Hi, I’m Zayneb.

This page started off as a food blog known as ihave2kitchens.com – albeit intermittently. The 2 kitchens represent my Iraqi and Scottish heritage. I also lived the UAE, Iran and England as a child. We, as a family (husband and 3 daughters), lived in Iraq between 2015 & 2020.

I currently live in Perth, Scotland, and cater under the name of Iraqi Thistle as a freelance home cook – with much emphasis on nutrition and delicious meals. I did achieve a Master in Human Nutrition in 2015, and after practicing consultations for a few years in Iraq, I decided to combine both my passion for cooking and nutrition to create a small catering business here in Scotland. The business celebrates my knowledge of Iraqi and Middle Eastern cuisine using as many local Scottish ingredients as possible. I am excited to see which directions this business will grow!

Zayneb Al-Khairalla – MMedSci Human Nutrition, University of Sheffield UK.

Copyright – Any photographs, contents and opinions belong to Zayneb Al-Khairalla.