Poisson braisé aux herbes du pays / Braised Fish with Herbs from My Country, 2014
I chose this photo because of my love of cooking. I am a trained professional chef, and I have spent the majority of my life pursuing this passion. As a chef, I not only focus on making sure my customers eat well, but also on making them feel comfortable and welcome in my restaurant.
In the cooking world, we often say, “you do not become a chef, you are born a chef.” I have known this since I was 14 years old, when my family discovered my natural talent for cooking.
The fish you see in this photo were prepared in the traditional Cameroonian way. Tilapia is a fish that you find in many of the rivers in my country, so it is a big part of our cuisine. I cooked this dish for my friends at the Kovler Center Cooking Night last month, and I enjoyed sharing this tradition with my new friends in Chicago.
In the online exhibit Picturing a New Life in Chicago, people who were forced to flee their home countries because of war, persecution or violence share photos and inspiring stories about adjusting to a new life here. Some of the photographers came to Chicago through a refugee resettlement program. Others sought political asylum. Learn more in Online Exhibit: Forced Migration Photovoice Project.
