Dr. Madelain Farah was the author of the original edition of Lebanese Cuisine from 1972, Pocket Bread Potpourri, and other books. She was a teacher, linguist, writer, Fulbright scholar, former model and beauty queen. Among her extensive academic accomplishments, she earned a doctorate from the University of Utah in Middle East studies, sociology, and language and literature. Born in Portland, Oregon she was visiting Lebanon with her family at the age of 2 and became stranded there throughout WWII. Subsequently, she collected family recipes from her mother to develop a comprehensive catalog. Dr. Farah was an educator who spent a number of years teaching French and lecturing with an emphasis on Middle East culture and literature.