In a session that can only be described as a beautiful kind of chaos, Ayra Starr recently joined Quenlin Blackwell for a high-energy episode of “Feeding Starving Celebrities,” and it’s an easy watch you don’t realise you’ve spent almost an hour on until it ends.

Spanning just over 55 minutes, the video captures the two navigating the kitchen with plenty of laughter, confusion, and very real attempts at Nigerian cooking.

The original plan was Jollof rice, but somewhere along the way, the Sabi Girl switched things up, steering the menu toward fried yam and eggs, a combo fans already know is her favourite. The pivot felt very on-brand, even as the process unfolded through a series of hilarious missteps that made everything even more entertaining.

Beyond the kitchen chaos, the episode also offers a more grounded look at Ayra Starr. She opens up about staying true to her creative identity as her sound continues to travel globally, and what it means to grow within an industry that never really slows down. It’s an unfiltered conversation that shows a different side of her, relaxed, honest, and fully in the moment.

Fans have since been in the comments for the banter, the chemistry, and that very relatable attempt at Nigerian staples. Between the laughs and the food, it’s a chaotic, feel-good watch people keep coming back to.

Watch below

The post From Jollof Rice to Fried Yam: Ayra Starr’s Hilarious Cooking Moment You Need to See appeared first on BellaNaija - Showcasing Africa to the world. Read today!.

In a session that can only be described as a beautiful kind of chaos, Ayra Starr recently joined Quenlin Blackwell for a high-energy episode of “Feeding Starving Celebrities,” and it’s an easy watch you don’t realise you’ve spent almost an hour on until it ends.

Spanning just over 55 minutes, the video captures the two navigating the kitchen with plenty of laughter, confusion, and very real attempts at Nigerian cooking.

The original plan was Jollof rice, but somewhere along the way, the Sabi Girl switched things up, steering the menu toward fried yam and eggs, a combo fans already know is her favourite. The pivot felt very on-brand, even as the process unfolded through a series of hilarious missteps that made everything even more entertaining.

Beyond the kitchen chaos, the episode also offers a more grounded look at Ayra Starr. She opens up about staying true to her creative identity as her sound continues to travel globally, and what it means to grow within an industry that never really slows down. It’s an unfiltered conversation that shows a different side of her, relaxed, honest, and fully in the moment.

Fans have since been in the comments for the banter, the chemistry, and that very relatable attempt at Nigerian staples. Between the laughs and the food, it’s a chaotic, feel-good watch people keep coming back to.

Watch below

The post From Jollof Rice to Fried Yam: Ayra Starr’s Hilarious Cooking Moment You Need to See appeared first on BellaNaija - Showcasing Africa to the world. Read today!.

AfroFuture, the dynamic celebration of African culture, music, and innovation, is making its long-awaited U.S. debut in Detroit this August. In partnership with Bedrock, the festival has announced a two-week series of immersive, community-driven events leading up to the main event on August 16 - 17, 2025, at the Douglass Site.

Titled The Road to Detroit, the pre-festival programming aims to energize the city while connecting the African diaspora. Running from August 11 through August 28, these events will spotlight Detroit’s rich Black cultural landscape, combining culinary experiences, nightlife, tech innovation, cinema, and live performance.

Kicking things off is the AfroFuture Countdown Bar Crawl taking place from August 11 - 15. Here, festival-goers can sip custom cocktails at some of Detroit’s most iconic venues, such as the Hush Harbor, The Vinyl Society, and Paramita Sound, all while unlocking exclusive rewards like VIP passes and limited-edition merch.

Food lovers can indulge in Taste of Detroit Restaurant Week (August 11 - 18), which offers curated prix-fixe menus and chef demos at standout Black-owned restaurants such as Ivy Kitchen, Kola Lounge, and Salt + Ko.

Innovation takes center stage on August 13 with Diaspora Connect: Innovation For Global Black Futures, a pitch competition hosted by Black Tech Saturdays and Venture 313. Finalists will compete for up to $10,000 in equity-free funding in categories like digital culture, creative industries, and community development. The event will take place at TechThree in Midtown and is free to attend with an RSVP.

On August 14, poetry lovers can immerse themselves in poetry me, please – A Diasporic Spoken Word Experience at the historic Willis Show Bar. Featuring musicians and spoken word artists from across the diaspora, the night promises to be intimate and deeply moving.

Every Thursday throughout August, Afrocentric Movie Nights will take place at Lowkey Cinema, featuring screenings of films like Sun Ra’s Space Is the Place, the Ethiopian post-apocalyptic sci-fi romance film, Crumb, and radical intersectional feminist Lizzie Borden’s dystopian docu-fiction drama, Born in Flames.

On August 15, the festival taps into Black music history with Samples n’ Friends X AfroFuture Experience, a communal celebration of samples, trivia, and karaoke spotlighting AfroFuture artists, Afrobeats, and Motown classics.

To round things off, a lineup of official pre- and after-parties will keep Detroit buzzing all weekend, with events like the Jerk x Jollof Pre-Party, Obi’s House, Toasted Life, and PVO.

“Bringing AfroFuture to Detroit isn’t just about launching a festival — it’s about building a cultural movement long before the first stage is set,” said Abdul Karim Abdullah, AfroFuture CEO & Co-Founder. “AfroFuture Detroit and its leadup events will honor the deep ties between the city and the African diaspora, amplify diverse voices, and foster and strengthen meaningful connections.”

Before she became the owner of a Michelin-recommended restaurant in Toronto, Maha Barsoom used to cook and garden as a hobby in Cairo. Raised by a grandmother and parents who were phenomenal cooks, she learned to appreciate the art of food from a young age. Instead of enjoying recess, she would go to the school library, peruse cookbooks for recipes, and reinvent them at home.

"The first thing I [ever] made was chocolate cake with toffee caramel," she remembers in an interview with OkayAfrica. "My aunt visited us from Alexandria, so I prepared it for her. After that, my mom let me go into the kitchen, because it was amazing. I taught myself and observed my family."

In Egypt, opening a restaurant never occurred to her. When she moved to Canada at 35, working as a translator and interpreter while raising two children kept her fully occupied. Once her children, Monica and Mark, graduated from university, she seized her chance.

"I thought if Monica and Mark would assist me, and we could all share this idea, it would be great. They'd both graduated and neither had jobs, so I thought we might as well do this," Barsoom says. "Both of them said no. They will have no life, and it will be extremely difficult. So I left it alone."

Mark was sceptical that non-Egyptians would be willing to try food they did not know, but Barsoom was confident in her craft. "I knew that I had something to offer to society and that I would succeed," she says. As a translator, Barsoom used to attend events that served 'Middle Eastern Food.' "My Egyptian part was really hurt," she laughs. "I needed to teach people about Egyptian cuisine and that there is a big difference between 'Middle Eastern' and Egyptian."

She started posting her cooking online and garnered so much interest that she began operating a catering service from inside her home. Her food's reputation spread, and her children learned from her, until they eventually changed their minds about the restaurant idea.

"[Ten years ago] I was in Egypt, because my mother was sick," remembers Barsoom. "Monica called me, saying, 'I have a surprise for you. We prepared the menu.' It was all the dishes I fed them growing up. My mother was in a stable condition again, so I went back to Canada, and we started looking for a place right away."

The menu includes everything needed for a complete Egyptian brunch, and more. Mixing nostalgic dishes from their childhoods with fan favorites, Maha's Brunch has fūl (fava beans), falafel, homemade feta cheese with tomatoes, basterma sausage, shakshouka, liver sandwiches, and Barsoom's favorite meal growing up: belila (creamy Egyptian wheat porridge ).

"There's a shawarma sandwich I used to eat after university or when the professor didn't show up," says Barsoom. "We'd go to this place called Abu Haidar in Heliopolis, which made the best shawarma ever, in buns, not in pitas or rolls. I was inspired and created Maha's Mindblowing Chicken Sandwich." Monica named it.

Whenever her grandfather picked her up from the nursery, he and Monica would pass by a fish shop and eat baby shrimp sandwiches. Monica asked her mother to replicate them, and Barsoom added them to the menu. Inspired by a place in Alexandria, the dessert is a plate of halawa, molasses, clotted cream, nuts, fresh berries, and various homemade or imported jams from Egypt.

In addition to fulfilling her lifelong dream, Barsoom's perseverance eventually paid off in 2022, when a lady came to the restaurant and gifted Barsoom an envelope. In it, she found that Maha's Brunch was recommended in the Michelin Guide for Toronto. She has been featured in the guide every year since.

"Somebody who comes without our knowledge eats the same dish a couple of times," explains Barsoom. "They don't only look at the taste. They look at the service, the cleanliness of the place, and how the dishes are presented and decorated."

Why a mention in the guide and not a star? Maha's Brunch does not serve alcohol or have a white tablecloth service. These requirements are a testament to the enduring hegemony of Western cultural norms. "I don't want to serve alcohol, and I like guests to be at ease when they eat at my place," says Barsoom. "I like them to feel that they are at my dining table in my house."

Now that Barsoom has established her food as one of Toronto's most excellent spots, she is ready to hand the restaurant over to her children. "They are innovative and keen on having everything perfect," she says. "I think they will take the restaurant to a higher level."

When Chef Eric Adjepong first stepped onto the set of Top Chef, he wasn't just competing for a title. It was 2018 — the show's 16th season — he knew he was also competing for Africa.

"In all the seasons I'd watched, there wasn't anyone doing food from the continent," he tells OkayAfrica. "And I very specifically knew that if I were to make it on, I wanted to showcase skill, but also showcase Ghanaian and West African food as much as possible."

That mission was a risk. Although we as Africans have always seen the value in our cuisine, African food at that time was nowhere near mainstream in American culture. But this mission set him apart, and with his bold flavors and skillful execution in every challenge, he cooked his way to the finale.

Now, years later, Adjepong is standing at the moment he's been dreaming of since he was a child: the opening of his first restaurant and the launch of his debut cookbook. The restaurant came first - Elmina opened this past February in Washington, D.C., while the cookbook, Ghana to the World, followed weeks later. Together, they mark personal milestones and a public test: can African cuisine find its place in the mainstream culinary world?

For Adjepong, the answer is firmly yes, especially in a city like Washington, D.C., with its diverse African population and history of African restaurants. "You can have so many French, Chinese, Indian, and Italian restaurants, and nobody bats an eye. There's one on every corner," he says. "To see that there's now a spark and a resurgence of other stories, other chefs, and other food coming into a city that's already so well represented by Africans, that's exciting."

As a first-generation Ghanaian American born and raised in New York City, Adjepong has spent his career weaving together heritage, education, and storytelling through food. That story spans continents and influences — from a childhood in the Bronx to summers in Ghana, from a degree in Culinary Arts & Nutrition at Johnson & Wales in Rhode Island to a Master of Public Health from the University of Westminster in London. His path has also included stints at Michelin-starred kitchens and multiple appearances on Top Chef, including All-Stars, where he became known for pushing West African flavors into the culinary spotlight.

Today, he's also the host of Food Network's Wildcard Kitchen and Alex vs. America, as he continues introducing new audiences to his cuisine and perspective.

With Elmina finally open and Ghana to the World now published, Adjepong's vision feels more urgent — and more expansive — than ever. Through every dish, every recipe, and every appearance, he's inviting diners and readers alike to see African food not as a niche, but as essential.

He spoke to OkayAfrica about what this moment means for him, being intentional about showcasing African food, why he chose to name his restaurant Elmina, and how he earned his family's approval for his career.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

OkayAfrica: Congratulations on your new cookbook, "Ghana to the World." Is this book Ghanaian or Ghanaian American?

Chef Eric Adjepong: It's all of it. The experience of being Ghanaian is not monolithic. There's not only one way to do it. I think there are several accounts people can have across the world — obviously, Ghana, but also so many places where Ghanaians live — that are authentic Ghanaian stories. I don't claim this to be the book that speaks for all Ghanaians, or the book that speaks for all Ghanaian Americans. It's a book that speaks for me and my experience. I was born in America and raised in Ghana. I visit home every year. That's the lens that I see myself through and the lens the world sees me through. And I'd be remiss to say I wasn't impacted by other places I've worked and lived, coming from New York. That's something I can't shy away from either. So the book is authentically all of it.

In the cookbook, I noticed how much the idea of Sankofa — "going back to go forward" — serves as a guiding principle. You also wrote a children's book of the same name. How does this concept guide your work as a chef and storyteller of Ghanaian cuisine?

With Sankofa, the ethos behind that is very much how I've viewed myself as a cook and storyteller. There's so much beautiful, rich history in Ghana and Africa that I'd be empty if I didn't talk about it. But I'd also be empty if I didn't talk about what inspires me now and where my creative mind goes. It's the embodiment of both books. In the children's book, the main character travels back to Ghana with his grandfather, looking back, but he's also in the present talking about food. And in the cookbook, you'll find traditional recipes — dishes our ancestors cooked as authentically as possible — but I'm also taking peri peri and egusi, and using them in ways that aren't traditional. I'm using them in ways that, as someone who's been in the industry for a while, I can see how these ingredients can be used to create different textures, flavors, and experiences.

Did you intentionally showcase African food when you joined Top Chef?

For sure, absolutely. They're picking 13 to 15 of the best chefs in America every season. I always admired that and looked toward that pinnacle. But I also realized that no one was doing food from the continent in all the seasons I'd watched. There might have been a few things here and there, but no one was really representing at all. And I knew that if I were to make it on, I wanted to showcase skill and Ghanaian and West African food as much as possible. So I made it a goal. If it didn't fit the challenge, I didn't cook the food from Africa. But if it were something like, 'Use your interpretation, use your dish, use your flavors,' I would automatically go to Ghanaian food."

Did you feel pressure to represent African food?

I remember one contestant telling me not to cook African food as much. But I didn't feel pressure. I felt pride. I felt very cool. Serving fufu for the first time was an incredible moment for me and the show. It's been great to see more chefs now proudly cooking the food they grew up with. I'm glad I could be part of that.

I found it interesting that you named your restaurant Elmina, which to many is known for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. Why did you name the restaurant that?

I love Elmina. It is a town in Ghana, a humble, blue-collar fisherman town. I also visit it to put my phone on 'Do Not Disturb' and relax. But more than that, Elmina means 'the mine.' It is a Portuguese name for the gold mine, for treasure. And that is what I see. Despite some complex stories from there, there is a lot of beauty. If you visit Elmina today, no one is burdened by the past. It is part of the story, but there is so much treasure, gold, and wealth in the people and what they are doing. That is what I see when I look at Africans: wealth, abundance, treasure, gold, bronze, all the different elements. Elmina, to me, is the gold mine.

How is that reflected in the restaurant?

When you walk into the space, each room in the restaurant is dedicated to something that brings wealth or a valuable resource to the country, the region, or the continent. There is a lot of intentionality behind the name, how the design fits with the name, and how we use materials like gold, bronze, wood, timber, and the colors of tobacco, cotton, and indigo. We have a sugarcane room for the rum and sugarcane that grows abundantly in Ghana. Everything is intentional. And of course, the food speaks to the richness of our incredible culinary background in Ghana. When I sat with the name, it made sense. And the more I said it, the more conviction I felt.

How did your family react to your choosing culinary arts as a career?

Cooking is a matriarchal thing in Ghanaian society. A lot of it is based in the kitchen, so you don't see a lot of men doing culinary arts. That was taboo, honestly. But I got a cool mom who saw it in me. She saw me watching cooking shows after school and encouraged me. There were uphill battles like 'You won't make money' or 'Your parents came all the way here for you to cook?' I didn't let it discourage me. At times, I was frustrated; I remember specific conversations with people who now come to the restaurant or watch the shows. I don't hold it against them, but you don't forget it.

No one sees the vision you have for yourself like you do. I use a lot of that as motivation to prove people wrong. I like being doubted; it gives me fuel. I knew where I could take myself with this career, and I'm so blessed.

Now that you've achieved so much, what do you dream of next?

I'm a simple person. I want to live comfortably. I want my daughter to be safe and have a future. But ultimately, it's about telling this story. If I can tell it from one place in D.C., New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Elmina, Ghana, and Nairobi, that would be fantastic. Or anywhere in the world. I'd love to continue sharing this food. I want to multiply but stay with the same mindset. I don't want any of this to veer me off. I've seen it happen to a lot of chefs. They let success get to them. I pray that's not my portion. I want to keep doing what I'm doing. And if nothing else changes, I'm very, very happy.

If you had to pick one dish for someone tasting Ghanaian food for the first time, what would it be?

Jollof rice is the dish everybody should try. It's a good intro to our flavors and how we think about food.

And if you wanted to surprise someone who already knows Ghanaian food, what would you serve?

One of my favorites is the sweet fried plantain with benne misso, benne seeds, and caramelized onions. It's a fun spin. It reminds you of the flavors from home, but it's also a very cool offering. I think that's a dish people would enjoy. The banana grits are unique too, and it's something a lot of people really like when I cook it at the restaurant.