If you’re like us, you’ve probably wondered what everyday stuff famous people add to their carts — like hairspray or an electric toothbrush. We asked Reem Assil, the San Francisco–based chef and founder of Reem’s California about the red lipstick, spice blend, and soap she can’t live without.
It goes without saying that every Arab household has to have za’atar. This blend has dried za’atar, which is in the family of what people refer to as wild thyme, but it’s actually in the oregano family. It’s herbaceous and earthy. There’s sumac berry in the blend, which gives it sour notes, and sesame seeds, which are toasted and add a little bit of nuttiness. My child is so picky, the worst nightmare for a chef — but he eats za’atar! It’s the Arab superfood. Like my mom, I always have it blended with olive oil as a spread. You can sprinkle it on salads; I throw it in anything I want to add a savory component to, whether it’s a marinade or vinaigrette. Canaan Palestine is a cooperative and their ethos is essential to what I’m trying to build here in the U.S. and the world, to make a more sustainable future for all of us.
The ceramicist is Palipino (Palestinian and Filipino). If this bowl was an egg, the olive oil would go in the yolk and the za’atar in the white. Dip any bread into the oil and then the za’atar.
I use the AeroPress because I am a single lady. It’s fast and it makes just enough coffee for one cup. It’s somewhere in between a French press and an espresso. I’ve gotten so used to it: Every morning I wake up, grind my coffee beans, and it goes straight into the AeroPress. If I’m feeling like it’s a bigger coffee day, I’ll go for the French press, but this is more manageable. I’m a connoisseur of Red Bay Coffee. They’re Oakland-based; they started their business the same time as I started Reem’s and their roastery was next to us. Now they’re our neighbors in the Ferry Building. Wherever they go, we go.
I use this to batch grind my spices. For small batches, I’ll use a mortar and pestle as I’m a strong believer in doing as my grandma would do. You don’t buy ground spices unless you absolutely need to. I buy my spices whole and grind them. I toast and grind as much as I need for a month.
I grew up with the keffiyeh being a fashion symbol. It’s the marker of my Palestinian identity. There are three main patterns, and they vary from country to country. The Palestinian one: The fish nets represent our fisheries, and we have the olive groves and the trade routes. It’s a good reminder of where I’m from. Hirbawi is the main distributor. I think people are wearing them now out of solidarity and not appropriation. I have many different patterns and colors. In our business, we use them in our branding and on our tables. They’re beautiful, artistic ways to mark our Palestinian identity.
I love all shades of red lipstick, from bright cherry red to deep wine. My two faves are Gwen Stefani’s GXVE (you have to be careful with it and anything it touches; it absolutely transfers onto my child). L’Oreal’s Infallible Lip has moisture but a matte finish, and it seeps into your lips in a great way. You have to scrub it off. I can go to bed in it, and the morning after it’ll still be on. And it doesn’t transfer onto my sheets.
My hair, as I get older, is being finicky. This is the one consistent product that has worked for all the evolutions of my hair. I’m not sure if it’s the stress of owning a restaurant and being a mom and all the things, but my curls don’t behave the way I want them to anymore. Someone told me my curls will come back when I’m less stressed. They’re still there, but they’re not as vibrant and strong as they used to be. I’m so sad because as a young kid I used to hate my curly hair as my culture is obsessed with straightening, but I came to embrace it. I had the most beautiful curly hair when I was pregnant. Then I had my child, and he took all the nutrients away. Anyway, he has curly hair and I use this Shea Moisture product on him, too.
I started using this cream when my co-founder gave it to me as a gift. She loves everything rose, and — this is sacrilegious to say as an Arab — I did not. But once I get on something, I commit to the product. The package is nice and compact, and I can take it with me on the road. I’ve been using it for the last two to three years.
This is my go-to brand of olive-oil soap. I’ve used it on and off for many years, and it’s a great gift item as it’s cutely packaged. Usually it sits in my shower and I’ll use it as an all-purpose face and body soap. It lathers nicely.
This is surprisingly one of the most used books in my kitchen. I always reference it for my baking recipes and my dips — to check my ratios. And I have a lot of “How you hack something” techniques in my recipes. I made maahmoul when it was Eid, and I had to look back in my book to see how I made it. It’s also a great dinner-party book, so I use it any time I want to make my fancier recipes, like shish barak or lamb dumplings. Or makloubeh, which is on the cover of the book. It looks simple, but you have to get the ratio of rice to vegetables right. I check and then I always ad-lib.
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