Hi there!
My name is Maya (aka Amadi)and I’m a Culinary Artist from Inglewood, California. Living in Los Angeles and early exposure to urban gardening, multicultural markets, and plant forward cuisine inevitable. Passport? Not needed. Every neighborhood in that culinary Mecca offered a unique invitation to experience the best flavors from around the world, from Little Ethiopia in the Fairfax District to traditional Mexican flavors weaved into downtown’s Art District.
Had I known early on that my career would land in food and hospitality, I might have entertained culinary school. Food science, nutrition, dietetics, and interest in holistic community wellness caught my interest first. After briefly studying at Loyola Marymount University in LA, I left to gain practical experience working with diverse communities as a yoga instructor, personal trainer, fitness nutrition coach, and physical therapy assistant. The thread of using food as a means of social connection, creative expression, and optimizing health emerged as my calling.
In 2016, I caught the travel bug and began a culinary journey to taste what the rest of the world had to offer. New Zealand and its stunning natural landscapes introduced me to the concepts of grass-fed and regenerative living.
Then, there was New York and its absolute plethora of markets that mirrored LA’s cultural foodscape. Living on the East Coast brought easier access to European exploration and Portugal quickly became one of my favorite places to dine. I’d go there on solo trips and eat my way through the country, discovering the brilliance of baked goods and tawny wines.
2019 took me to live the Southern Hemisphere where I experienced Asian street food culture, incredibly fresh seafood, and incomparable coffee culture in Melbourne, Australia. 2020’s global events brought me home to America, and even deeper into my family’s American South culinary roots. I was able to live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and get a taste of southern home cooking like never before before.
The following 5 years led me on a tour of the world, this time with friends and eager chef mentors encouraging my curiousity about food and culture. Visits to Mexico City, Marrakesh, and Spanish/Portuguese Islands left the biggest impact on the recipes I create today.
