I remember the first time I felt regret. My ex-boyfriend came to visit me in College and he wanted to eat jollof rice. I remember the thoughts running through my head. “Jollof Rice? Hmm, why can’t he just order a pizza or Chinese take-out like everyone else? ‘’

Growing up, I always crotched hats, sweaters and even baby socks. I could not imagine anything more fun than that. My mother thought otherwise. She wanted me to be a woman that could cook, bake, clean, sew and take care of her family just like she did.  At that time, I thought her idea was totally absurd.

She would send me to the kitchen to sit with Aunty Regina, the cook, so I could learn how to make egusi soup and bitter-leaf soup. I would walk into the kitchen, sit down with my crotchet pin and half knitted sweater and do absolutely nothing. I would pay Aunty Regina five hundred naira to say I made the food and was an attentive student. Till date, I do not know if my mother bought into any of our lies and just let me be. I did not care about cooking, after all, my father taught my mother most of her signature dishes. I knew I was going to find me a man just like that.

It did not take long for reality to hit me. I remember the first time I felt regret. My ex-boyfriend came to visit me in College and he wanted to eat jollof rice. I remember the thoughts running through my head. “Jollof Rice? Hmm, why can’t he just order a pizza or Chinese take-out like everyone else? ‘’

Trust me, this Jollof Rice turned out horrible. It was mushy because I added so much water to it when the rice was not getting soft. The salt was too much because I thought it was bland and did not let the spices settle in. The rice was wrong all the way. That experience was an eye-opener and the beginning of a new life.

I went to bed that night with flashbacks of my mother telling me why it is very important for me to learn how to cook. I remembered the days I cheated and paid Aunty Regina to lie for me. I realized the only person I had fooled was myself. Now, I was in the United States with no Aunty Regina to run back to and absolutely no one to show me the ropes. My only fall back was the Internet. I went to www.onlinenigeria.com, Nairaland and so many other websites to find recipes. I called my father and Aunty Regina occasionally to ask for some support over the phone, and as they say “Practice makes perfect!”

Surprisingly, I fell in love with the Art of Cooking. Infact, I can easily say that I am now obsessed with cooking. That is all I ever want to do. The cooking world has become a place of adventure to me. I always want to invent a new recipe, or learn to cook something new. Most mornings now, I wake up with thoughts of a new recipe I could try out.

Knowing how to cook Nigerian dishes is not my final bus stop. I dream of going to Culinary School so I can whoop up some interesting dishes and thrill everyone with the expertise of a professional chef. Unfortunately, that dream is yet to become a reality, although I still have plans!

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Ona Ofunne is a hotelier with years of global experience. She is the owner of Coquere Catering and Small Events Services (www.coquerebyona.com) She currently works as a Hotel Consultant in Lagos. She loves to cook…and eat. Follow her on twitter – @onaah

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30 Days 30 Voices series is an opportunity for young Nigerians to share their stories and experiences with other young Nigerians, within our borders and beyond, to inspire and motivate them.

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.