About the Owner
From a Lagos kitchen to the world.
Chef. Cookbook author. Mother. Spice maker. Adaeze blends ancestral West African technique with a modern, generous table.
My journey in cooking began over 20 years ago, rooted in childhood memories of family, culture, and tradition. Growing up, I watched my grandmother prepare authentic dishes from Guinea, and those moments shaped not only my love for food, but my appreciation for connection, warmth, and heritage.
Over the years, cooking became much more than a daily activity. It became a source of healing and strength. During times of family stress and personal challenges, the kitchen became my safe space, a place where I could find peace, focus, and comfort. The simple process of preparing ingredients, blending spices, and creating meals allowed me to reconnect with myself and transform difficult moments into something meaningful.
Cooking has also been a powerful way for me to express love. There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing the joy on people’s faces when they enjoy a meal I have prepared. It has strengthened my confidence, given me purpose, and reminded me of the impact that food can have in bringing people together.
My passion did not go unnoticed. Friends and family often turned to me for guidance, calling me before they cook, asking for seasoning tips, or even bringing their food for me to marinate “the Dedior way.” Their trust and encouragement helped me realize that my knowledge and creativity could reach beyond my own kitchen.
My children have been my greatest inspiration. Their constant encouragement, along with the excitement of their friends who loved my cooking, motivated me to share my recipes with a wider audience. They inspired me to create a platform where others can learn, experience, and enjoy the same flavors that have brought so much joy to our home.
Today, through Dedior Cooking, I share not only recipes, but a story, one of resilience, culture, and passion. My goal is to inspire others to see cooking as more than just preparing food, but as a form of healing, creativity, and connection.
For me, cooking is where strength meets joy. It is where I feel most at peace, most inspired, and most fulfilled.
I learned to cook standing on a stool in my grandmother’s kitchen in Enugu, stirring a pot of egusi that was almost taller than me. That stool is still in the family — and so is the recipe.
After culinary school in Lagos and a decade cooking in London and Accra, I came home with one mission: make the food I grew up on feel as exciting, refined and shareable as anything you’d find in a Michelin guide.
Asili Kitchen is the result. It’s a recipe library, a spice line, a cookbook, and now a small but loud corner of the internet where home cooks all over the world learn to make jollof that tastes like Lagos at 7pm.
My journey in cooking began over 20 years ago, rooted in childhood memories of family, culture, and tradition. Growing up, I watched my grandmother prepare authentic dishes from Guinea, and those moments shaped not only my love for food, but my appreciation for connection, warmth, and heritage.
Over the years, cooking became much more than a daily activity. It became a source of healing and strength. During times of family stress and personal challenges, the kitchen became my safe space, a place where I could find peace, focus, and comfort. The simple process of preparing ingredients, blending spices, and creating meals allowed me to reconnect with myself and transform difficult moments into something meaningful.
Cooking has also been a powerful way for me to express love. There is nothing more fulfilling than seeing the joy on people’s faces when they enjoy a meal I have prepared. It has strengthened my confidence, given me purpose, and reminded me of the impact that food can have in bringing people together.
My passion did not go unnoticed. Friends and family often turned to me for guidance, calling me before they cook, asking for seasoning tips, or even bringing their food for me to marinate “the Dedior way.” Their trust and encouragement helped me realize that my knowledge and creativity could reach beyond my own kitchen.
My children have been my greatest inspiration. Their constant encouragement, along with the excitement of their friends who loved my cooking, motivated me to share my recipes with a wider audience. They inspired me to create a platform where others can learn, experience, and enjoy the same flavors that have brought so much joy to our home.
Today, through Dedior Cooking, I share not only recipes, but a story, one of resilience, culture, and passion. My goal is to inspire others to see cooking as more than just preparing food, but as a form of healing, creativity, and connection.
For me, cooking is where strength meets joy. It is where I feel most at peace, most inspired, and most fulfilled.
I learned to cook standing on a stool in my grandmother’s kitchen in Enugu, stirring a pot of egusi that was almost taller than me. That stool is still in the family — and so is the recipe.
After culinary school in Lagos and a decade cooking in London and Accra, I came home with one mission: make the food I grew up on feel as exciting, refined and shareable as anything you’d find in a Michelin guide.
Asili Kitchen is the result. It’s a recipe library, a spice line, a cookbook, and now a small but loud corner of the internet where home cooks all over the world learn to make jollof that tastes like Lagos at 7pm.
My cooking philosophy
Honor the source
Use the spice, the technique, the name. Where a dish comes from matters.
Make it doable
Every recipe is tested in a normal home kitchen with grocery-store ingredients.
Cook generously
Big pots, second helpings, no apologies. Food is how we say I love you.