Kenyan named US Armed forces Chef of The Year
A Kenyan chef who was born and raised at the coast has been named the 2016 Armed Forces Chef of The Year after a gruesome competition.
Petty Officer 1st Class Frida Karani beat 21 other contestants after impressing the judges with her culinary skills which she attributes to her Kenyan grandmother.
Ms Karani went to the United States as an exchange student in a hospitality program in Orlando, Florida, in 2006 before joining the Le Cordon Bleu culinary school.
During her ensuing internship, she met a Navy recruiter and enlisted as a culinary specialist in January 2010. She graduated at the top of her class at the Navy’s advanced culinary school.
She rose through the ranks to become the personal chef for the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff James A. Winnefeld, Jr.
The annual Chef of The Year competition saw 22 contestants take four hours to create full gourmet meals out of secret ingredients.
Ms Karani said her Kenyan background helps her develop creative and unique dishes.
Ms Karani, in an interview, added that while growing up in Kenya, her grandmother would teach her how to cook as it was a vital step toward marriage for a young woman.
Her best moments is when she serves the Vice Chairman and guests ending up with great reviews.
“Them getting that satisfaction of you having put all that you have in that meal for them, that’s what really drives me,” she said. “I like to visualize how I think my plate would look, … so I try to work with ingredients that give a different color, different texture, different shape on my plate.”
During an event to honour military chefs in November 2014, her boss described her personality as being infectious and an absolute delight to have around.
Courtesy: US DEFENCE MEDIA
