CONTACT
Let's Talk Food
Questions, collaboration ideas, or just want to say a dish worked? Send a note — I read every one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute ingredients I cannot find?
Almost always — and most recipes list the swaps that work. Pomegranate molasses, tahini and sumac are worth tracking down, but I note a backup for each so nothing stops you cooking tonight.
Are your measurements in cups or grams?
Both. Every recipe gives metric (grams and millilitres) and US cups, because baking and sweets especially deserve the accuracy of a scale.
How do I know a recipe will actually work?
Each one is cooked and re-cooked in a normal home kitchen before publishing, and comments are open on every recipe so anything that needs fixing can be corrected at the source.
Can you develop a recipe or collaborate?
Yes — I take on a small number of recipe-development and brand collaborations each season. Use the form with Collaboration / press as the subject and I will send my rates.
Do you share recipes for special diets?
Many Arabic dishes are naturally vegetarian or vegan, and I tag those clearly. Where a swap makes a classic gluten-free or dairy-free without ruining it, I include it.
What I can help with
Most messages fall into one of a few groups, and knowing which one yours is helps me reply faster and more usefully.
- A recipe question. Something unclear in a method, an ingredient you cannot find where you live, or a substitution you are unsure about. These are my favorite messages, and the fastest to answer.
- A recipe that did not work. Genuinely welcome. Tell me what you did, what happened, and roughly what equipment you used, and I will help you troubleshoot it. If the fault is in my writing, I will correct the recipe itself.
- A recipe request. If there is a dish you have been trying to recreate, tell me about it, including any details you remember about how it was served. Reader requests decide a good share of what gets published here.
- Business, press, and collaboration. Brand partnerships, recipe development, licensing, or media enquiries. Please include the specifics in your first message so I can give you a straight answer.
- Corrections. A wrong quantity, a broken link, a temperature that reads oddly. Please send these; accuracy matters more to me than looking polished.
How to reach me
The form above is the most reliable route, since it reaches my inbox with your message already organised. If you would rather write directly, email me at contact@leilagourmet.com and I will see it just as quickly.
You can also find me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook using the links on this page. Social messages get read, but they are the slowest way to reach me, so anything that needs a real answer is better sent by email or through the form.
Response times
I read every message personally and usually reply within one to two days. Recipe questions during a weekend cooking session sometimes wait until Monday, and if your message needs me to test something in the kitchen before answering honestly, I will tell you that rather than guess.
If a week passes with no reply, please do send a follow-up. Occasionally a message lands in spam, and I would much rather hear from you twice than miss you entirely.
Working together
Leila Gourmet is an independent site written by one person. I am open to working with brands whose products genuinely belong in these recipes, and any sponsored or affiliate content is disclosed clearly on the page where it appears, in line with the disclaimer and terms.
What I do not accept: pre-written posts, undisclosed links, or recipes I have not cooked myself. If that fits how you work, I would be glad to hear from you.
Before you write about a recipe
One small request that saves us both time: if your question is about a specific dish, mention which one, and check the FAQ section at the bottom of that recipe first. Most recipes on this site answer the five most common questions there, including make-ahead advice, storage, substitutions, and the mistakes that trip people up most often.
If your answer is not there, write to me. That gap is useful information, and it usually means the recipe needs a better FAQ.
