A Spotlight On Allrecipes Allstar: Uzo Orimalade
Over a decade working in corporate America, Uzo Orimalade switched careers to pay homage to her mother and share dishes that have a touch of her African heritage.
Uzo is one of the 60 million cooks in our Allrecipes community, and an Allrecipes Allstar.
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Q&A with Uzo
Allrecipes: Tell us about yourself!
Uzo Orimalade: My name is Uzo, and I am passionate about teaching and sharing my adventures with food and home entertaining. From my social media pages (@uzosfoodlabs) and website, I share recipes, tips, and hacks, behind the scenes from my culinary entertainment journey, and glimpses into my life as a wife, mom, entrepreneur, and urban gardener.
AR: What kitchen tools can you not live without?
UO: Mini mortar and pestles. In a hurry, they are easier to use than food processors and much easier to clean. My stand mixer is my workhorse, as I bake daily.
AR: What is your favorite easy weeknight Allrecipes dish you love to cook?
UO: I love instant noodles, but I tend to toss the seasoning packets that come with them. I search for ramen noodle recipes on Allrecipes.com and find new ways to jazz them up. Some of my favorite recipes on the site are simple ones featuring garlic, chili, and sesame oil.
AR: Who or what is inspiring you right now?
UO: Gordon Ramsey. His evolution from food personality to MasterChef judge and food adventurer to (dare I say) lovable dad is absolutely amazing! His YouTube channel is the right mix of approachable, delicious, easy-to-make food and outstanding production quality. When I think of the trajectory I want my food career to go, Gordon Ramsey is all over my vision board.
Uzo’s Jollof Rice
Spending over a decade working in corporate America, Uzo Orimalade switched careers to pursue a passion for sharing easy dishes with a touch of her African heritage. Her favorite dish to prepare is jollof rice. Originating from West Africa, this tomato-based dish is a one-pot crowd-pleaser whose cousins are Jambalaya and Arroz Con Pollo.
Growing up, her mother made jollof rice for Sunday lunches and when company came over. She fondly remembers spending hours with her mom watching her rice technique and asking endless questions. “Every household has its recipe and claims to make the best Jollof,” says Uzo. This jollof rice recipe was passed down through generations of women in her family, each of whom adjusted it slightly to accommodate personal tastes. She enjoys this dish because it’s filling, pocket friendly, and goes with almost anything (imagine grilled chicken, fried plantains, cold salads, etc.)
"Sitting down at the table with my family with jollof rice as the main and sides of chicken, creamy salad, and fried sweet plantains are some of the happiest memories I have."
Paying Homage To Her Heritage
Uzo thinks of herself as a global citizen— schooling in England and the US, vacationing in Seychelles to South Africa, and France to Italy. Experiencing different cuisines and visiting local shops and markets on her travels has influenced her cooking. She fuses these unique elements from her travels into her everyday cooking. “I derive a lot of pleasure in making culinary connections when I come across the same foods in different countries that have different names and are used in different ways with different outcomes,” says Uzo.
Although her travels are a huge part of her cooking, her love affair with cooking started with her mother at a young age. Uzo spent time with her in the kitchen — watching her cook, asking endless questions, and trying to replicate what she made. On Sundays, her mother would cook up a storm, and her family would sit down for Sunday lunch at the dining table set with bone china, embroidered napkins, and serving dishes. Uzo cherishes her family’s tradition of passing around plates of whatever had been made that day while her father’s jazz music is played in the background.
When Uzo thinks of gatherings in her home now, she thinks of comfort and ease. “I like to have people come over, kick their shoes off, and get ready to share lots of plates, use lots of napkins, drink, and leave with full stomachs and to-go boxes,” Uzo says. With hectic schedules and a myriad of real-life adult things, Uzo’s family doesn’t get to have dinner as often as they would like. So instead, they carve out their family time at breakfast and unplanned lunch dates when there is an hour to spare. Uzo also likes to prepare meat pies, a dish that reminds her of her mom. “Some days after picking me up from school, she would stop at this pastry shop in Lagos and pick up (still warm) meat pies. As soon as I was able to, I started making these at home, and my mom was always tickled pink”, says Uzo.
Learn more about Uzo and what she's cooking in her kitchen!
Read the original article on All Recipes.
