“I’ve been around food quite a bit,” Melbourne’s Christian Salem says with a smile.

From big dinners through to family businesses, the Salems have always been around food – Lebanese food, particularly.

After growing up in Lebanon, Christian’s father Alex moved to Cleveland, USA before settling in Australia. Christian’s mother, Mary, was born in Australia to a Lebanese mother. The family now own two cafes in Brighton – Rocksalt and North Point – which are run and managed by Christian’s brothers, James and Andre.

Most importantly, the Salems still find time to catch up for regular family dinners.

You can view the Salems’ Tabbouleh recipe, on Page 6 of the AFL Players’ Multicultural e-Cookbook, below.