Yesterday we had the pleasure of filming with the Jame Beard Award recipients, Chef Khalil Ammar and his partner Chef Zaki Hashem at Al Ameer Restaurant which opened in Dearborn in 1989.

Their style of Lebanese cooking is based on their family’s rich traditions from the two small villages in Lebanon where Khalil Ammar and Zaki Hashem come from.

Besides being able to spend time in the kitchen with these two extremely passionate chefs, we were able to dine on the food they had created for us to film.

As visually exciting as the food is, the taste of each bite really transcends you back in time to those villages in Lebanon where large family mezze feasts are so common.

We are thrilled and honored to be able to feature Khalil Ammar and Zaki Hashem in our film, as well as Khalil's son, Abbas Ammar. This story will shine a light on the impact the Lebanese community has had on Detroit's culinary heritage.

We then made our way over to the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn to talk with the Consul General of Lebanon Bilal Kabalan. He shared with us the rich history of the early Lebanese immigrants journey to Detroit and the significant impact they have had. He also helped us understand Lebanon on the work stage and how gastronomic diplomacy is very much alive; the basic premise being, "The easiest way to win hearts and minds is through the stomach.”

I have always believed that eating food from other cultures can be a bridge of understanding each other. The Consul General explained that food is often used to help diplomats from other countries to gain a better understanding of each other through a shared dining experience.

After our time with the Counsel General, we were able to sit and talk with Arab American culinary historian, Matthew Stiffler, PhD, Director, Center for Arab Narratives, who eloquently detailed the Arab Americans impact of the culinary traditions here in the Motor City.