Hello and welcome back to the podcast! Today I speak with Zoe Adjonyoh, who is a pioneer in bringing West African flavors to a wider audience. She’s the author of the acclaimed cookbook, Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen (I’m giving away a free copy of the book, see below! 🎉) and is the founder of the spice company by the same name. She has been named one of “London’s hottest chefs” by Time Out, she’s been recognized by the James Beard Foundation, she’s spoken at TEDXOxford and so much more. Her work is incredibly inspiring, and we cover a lot of ground in this powerful episode.
Zoe describes her background as half Irish and half Ghanaian, and how she uses food to connect her to her Ghanaian roots as well as to her father. Zoe describes some of the iconic dishes and flavors of Ghanaian cuisine and explains how her business, which started as a pop-up restaurant, went hand-in-hand with her spiritual awakening. We also talk about the importance of authenticity, the downfalls of the hospitality industry, sustainability, consciousness, and more. There’s so much here, and I think you’re going to walk away inspired and expanded.
*A note about today’s audio: Zoe and I had a very “mercury in retrograde” experience when recording this episode in August, and you’ll notice that her sound occasionally dims out. I therefore recommend wearing headphones or ear buds when listening if you can, which will help (although I re-listened in my car and could hear her). Also, Substack now generates transcripts, which you can access if you click through to the website (it’s in the tab at the top). A HUGE thank you to my audio editor Tommy for making the episode work!!
Speaking of Tommy, it takes a considerable amount of effort and resources to make these podcasts happen, and I want to give a giant shout-out to my paid subscribers for helping to fund this ad-free space. If the work resonates with you, you can support it by become a paid member for $5/month, or you can share it with friends or on social media, rate it on your podcast app, and/or leave a comment. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support! ❤️
Giveaway 🎉
I recently polled the community to see if you’d be interested in cookbook giveaways, and the overwhelming response was YES! The giveaways will be a fun way for me to spread some cooking love, as well as to give back to the community. In honor of today’s podcast episode, I’m giving away a free copy of Zoe’s book, Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen. Giveaways are for paid subscribers only who live in the continental US (due to shipping restrictions). To enter to win, simply leave a comment here. ❤️
You can listen to the podcast right here, or, better yet, subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. I hope you enjoy, and as always, remember to nourish yourself with intention and love.
xo, Nicki
@nickisizemore | more recipes | cookbooks | classes
Links and resources mentioned in the episode:
Podcast episode with Liz Carlisle (Regenerative Farming, Climate Change, Racism, Food & Pleasure):
Karen Washington (I also referrenced Karen in this newsletter).
Ghanaian Cuisine, Spirituality & Consciousness with Zoe Adjonyoh