or planning her next underground supper club. She has been featured in Teen Vogue, NPR, LifeTime, and other publications.
Contact: Hello@AbeerNajjar.com
Press
“ARTist Reframed by Tamara Hijazi (Video)” (Al-Bustan, Philadelphia)
“This Easy Shakshuka Recipe Will Change Your Breakfast Game Forever” (Bustle, New York)
“Food Friday: Comfort Foods For Those Dreary Spring Days” (WBEZ Radio, Chicago)
“Oxfam Feature Breakfast Pita Recipe” (Oxfam America, Washington DC)
“Cooking Whole30 Cookbook Contribution by Abeer Najjar” (Whole30)
“Abeer Najjar’s Pantry” (Pineapple Collaborative, New York)
“In The Kitchen with Abeer Najjar” (Video) (ABC Windy City Live, Chicago)
“For Falasten” Documentary (Video) (Chicago Palestine Film Fest, Chicago)
“Lifetime’s New Series Features South Side Chef” (Video) (ABC Windy City Live, Chicago)
Interview and Story with The Brightside (The Brightside, Chicago)
“Lifetime’s Her America: 50 Women, 50 States” (Lifetime TV, New York)
“Dear Siti” Food On The Edge Talk (Video) (Galway, Ireland)
“Bright Young Thing” (Image Magazine, Ireland)
“Comfort Food: Recipes From The Levant” (“Morning Shift” WBEZ Radio, Chicago)
“Abeer’s Revival” (Palestine In America, Chicago)
“This Palestinian Home Cook Is Fusing Her Middle Eastern Culture With Some Latino Foods” (We Are Mitú, Los Angeles)
“A Middle Eastern Spin On A Classic Latino Dessert: Rose Cardamom Tres Leches” (“All Things Considered” NPR, Washington DC)
“Why Cucumbers Are a Great Ramadan Snack” (Chicago Magazine, Chicago)
“Meet the Palestinian-American Chef Fighting Cultural Appropriation in Food” (Teen Vogue, New York)
“Abeer Najjar Short Documentary” (Video) (Revive, Chicago)
Abeer Najjar 
Marhaba Abeer,
Do you happen to know what the spices Shomar and Ain Jarada are called in English?
Just watched your appearance on Windy City Live. Congratulations on all of your success. I’m lookig forward to the Lifetime series you will be featured on and also can’t wait to try some of the recipes I see on your blog! 😀
Thank you! You can see my feature in the campaign here: https://www.heramerica.com/essay/abeer-illinois-chicago-stills
All this food stuff is making me hungry!
Hi, Heard you on NPR this morning. I’m looking for the delicious recipe you were describing that used dough and ground beef with some warm wintry spices. I can’t remember the name though. Is it on this blog? I look forward to trying your other recipes too 🙂
Hi Margaret! Thank you for the message. The recipe for Iqraas is now on WBEZ’s site. Here is a link!
https://www.wbez.org/shows/morning-shift/comfort-food-recipes-from-the-levant/5637c11c-7721-429f-9bc9-972ec90a8294
Your Tres Leche recipe with a twist is quite unique. I can’t wait to try it. Eid Mubarak! (:
Can’t wait to try the yummy twist on the Tres Leches recipe. Mission for tomorrow: rose water and cardamom purchase. Here in Los Angeles, it should be a snap.
I look forward to checking in on your blog; heard you on NPR. Enjoy your family and your Eid celebration. It has inspired me to look for a multi cultural/religious Eid celebration next year. I have attended many Christian and Jewish celebrations, time to connect with my Muslim neighbors around in this tradition! 🙂
Yay! You’ll definitely find cardamom and rose water at any ethnic markets or even Whole Foods. Thank you for the beautiful words and well wishes for Eid! That sounds so beautiful and I hope you inspire others to do the same. More sharing, connecting and love! ❤️
Eid Mubarak!!! I heard your interview on NPR on June 25, 2017. It was uplifting, informative, and educational. Continue your great work
Thank you for listening in and taking the time to send a message! Eid Mubarak!
Loving the blog!
Looking forward to tasting your mocktails this coming Saturday, thanks for being a creative inpsiration
Thank you! Those words mean so much. I’m looking forward to having a good time in your city!
I’m so excited I found your blog!
My Salam to your beautiful mom! Your family and my family lived in the Same building in Chicago back in the day!
You have a great blog and you are very talented mashallah! Good luck!
Salam! Thank you for the kind words! Nice hearing from old friends! We hope you are well 🙂