One of my favorite memories as a little girl was sitting on my dad’s lap watching Yan Can Cook and Julia Child on KQED. My dad and I would then go into the kitchen where he’d prop me on a chair and let me watch him work. While it’s my father who planted the seed for my love of cooking and international flavors, it was my beloved Aunt Zelma who put me to work in her kitchen at age 12 and let me help her prep the large family meals she hosted. Under her guidance, I first learned to make a proper roux and gravy and family favorites.
As a teenager I worked at the Oakland institution Everett + Jones Barbeque. There I met Jamie Foxx, Maya Angelou, and cooked greens for Lauryn Hill. I eventually made my way to California Culinary Academy in San Francisco (now Le Cordon Bleu) for my formal training before moving on to restaurant kitchens, including the Claremont Hotel and most recently as Pantry Chef at Dyafa in Oakland under Reem Assil. At Dyafa, I was given among other responsibilities that of preparing staff meals: the meal the kitchen and waitstaff shared before the restaurant opened in the evening. I loved seeing the team gather and build community. It’s that spirit of a creating a pause in a busy work day, joining together around food, and celebrating each other that I bring to your home.
My calling cards: color, flavor, and abundance.
