Meet Bouffista – The Food Diva !

Meet Bouffista - The Food Diva ! | Women in FOOD

Welcome to Food’Story ! Just as the title says, this section was created to share the stories of food lovers like myself and kitchen enthusiasts in the culinary world, who undeniably stir our taste buds.

Our guest of the week is a foodie passionate, a food diva. Meet Bouffista!

  1. Hey Bouffista! Can you tell us who you are?

My name is Kizi N’Kodia and I am the founder of BOUFFISTA. By trade, I am a Procurement Professional but by love, I am a freelance food blogger who is passionate about everything food. I was proudly born and raised in Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire, with Sierra Leonean and Congolese origins so you can only imagine how cultivated my taste buds are.

  1. Tell us about your blog? What or who inspired to start your blog?

I grew up going to restaurants in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, where I was born and raised. After church on most Sundays, my family had a tradition to go to restaurants for lunch or to Bassam for a beach getaway surrounded by Ivorian delicacies. It was exciting to eat at a restaurant, an experience that I always looked forward to.

Based on my family traditions, it was natural that while I was in college, I frequently hosted friends for dinner, and yes, of course, there was also wine! It was fulfilling to my soul to cook and serve my loved ones with delicious meals. One of the dishes I prepared and that I’m known for is my Attiéké and Fish, which most of them love and crave for till this day.

Meet Bouffista - The Food Diva ! | Women in FOOD

During the latest turmoil in Cote d’Ivoire, a protest was held in front of The White House in Washington DC. There, I met Corinne, a fellow Ivorian. Over time, we developed a friendship and went out for brunch/dinner on several occasions. She noticed my passion for food and enjoyment for discovering new restaurants and later suggested I create a blog to journal my foodie escapades. Thus, CHIC~FOOD~SAVEUR was launched in 2011 and then renamed BOUFFISTA in 2012, during my 1-year stay in Haiti.

Today, BOUFFISTA not only depicts my foodie escapades, throughout my travel adventures and weekend restaurant escapades in the Washington DC area but also my culinary adventures in my kitchen, with recipes that can simply be replicated in the comfort of your home.

  1. If you could describe your blog in three words what would they be?

FOOD. FOOD. FOOD.

Meet Bouffista - The Food Diva ! | Women in FOOD

  1. What do you like about being a food blogger?

Sharing my escapades with the world is what I love. I get overwhelmed with excitement when I work on publishing a new escapade as readers get to discover restaurants through my eyes. I also enjoy receiving messages, requesting dining suggestions from friends and others who follow BOUFFISTA.

  1. Where does your passion for cooking come from?

My passion comes from the heart. It is something that I truly enjoy. When I step into my kitchen and prepare meals, I put every bit of my heart and soul into the dish. Seeing the look of delight on the faces of those who devour my dishes is priceless. That is my goal, to make food an experience and not just a meal. I want it to be memorable, I want to hear OOHs and AAHs when you think of my dishes.

Meet Bouffista - The Food Diva ! | Women in FOOD

  1. Are there any food blogs you follow? And why?

Let’s just say that I watch the Food Network and Cooking Channel religiously.

In terms of specific blogs, I do follow Journal d’une Foodie, based in Abidjan Cote d’Ivoire. When I read her posts and reviews, I feel like I am rediscovering the country that I know as my home, that I left years ago. It also keeps me updated on the growing food scene in Abidjan.

I also admire the unbeatable Chef Bobby Flay. His creativity in the kitchen and his Brunch meals are quite delicious and oh so salivating!

  1. What’s one of your favorite recipe?

When we think of Mac N Cheese, the only ingredients that come to mind is pasta and cheese, right? It’s such a simple and easy dish but believe or not, some people don’t get it right.

Meet Bouffista - The Food Diva ! | Women in FOOD

I thought to myself, why not elevate this dish with Sautéed Bacon and Onions? I mean who doesn’t love bacon? My Bacon Mac N Cheese was birthed about 2 years ago and the first people to sample it were my colleagues. Every now and then, I am asked when am I going to bring some in? They love it!

  1. You are launching your new blog soon. What can readers expect from this new platform?

I love this quote by Maya Angelou: “All great achievements require time”.

I have been working on the new website since February 2016, tirelessly and endlessly to ensure that it was perfect for my audience, faithful readers and supporters. I could not wait to share with the world and I am glad to announce that the website is LIVE! it’s been a long time coming and I am very excited!

Meet Bouffista - The Food Diva ! | Women in FOOD

Readers can expect an enhanced website with an interactive map that will lead them to restaurant experiences in cities, countries I’ve visited. You will also find a section titled “LET’S COOK” dedicated to recipes from my kitchen and some others, inspired by other Chefs.

I am working on a SERVICES section, which I am aiming to launch in 2017 so stay tuned for that!

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When she is not in her kitchen making magic, Bouffista can be found online :

On her NEW blog : http://www.bouffista.us/

On Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/Bouffista/

On Twitter https://twitter.com/bouffista

On Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/bouffista/

on Yelphttp://bouffista.yelp.com

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    […] ainsi qu’ont été réalisées les premières interviews de cette rubrique avec Kizi (une épicurienne basée aux Etats-Unis) pour le rebranding de son site culinaire Bouffista, ou […]

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