Graza

Q: How do you describe yourself?

A: I'm a gastrohomie, sister, daughter, partner, and your friend in food. I guess what it says on my resumé is that I'm a James-Beard award-winning podcaster, writer, and entrepreneur. 

Q: Finish this sentence, cooking for me is...

A: Therapeutic and a chance to connect. Cooking is a chance for me to calm down, remove myself from the stresses and distractions of the world, and also make myself a nice meal. It's a chance to unwind and immerse myself in the rhythms of mise en place, combing flavours, and laying it on a plate.

Q: What's your never fail recipe to make at home?

A: I'm old school for this but I need my dinner plate to be a marriage of a veggie medley, a protein, and a carb. It's giving classic American dinner but I think it's the way to enjoy a meal. When it comes to protein, it's Eric Kim's gochujaru salmon with steamed white rice and either a cucumber salad or some sautéed greens. Make a big enough batch and have salmon rice bowls for lunch the next day. 

Q: What is your perfect day of NYC eats? A breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks spot?

A: My perfect day is a weekend that starts with a game of tennis in Fort Greene Park either with my partner or a friend that I've convinced to wake up with me. I picked up pastries and coffee from L'Appartement 4F to fuel us up before we hit. Their raspberry croissant is my everything. Then I'll do a long walk over to Grand Army Plaza for the farmer's market and pick up some stuff to make a hearty lunch depending on the produce I get and can supplement things with staples from the Park Slope Food Co-Op. It's the best grocery store in New York ity and a peak place to people watch. Lunch will be a big hearty salad, a fun carb dish like couscous or rice pilaf, and maybe some juicy roasted chicken legs with garlic confit. Don't worry there is Sizzle or Drizzle somewhere in this mix. It will be long and dreamy and then I'll take a nap after! That will tide me over till dinner time. Which is with the homies at Wu's Wonton King on the Lower East Side. We'll probably get a table for 12 at 9pm. I have a big group of friends from college and most of us live in the city so I always feel a sense of joy when I'm looking across the table seeing us pass heaping plates of food and crushing cheap beers. Maybe karaoke, drinks at Parcelle nearby or find a fun place to dance and a late-night dessert somewhere in the East Village. 

Q: Do you have a 'pinch me' moment or an 'I've made it moment' that you're particularly proud of in your career thus far? 

A: Honestly there are so many. I feel this when I get to interview guests for the podcast, receive affirming words from people who have read my work, and meet my heroes who I've admired for so long. Never would I have imagined working in food so any affirmation is always amazing. The biggest one would have to be when I won my James Beard last year. Tbh, I'm still shocked that it happened especially as the project I got it for (my podcast with Cherry Bombe) was only four months into launch. I was nervous about winning it so early in my career feeling like I didn't deserve it but with a lot of self-work and affirmations from my nearest and dearest, the award has been instrumental in developing my growth and deepening my passion for being in the food industry.

Q: Who do you turn to, watch, or follow for food inspiration?

A: Brace yourself for this one! My mom is the first person! She's such an amazing cook and I just love how she approaches cooking, from the heart, with lots of flavors and a smidge of inspiration from cookbooks. My family is from Ghana and I want to share documenting traditional recipes to make at home so it involves a lot of WhatsApp recipes and videos where my mom continuously encourages me to measure from the heart. The beauty of working in food is getting to make so many friends and acquaintances with such talented people. I consume a lot of food media and am always in awe of people doing cool stuff and am paying attention to people who evoke deep passion for their craft, are rooted in community, and also have great recipes that I can connect to. If I told you everyone, we would be here all day but some favorite people lately are Kiano Moju and Lidey Heuck whose cookbooks are what I gravitate towards, Karishma Sanghi, an exceptional baker who is opening a bakery in Mexico City, Ella Quittner because her writing is simply iconic, Cami Jetta because what she has built with Dinner Party is a really important blueprint for community-driven restaurants and Asmeret who runs One Love Community Fridge.

Q: What trends or flavors are you loving in the culinary world right now?

A: This might be my hot take but I hate trends. I think they're silly, always get overplayed to the point where everyone is annoyed, and create a weird samness on the internet I don't enjoy. I will say though I love how much seasonal eating is in on social media. It's nice seeing how people take produce at its peak and make yummy classics or inventive dishes. Also, I love the proliferation of immigrant stories that are being told right now in food culture. As someone who grew up yearning for representation in the media I consume, I'm so lucky to be living in a time where I get to experience and appreciate the intricacies of so many food cultures, especially as they exist in the American culinary landscape. People like KJ Kearney, Randy Lau, Day with Mei, and Nadir Nadhi are glowing examples of people who are showcasing food in this way. Hoping for more of this energy.

Q: Are you more of a Sizzler or a Drizzler?

A: Team Sizzle! I split time between CDMX and NYC and my partner and I are always bringing back bottles of Sizzle after work trips. I guess this is also my petition to stock Graza in Mexico City. Need to step up my Drizzle game but honestly, I found that a hefty pour of Sizzle can make for a good drizzle. 

Q: What are your all-around life mottos, mantras, and philosophies?

A: Okay, I have a whole notes app full of these but lemme just drop a few in here. Please don't judge how corny they are. 

If you're for everyone, you're for no one. 

We can do hard things! 

Give as much as you can without depleting yourself and not expecting anything. 

Stay humble, stay hungry, stay curious. 

Have fun, learn lots, and make today an exceptional day! (This one is from my elementary school principal. He would say this everyday to wrap up announcements.) 

Real Gs move in silence like lasagna (this one is one of my favorite Lil Wayne songs) 

Q: What's on the horizon for you?

A: I've mostly been working on my book proposal and it's taking me longer than I think which I've found rewarding. Ugh, I wish I could say more but maybe this is the superstition of the African auntie thing where you don't talk about things until they happen. I'm hoping to be more settled, and grounded, and some fun stuff I'm working on coming out!