Valley chef honors Kwanzaa through cuisine

PHOENIX — A celebration of culture, core principles, and community, Kwanzaa, begins Tuesday. It's a holiday that not only honors African traditions but also highlights seven key principles.

For one Valley woman, it's a chance to honor her roots and share the love that's behind the holiday — one delicious creation at a time — as the owner of the Lasgidi Cafe Nigerian food truck.

"Nigerian food to me is savory," explains Phoenix Chef Patience "Patty" Titcomb. "It's warm. It's rich. It's spicy - not too spicy - but I can't say it's not spicy!!"

Normally, we'd say, if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen, but in Chef Patty's case, everyone, regardless of your tastebuds, is always welcome.

She describes her cuisine as a gateway to introducing people to Nigerian culture.

"I am your first stop, sometimes, to African culture, period," explains Chef Patty. "I think we have a lot of East Africans and North Africans - but that West African scene has really been dull - and Patty is ready to spice it up!"

And Chef Patty knows just how important preserving that culture is. She was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and craved a celebration of African culture when she moved to the U.S. as a young girl. She found exactly that with her very first Kwanzaa celebration.

"What an amazing tribute to culture and African art and the African food," she says.

And ever since then, Chef Patty hasn't missed out on the seven-day celebration, highlighting African traditions, customs, and key principles to live a better life.

"A lot of communities will pull that together either by having a Kwanzaa feast or marketplace or simply putting people together, or simply giving back or volunteering for the homeless at a shelter."

And since Chef Patty is a stand-out in the kitchen, she's cooking up a way to bring it all back to food.

"Jollof rice is the dish. Every culture has it. Baby showers, funerals, weddings...Jollof rice is...one of those centerpieces."

And it's that community, the people, the faces, the connections that Chef Patty says Kwanzaa is all about.

"It's at the heart of what's being celebrated - you can't have Kwanzaa without the people."

Kwanzaa begins on December 26 and ends on January 1.

Each day, you light a candle on the Kinara, representing a different key principle to celebrate:

• Day 1 is Umoja, or Unity
• Day 2 is Kujichagulia, or Self-determination
• Day 3 is Ujima, or Collective work and responsibility
• Day 4 is Ujamaa, or Cooperative work and economics
• Day 5 is Nia, or Purpose
• Day 6 is Kuuma, or Creativity
• Day 7 is Imani, or Faith

For more information on how you can find Chef Patty and the Lasgidi Cafe food truck, head to her website.