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Djamil Bah-Traore Community Kitchen Partner
Chef Djibril Djamil Bah-Traore is a West African immigrant from Togo. He is a tenacious chef and entrepreneur who aims to cast fresh and diversified light on Africa’s rich culinary history. Djibril is the founder of the House of Bah Foundation (formerly known as Eat N’ Talk Africa) in Omaha, Nebraska, which enhances equitable employment access and cultural diversity in the community through culturally affirming cuisine education and credentialed culinary training for BIPOC, immigrants, and refugees. House of Bah also creates learning forums to promote the intercultural exchange of BIPOC culinary heritage, sparking meaningful conversations about inclusion and building equitable and sustainable communities for people of color.
Chef Djamil is grateful to HAPIS for recording this video.
Djenkoume (Tomato-Cornmeal Polenta)
I learned how to cook from my mother growing up in Togo. Reading Jacques Pépin’s autobiography The Apprentice with her is what inspired me to become a chef. Later, watching his cooking shows is how I mourned her. This djenkoume is a traditional side dish that we made together. Toasting the cornmeal first adds a fragrant, nutty flavor.
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