Zoe speaks with acclaimed chef, author, speaker, and friend Preeti Mistry about their journey to who they are now, from their early roots in activism to starring in the hit TV show 'Waffles and Mochi' alongside Michelle Obama, the power of your voice upon the world in general, and how food can bring people together.
KEY TAKEAWAYS When we are given the privilege of holding a platform - a voice - that can reach the ears of the world, it is incumbent upon us to use that voice to make the world a better place. Food has the power to unite. It is a common denominator that allows people from all walks of life to come together, usually across a table, and break bread. Sometimes, when we suffer failure, it is not the result of our own actions, but the toxic atmosphere created by others. We only learn this through perspective, but once recognised, we can forgive ourselves and move on from these parts of our lives. Many try to make the world believe that they're on the side of what's right, but only some have the morals to prove it. We need to always look for the people doing good work for the right reasons.
BEST MOMENTS
'Both of us feel like total unicorns!'
'When there is power in your platform, you have to try to use that for good'
'People really like the things I cook and I love the way it brings people together'
'I always excelled tremendously in any environment where I was fully supported as myself'
VALUABLE RESOURCES
Preeti Mistry Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/chefpmistry/?hl=en
Loading Dock Talks - https://loading-dock-talks.simplecast.com
Preeti Mistry Twitter - https://twitter.com/chefpmistry
Preeti Mistry - https://www.preetimistry.com
ABOUT THEHOST
Zoe Adjonyoh is a writer, chef, and food justice activist from South-East London on a mission to bring African food to the masses. As a mixed-race, Black queer woman born to a Ghanaian father and Irish mother from a working-class background who works at the intersections of food, culture, identity, and politics, Zoe Adjonyoh is driven to create change in the food landscape. Zoe has taken her fresh interpretation of classic Ghananian flavours to venues across London, Berlin, Accra, and New York and become a leader in the new African cuisine revolution. Through her supper clubs, kitchen residencies, mobile catering, a former restaurant space in Brixton, her highly successful cookbook, Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen: An Introduction to New African Cuisine - from Ghana With Love, and a thriving e-commerce spice business, Zoe has sought to inspire African food entrepreneurs, cooks, and chefs from the continent and the diaspora across the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoe has held events, demonstrations, and talks in addition to launching a crowdfunding campaign to support some of the most vulnerable in her community. In 2020, Zoe founded the thought leadership platform Black Book for Black and non-white people working within hospitality and food media. Join Zoe as she dismantles, disrupts, and decolonises the food industry while supporting marginalised communities and building a more equitable food system.
NOTES
Thank you for cooking up consciousness with me! Love & light- Zoe Adjonyoh
Follow Cooking Up Consciousness on Clubhouse for conversations and community and visit www.zoeadjonyoh.com to subscribe to all of Zoe’s consciousness-raising projects including Black Book and Ghana Kitchen. For more about Zoe and her work, follow @zoeadjonyoh on IG and on Clubhouse. Please visit Patreon to support this self-funded podcast from as little as $4 per month.
CREDITS
Executive Producer, Creator, and Host- Zoe Adjonyoh
Producer- Dani Dillon of Lunch Group
Graphic & Website Design- Sara Held
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoeadjonyoh/?hl=en
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