Mrs Nogie Oluremi Alade, is a former National Secretary, Organisation Mandiale Pour L’ Education Pre-Scolaire (OMEP), an international organisation and Chief Executive Officer, Lifeline Care Foundation. In a chat with TOLUWANI OLAMITOKE she speaks on her flair for cooking and her favourite  dishes.

Do you find the art of cooking appealing as a woman?

I do. I love cooking and  feel good entertaining people. I’m used to experimenting with  different dishes.

How early did you learn to cook?

At age 8. I lived with an uncle so I had to cook for both of us.

Where are your parents from?

My mother is from Benin  and my father, Abeokuta.

Were you served more of meals from Benin or Abeokuta as a child?

We ate foods from both areas. I we actually fed on varities of food and I believe having my parents from  different regions was  quite an advantage,  because I  can cook different dishes from both areas.

What food was your favourite as a child?

Eko and efo riro (vegetable soup)

Do you have preference for a particular vegetable?

Yes, soko mixed with bitter leaf.

Were there foods you were forced to eat as a child?

Yes, meals made from beans. I eat beans sparingly. It turns my stomach.

What do you consider your best meal now?

Pounded yam and edikankang soup.

Is there a meal you don’t eat outside your home?

Cole slaw. Since the vegetables used in preparing  it are eaten raw, I would want to be careful and be sure it’s well prepared if at all I’m taking it.

Are you in the habit of eating late?

I sometimes take my last meal for the day between 8.00 p.m and 9.00 p.m, but it’s not a regular habit.

Doesn’t  it upset your stomach eating late?

No, it doesn’t  upset my stomach.