About the Author

Amina Elshafei is very proud of her Korean (from her mum) and Egyptian (from her dad) heritage. She and her sister, Eman, were born in Saudi Arabia but the family moved to Australia when Amina was four, and she has lived here ever since. Growing up in a household of two different cultures, she has always enjoyed cooking and eating both Korean and Middle Eastern dishes and she loves to share them with her family and friends. In 2012, Amina was a contestant on MasterChef Australia, finishing in the top twelve, and endearing herself to all who saw her with her warmth and generosity - she has been described as 'everyone's best friend'. This was a wonderful opportunity for her to pursue her cooking career and also to bring Korean and Egyptian cooking to national attention. Amina has written a monthly column for the Australian Women's Weekly and been a guest demonstrator at food events and shows in Australia and internationally. She also runs cooking classes, does corporate and private catering, helps to organise pop-up restaurants in Sydney and has just launched a halal food app called Amina's Kitchen. In addition to cooking, she continues to work as a paediatric nurse at the Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, where she has been for the last seven years. That remains a much-loved career. Amina has her own