As a child growing up in the Moroccan port city of Tangier, Mrabet would wait eagerly for the magazines her father brought home from the international publishing company where he worked. She would turn immediately to the recipe section of each magazine, studying the colored pictures of sweet and savory dishes. “Cooking was always my passion, ever since I was a little girl. I would always go to the cooking section even if it was a language I didn’t understand,” said Mrabet who grew up fluent in Arabic, French and Spanish.

She learned to cook from her grandmother, perfecting the mélange of spices that are the signature of many Moroccan dishes and experimenting with new and complex recipes from other countries. By the time she was a teenager, Mrabet , the oldest of six children, was doing most of the cooking, delighting in mastering complicated dishes that were served usually served on special occasions.

Today Lamia, wife and mother of three, has an international repertoire of dishes. All of her recipes have one thing in common; “Spice is the secret to any amazing meal,” said Mrabet. “For instance you can play with the same vegetable dish and make it completely different each time by simply adding a different spice.”

Chef Lamia continues to explore new flavors developed over time; heightening the sense taste with her carefully curated spice selection: She’s become the ultimate “Queen of Spice!”