Sahar Arafat-Ray

Sahar Arafat-Ray didn’t grow up in what you’d call a typical Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex household, if such a thing actually exists. She grew up in a loving home with her mother, Margaret, whose Texas and German roots run deep, and her father, Husam, who is a proud Palestinian. Filling out the happy family are her sisters Danyah & Haneen who, like Sahar, are a glorious mix of both.

She and her sisters grew up eating good food.  “Mom was always collecting and  experimenting with recipes, especially from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Dad always cooked Arabic food on Sundays.  We were very lucky we didn’t have the same seven meals every week.  It taught the three of us to appreciate food and, believe it or not, helped us to understand other cultures; especially Middle Eastern.  It was quite the education.”

Through college and beyond Sahar continued to hone her skills by cooking for family and friends.

In 1998, she joined the Central Market Cooking School as a volunteer.  Under the guidance and advice of the late Central Market Cooking School Executive Chef Roger Mollett, she applied for a position in the Cooking School.

She was hired by Cooking School Manager Cathy Cochran-Lewis in October of that year.

“I honestly had no idea what I was doing and I was always afraid I’d be found out.  I’d never worked in a professional kitchen before.  And even though it wasn’t a restaurant kitchen, there were nights it may as well have been.”  From shopping, to prepping the food, to taking care of the customers, to cleaning, it was a challenge to make sure no one saw how the sausage was made.  Some nights went smoothly, others didn’t.  But Sahar said it was always fun and rewarding.

It didn’t take long before she impressed the higher ups at the school and was asked to assist with both the administration of the facilities and coordinating the visits of guest and traveling chefs with the other schools in the chain. Working in that capacity, and with the support and guidance of management, Sahar said she gained the confidence she needed to continue growing in her  position as not only a teacher, but as an administrator.

In 2003, Sahar became the Manager of the Central Market Cooking School, a position she held for the next 2-1/2 years.  During that time, she had the opportunity to work with such chefs as Ann Willan, Bobby Flay, Alton Brown, Caprial Pence, and Deborah Madison; as well as cookbook authors like Shirley Corriher, Ruth Reichl, and Colman Andrews.

“I had a great group of people on the Cooking School staff.  Chefs loved to teach at our school and it was all due to the staff’s efforts in the kitchen.  I made the arrangements, but it was the staff who made the chefs happy.”

Even when you love something you sometimes need a break, and so it was with Sahar. She left the Cooking School in 2006 to pursue other interests, but returned in 2010, and continues to teach cooking classes at the school and in private homes. Her specialties include Middle Eastern, crepes, croissants, ethnic foods, and vegetarian cuisine.

In 2011, with the help of her husband Steve Ray, she got her website and business, Tart Queen’s Kitchen, online and shares thoughts on cooking and life–with recipes.

“I love teaching people how to cook and showing them, that anyone, with a little practice and patience, can cook.  It’s not a mysterious thing.”

Try Sahar Arafat-Ray’s recipes for a baked chicken dish with sumac called Mussakhan and a shredded phyllo and cheese dish called Knafeh.