I love food. This is simply an unabashed statement of fact. I love food in much the same way as I love culture, which to me is experiencing history in the present and by extension, experiencing life. I think you get a good sense of people, their history, character and culture through their food. All these elements are loaded in language but food is an easier and more pleasurable route to experiencing the cultures of the world than learning the languages of the world.
Of my many passions, travel ranks highly and top of my list of things to do at the places I visit is to experience and have a greater understanding of the people and culture through eating and learning about their food.
Food like culture, language and people is constantly evolving and taking us to new and interesting spaces. Take the word blog for example, it didn’t exist until the 90s. Look at the space the word blog fills today. It is a beautiful world of discovery and invention. Welcome to my food journey, past, present and future…
The inevitable mental shift happened in my early thirties – making that conscious effort to be a little more thoughtful about what foods I put into my body. Making a choice about what foods to eat has sharpened my imagination and released hitherto unknown culinary creativity to ensure that I still enjoy great tasting food that is healthy and nutritious. This is a desire I carry forward in my business. I am a food enthusiast who has managed to turn a keen interest into a fulfilling career.
Here is an amazing dish I created today. I’m a fan of the humble garden egg and have been toying with the idea of using it in a YesChilli dish (a dish with YesChilli as the signature ingredient). While at the clinic this morning waiting to see my doctor, I came up with this exciting yet simple dish that is quick to make, has clean contrasting layers of flavour and tastes divine. Think zesty caramelised carrots, smoky cabbage, meaty green garden eggs with a slightly bitter undertone. I went straight to my local street market after my appointment, picked up the few ingredients required and rushed home to prepare the dish. Cooking time was less than 10 mins.
Fortunately, a good friend of mine who can chat for Nigeria dropped by while I was taking photos of the dish. He takes better photos than I do as you can see. After shooting, he proceeded to lunch on the model. I have never known him to be as quiet and thoughtful. When he was done eating, he said it was simply one of the best and most satisfying dishes he had eaten in a long time. That was quite a revelation and high praise indeed.
YesChilli Zesty Garden Egg Nest is sautéed garden eggs on a bed of zesty carrots and cabbage. This simple great tasting low-calorie, nutrient rich dish can be served hot or cold as a side or main dish. Here’s the science bit – garden eggs are a good source of dietary fibre and low in fat. They are recommended for managing type 2 diabetes and weight loss. They also contain potassium and are rich in antioxidants which help to prevent cancer and premature aging.
View the recipe here:

http://yeschilli.com/recipe/yeschilli-zesty-garden-egg-nest/