Kitchen Connection - Featured Cheffie: Nkem From Nigeria
From lawyer to food blogger, caterer and chef, Nkem is a perfect representation of a passionate lover of all-things-food. She left her promising job, with the hopes of turning her passion into a business, and a thriving business it is! After a few years, Food Fashion Fusion (FFF) is one of the leading places for food of all kinds from Nigeria to the world. Read on for our exclusive interview with this month's featured cheffie, Nkem:
Do You Prefer coffee or tea? Tea
Who is your favorite person(s) to cook for? / Eat with? My family and friends
What are your favorite dishes or cooking topics to teach? I love to make scampi, Chicken Marsala and meatballs
"Working with food on a daily basis has given me a deep appreciation for the wonder and miracle of the cycle of nature"
Do you have any cooking/food superstitions? I never cook if I am in a bad mood; I think it translates in the food
If you could get a tattoo of a food, what would it be and why? I would never get a tattoo
Nkem's Focaccia ; uhm, yum!
What is one dish, drink or food topic that you're really wanting to learn or master? I would love to learn how to make crocquembauche
What does food mean to you? How has food changed/shaped your life? Food is such an essential part of everyday life; it literally sustains us. I see food as something that should be respected and treated well even when preparing it. Working with food on a daily basis has given me a deep appreciation for the wonder and miracle of the cycle of natur
Tell us about a time when food connected you with a stranger. Once, I was on holiday to Zanzibar and during a facial at the resort spa, I got talking with the manager and discovered that she used to be a professional chef. We shared so many stories and experiences from our respective food journeys that we established an instant rapport
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If you're not living in the same place where you grew up, how have your food traditions changed/ evolved with you? When I was a child during festive periods like Christmas and New Year, we would travel to our hometown as a family to spend time with my grandparents and cousins. I recall watching my aunts and grandma cooking huge pots of food over an open fire in the kitchen hut; I still remember how the smoke from the open fire stung my eyes. At the end, we would gather around as my grandma dished the meal to the family. Today, I spend such holidays quietly at home with my husband, children and few friends. I now do the cooking and watch contently as everyone enjoy it.
Who was the first one to expose you to cooking/good eating? Who has the most influence on how/what you cook? My mum taught me to cook. My parents always had their friends over for lunch and dinner. I was always excited to help my mum lay the table with our special china and silver ware.
What is your never fail piece of cooking advice? Did someone pass it on to you? Did you learn that lesson the hard way? Do not ever make a recipe for the first time on the day you are serving it. Always have a run through and get familiar with the nuances of the dish. I learned this the hard way.....
II. To find out more about Nkem:
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