Anwuli Obidi

I was born and raised in Nigeria. Cooking, especially baking, was never on my radar as a possible career path. I thought I’d be a doctor, but I can’t stand the sight of blood. I even considered going the technology route, but it was not creative enough to hold my interest. I guess I should have realized that I had an interest in cooking from the time I spent experimenting at boarding school.

Most boarding schools in Nigeria are completely different from what you’ll find here in the States. Mine was one of the good ones, but it was a bit restrictive food-wise, meaning we were only allowed to eat what was provided by the school. Everything else was considered contraband! We couldn’t bring in snacks, candies, chocolates, or anything else like that. It wasn’t the end of the world, but to young teenagers it felt like cruel and unusual punishment. Of course we found ways around it and snuck in everything from bread and butter to various candies and juices.