Ohioma Odihirin grew up loving his mother’s Southern meals, in addition to the Latin restaurant meals he ate within the Bronx. As an expert chef, he’s fused the tastes of these two worlds.
Odihirin, who’s African American and has a Latina spouse, Eternaty, calls his catering enterprise Afrotina, a nod to the fusion and to Eternaty, who’s from the Dominican Republic. The couple lives in Bridgeport and does quite a lot of enterprise in each Fairfield and New Haven counties.
“I liked my Southern meals and I liked my Spanish meals,” Odihirin stated. “To me, I like meals as a result of just about it brings individuals collectively.”
His mom’s Southern dishes included fried hen, greens, macaronia and cheese and barbecue. He grew to like Spanish meals consuming out within the Bronx, the place there’s a heavy Spanish affect, he stated.
Odihirin, a graduate of culinary faculty, stated he additionally was influenced by his father’s homecooked Nigerian meals, and may make it upon request, however stated it’s too sizzling for a lot of palates.
In his newest catering enterprise enterprise, Odihirin has an upscale clientele — hospitals, universities, personal events — and, starting Jan. 3, he’ll add a weekday gig with a unique sort of menu in an area on the Black Nook Retailer in New Haven.
There, within the kitchen of the 275 Edgewood Ave. retailer, he’ll put the fusion apart and serve on a regular basis grab-and-go meals out of the deli/meals space, reminiscent of deli meals and empanadas.
“I simply need to have the ability to do each,” he stated of the catering and nook retailer.
Considered one of his fusion dishes consists of ribs marinated in sofrito, a Spanish sauce of tomato, olive oil, onions, garlic, herbs and peppers, then barbecued. He additionally makes use of Sazon and adobo for the Spanish affect, numerous peppers, and is well-known for tasty sauces.
Jason Rawlings, who used to work with Odihirin, has tried his meals at work and at pop-ups in the neighborhood, saying, “It was scrumptious, with the mix of flavors that he makes use of, and the dipping sauces nice.”
Rawlings known as Odihirin’s shrimp empanada “magical.”
Stratford resident Jo-Ann Loftus used Afrotina for a catered social gathering final summer season for her household at her daughter’s home in Fairfield and was so in awe of Odihirin’s fusion meals that she’s been following him to pop-up meals occasions.
“It’s the entire bundle — he’s great, candy, proficient. His meals was superb,”
Loftus stated
“It was the most effective mac and cheese I’ve ever had,” she stated. Loftus advised Odihirin he’d have two challenges, as her son is gluten-free, and “I don’t eat greens”
Regardless of the latter proclamation, Loftus adored her collard greens a lot that she wouldn’t give anybody a chunk, she stated.
