Passing Down
Family Traditions with
Ellie Bouhadana

Words Steph WadeImages Lucy DeverallDate 24 September 2024

In the second of our three-part series Amex Life ON: “A Culinary Quest ”, chef Ellie Bouhadana lovingly shared her food traditions and recipes that have been passed down through her family for generations.

The event in Cologne explored the intersection of Ellie’s mixed Jewish identity, her love of the shared table, and her travels across continents in search of nostalgia and food. Set primarily within the charming and historic Qvest Hotel, a neo-gothic architectural gem with contemporary design elements and 38 rooms, the affair was a series of contrasts and connections: through aesthetics, storytelling, and a “hands on” approach.

An Ode to Ellie’s Mixed Heritage 

Much of her work as a chef focuses on mixing and kneading doughs and focaccias, rolling out fresh pasta, knotting challah, and pressing couscous through ancient sieves. This focus on hand-building became the foundation for the event’s concept: to encourage guests to use their hands, and to preserve the memories of older generations.

Part of Ellie’s practice is writing down recipes and stories that are connected to personal traditions. She takes a notebook wherever she goes so that she can jot down peoples’ words, ideas, and recipes, so guests were gifted a custom-designed Moleskin and encouraged to do the same.

Bringing the Vision to Life 

In the gallery next door to the hotel, Ellie worked with Cologne-based food stylist Birtie Homann to create a market-style atmosphere, with overflowing lemons and swirling piles of spices for guests to make their own jars of preserved lemons and Baharat spice mixes—all ingredients that were featured in the dinner. “We made hanging lemon sculptures and date macramés, and built pistachio towers,” says Ellie; “it was so fun to transform some of my favorite foods into food art.”

Following this, guests were treated to a family-style dinner bridging Ellie’s North African and Eastern European heritage. “I wanted to cook some of my favorite recipes for the guests, so I made sesame focaccia flatbreads, hand-rolled couscous steamed over broth with chickpeas and pumpkin, and orange semolina cake with cream,” she says. 

Ellie wanted guests to feel “full and warm, slightly tipsy off good wine, and with sauce-stained clothes and unbuttoned jeans,” she says. It was indeed a merry and intimate atmosphere, with full stomachs and hearts aplenty, along with a restful sleep in and a nourishing breakfast to round the event out.

This story is part of a partnership between American Express© and Design Hotels, who joined forces to host a gastronomic series with three summer events across Germany. The collaboration aimed to create value for our hotels, while providing guests with a memorable, next-level experience. To read an overview on all three events, click here.