She's often paid tribute to her father for instilling a love for Middle Eastern food, and now Gigi Hadid has revealed just how hands-on his culinary education was.
The supermodel, daughter of Dutch model Yolanda Hadid and Palestinian-Jordanian real estate mogul Mohamed Hadid, appeared on the latest episode of Beat Bobby Flay this week.
During the reality TV show, which was broadcast on the Food Network on Sunday, June 21, the 25-year-old got stuck into helping the American chef prepare a falafel dish.
Hadid, who taped her appearance back in October, swiftly scooped out and rolled the chickpeas bites, as Flay remarked, "you’ve done this before".
"A few times," replied the supermodel, who is currently expecting her first child with British-Pakistani singer Zayn Malik. "I used to go to this restaurant and form falafels in the back with my dad."
Mohamed Hadid, who was born in Nazareth and spent time in refugee camps as a child, has previously spoken about making sure his children – including models Bella and Anwar – are proud of their Palestinian heritage.
"One of my dreams is to have my kids carry the name Palestine with them everywhere they go, because it seems like we are losing that name as we go on," he said last year. "We want to make sure my family always carries that on."
Hadid said the Food Network episode was an homage to her father, with the show airing on Father's Day.
"My appearance on Beat Bobby Flay tonight is dedicated to you — I can't say why yet, but you'll know," the model posted on Instagram alongside images with her dad.
The pregnant star admitted she was a huge fan of the show, which pits two chefs in a cooking showdown, with the winner going on to compete in a head-to-head against Flay.
Hadid, who is expected to give birth in September, is a passionate home cook, telling the chef during her appearance that she's "been growing stuff in my own garden".
"I'm like cooking and watching Food Network. I love it and it's what grounds me."
In February, Hadid, spoke about her favourite Palestinian food on Twitter.
In an #askGigi Q&A, the part-Palestinian model said that kibbeh with labneh and tabbouleh is a go-to of hers. She also added that she loves eggs with zaatar for breakfast.
After being inundated with comments questioning the origins of her choices, she explained the dishes were popular throughout the Levant.
"To everyone saying all of these foods are Lebanese only, my dad was born in Palestine in ‘48, where his family lived for many generations before that and ate these foods their entire lives," she said. "Before borders and ownership of land, the region’s dishes and ingredients were always the same."
She continued: "I should also add that my family and I support many family-owned Lebanese restaurants to enjoy the food we all love."
