Chef Kuukua is the founder and Head Chef at Asempe Kitchen, a West African plant forward pop-up in Ithaca, New York. I had the opportunity to capture not only her process to plate but also a plant based Ghanaian cooking class she hosts. Our conversation touched on immigration, belonging, love, education, reinvention and curiosity. Listen in below.
What Does Food Mean to You?
"Food ...is a way to express care"
It's "Chef" Not "Cook"
What Part of Your Story Hasn't Been Told?
"The time I spent in higher ed...I did a Masters in Theology and then moved on to do a Masters in Writing and Consciousness so I think that's a story that's not told, I spent quite a bit of time.. teaching, counseling and doing advising work"
What Keeps You Cooking?
"What keeps me cooking really is the fact that people enjoy it. I think if people didn't enjoy my cooking I would have stopped a long time ago, but I know I'm doing something right because people are so happy to get what they get and just relish being able to have food that they can access. It doesn't have seafood, it doesn't have gluten, so it's it's accessible to everybody."
What Does Asempe Mean?
"Asempe means curiosity (in Twi). I choose that because the connotation is nosy. I was always called a nosy child because I was always inquisitive. I wanted to know what people were talking about, cooking or eating. I spent quite a bit of time reclaiming that and calling it inquisitive, curious instead of nosy"
