104 Pierre Thiam: From Losing Everything When Arriving The US to Becoming a World Renowned Chef

My guest, Pierre Thiam, has cooked for the King of Morocco, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon. He is the executive chef and co-owner of Teranga, a fast-casual food chain from New York City. His first two cookbooks, Yolélé! Recipes From the Heart of Senegal and Senegal: Modern Senegalese Recipes from the Source to the Bowl were finalists for several awards including the Julia Child Cookbook Award, the Gourmand Award in Paris, and the James Beard Award for Best International Cookbook. His company Yolélé Foods brings ancient African grain Fonioto 1000 stores in Whole Foods, Amazon, and other retailers across America.

We talked about:

• ✍️His story of losing everything upon entering New York City to a world-renowned chef bringing African ancient grains to 1000 stores in North America
• ✍️How a robber launched his kitchen career.
• ✍️Cooking as a meditation, with love as the main ingredient.
• ✍️From a nutritional point of view, why it’s important to know your farmer’s heart
• ✍️How and why eliminating the middleman and Using Your hands to make your eating (experience) magical
• ✍️Why eating pizza alone on a subway was funny and shocking when Pierre's mother was visiting new york

Links

• Yolele Fonio
• Teranga Restaurant
• PIerre Thiam website