My cookbook is an amalgamation of four distinct threads. I am Zambian (Bemba & Chewa) by lineage, and I grew up around Tswana people and their way of life. My culinary roots start as a mix of these three cultures. From Inshima and Kapenta to chakalaka and Tshotlo, I was raised to enjoy both culinary cultures as they are my own. Chakalaka was meant for celebrations and festivities, Kapenta as a quick fix for lunch, inshima is the Bemba person’s language, therefore it must be there for all meals—yes, including breakfast. And tshotlo was a flavour bomb that was best had when you needed something fast on a Sunday or Saturday night, usually after a heavier meal earlier. I was raised on the concept of “ifyakulya tafi chepa,” which means that food is never scarce; we all share, we all eat. It was here that I learned the ingredients of community, nostalgia, and togetherness. Food was for everyone to share, no matter how little you had; recipes from the past were for telling stories and learning about life; and food was something that was done together.