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What Yosi Cooks💕

@yosicooks

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By Toyosi Onikosi @toyosionikosibooks
My beautiful food and life diary✨
@de_lumiere.ng ♥️
Also @yosireads @theeleoracamp

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Life in Cairo: IF HE MADE THINGS THIS BEAUTIFUL

Life in Cairo has been colorful and joyful- even if it didn’t start out that way - and also because I wasn’t very happy to leave all that I loved in the UK just yet. I was crashing out badly and decided to reach out to God for some direction, so I started the Daniel fast and threw in a dry fast for good measure. Let me just say: I wasn’t prepared for how incredibly tough that would be. Mo fe’e ku.

Egypt was taking its toll. For days, I grieved some personal losses, and then I had to finally let go of a relationship and I almost wiped myself out asking why HE had to bring me here! One day, at work, and my boss noticed how dehydrated I was. He brought me water, insisted I drink, (I drank, remembered I was fasting and spat it out, he was livid) but then, he sat with me. We talked, laughed and somehow God used that conversation to get through to me. It felt like a wake-up call.

What hit me was this: Sometimes God lets things break your heart on purpose, especially when you’re holding on too tightly. He always knows what we’re not ready to see. But every time He asks you to let go, He has something better lined up—even if it doesn’t look like it at first. The losses? Sometimes they’re actually protection because He sees a greater purpose ahead.

The best part: I genuinely believe God really likes me—a lot. If you know me well, you probably think so too. The day I finally stopped being a baby and let go, I ‘washed my face’, and just surrendered. I got a delivery of the juiciest, most beautiful fruits (God bless my boss).

Laying it all out, I realized if God can create so much beauty and delight in something as simple as fruit, why should I let pain or disappointment convince me otherwise? His love is obvious—I just needed to see it again. Matthew 6:28-30!

My favorite were the cherries and rambutans (the spiky looking fruit)! My fast got better (so much variety, I felt sustained) - and best of all I had heard from God. I have so much proof of HIS love, I wished I could tell you all on here! But till next time!♥️

Love,
Toyo!
#toyosionikosi #cairo #fruits #rambutans #yellowplum #trustGod by @yosicooks

D I Y B R E A D (oven ciabatta bread)

Okay so I’ve been wanting to make bread for a while. I learnt how to when I was about nine at a summer program my mum organized. But we used an oven and I hate oven baking so I made this bread in the mircowave.

What inspired this? I’m watching King of Boys and its the scene where Alhaja Salami is being interrogated by the NCCC guy for money laundering through her many businesses. She then tells her interrogator about her string of businesses including her bakery where she makes her “sweet, sweet bread” and it stuck. Sweet, Sweet Bread started playing in my head all night, and by this morning, I was determined to make bread. It didn’t take long thanks to my wonderful mixer from @joviendesigns and the baking took about 10 minutes in the microwave!

To be honest, I wasn’t sure this would work. This was all me just trying my luck. I didn’t see anything like this from my research. So I’m really thankful it did. I also think Blueband @bluebandnigeria works well with bread and pastries, so it was part of the 5 ingredients I used to make this lovely bread. I can teach you how I made this, but you will pay me Lol!

So I had this lovely ciabatta bread and butter for breakfast! Ciabatta is an italian bread by the way! I had it first in Italy lol! Anyways, my billable hours have started so I’m back to being a lawyer! I’ll see y’all later! Plus, my funfetti cookie video will be out tomorrow, so anticipate 😁! I wish you all a splendid week ahead! Stay safe and stay doughy! Lol!😘 #coolinariedelights #culinarydelights #toyocooks #toyosionikosi #diybread #homemadebread #lockdowncooking #lockdownbaking #quarantinebaking #easybaking #bread #breadinlagos #dessert #breakfast #blueband #breadandbutter #instafood #picoftheday #explore #explorepage by @yosicooks

DINING AT OXFORD: High Table Pt1

Being at Oxford was amazing but what made it even more spectacular for me was my third scholarship- a senior scholarship by my college that came not only with a monetary prize but also High Table privileges- if you ever watched Harry Potter- High Table is the table separate from the students that Dumbledore and the other teachers ate on.

I had about 2-3 High Table meals every week and for a whole term, I barely attended because every dinner was a whole process.

HT’s are a three course meal - which starts with Champagne or fine wine first in a scholar room- we robe up for dinner and sometimes we have people share their research or talk about their work. Then we proceed to the dining hall. We file in and stand around our seat until the Head of Table sits. We typically see the Menu online when booking the dinner but there are also printed menus on the table.

We start with bread, then an appetizer and white wine - then main course with red wine - then dessert with more red wine (there are other non-alcoholic options) and we get different meals sometimes based on dietary preferences or needs.

High Table food is different from the students food although the students meals are so good too at my college! Our chef is really good!

Over dinner which takes close to 5 hours - its A LOT of talking. You must engage or you would be engaged. Everyone is doing some important work or is a professor or important person!

After dinner, the head of the table bangs the gavel and recites the benediction in Latin. He/she informs us to proceed to another smaller dining room for extra dessert- wine.

I made many new amazing and brilliant friends and mentors, was always so inspired yet so tired and also got to share the experience with my friends and family to HT dinners and this made it more special! Plus I tried so many new foods and the wine was always top notch!

What do you think about this!

To be continued in pt2!

#oxford #oxforduniversity #wadhamcollege #wadhamcollegeoxford #hightable #hightabledinner #nigeriansinoxford #dining #diningroom #dininginoxford #oxfordstudent #food #nigerian #toyosionikosi by @yosicooks

Miss me? A tropical Christmas #christmas #christmasmeal #christmaseve #christmassalad #tropicalsalad #tropical #santacoco by @yosicooks

APpETITe

School has been really challenging and for the first two weeks I kept forgetting to eat. Then I got the brilliant idea to get a lunchbox- and so far its been a great way to improve my appetite.

I have fun planning my meals and making them and I enjoy my own food. This was the first five days of my lunchbox. Even if I’m not able to make them everyday, the days that I can are definitely worth it - both for my mental health, my creativity, my planning and my appetite.

Will post them individually in the coming weeks 😊

The last picture is just to inform you that I’m officially an oxonian!

#foodblog #naijafoodblogger #lunchbox #bentobox #keto #ketodiet #nigeriankitchen #toyositakesoxford by @yosicooks

B R A D F O R D

Being in Bradford was nice, the weather was great, stuff was cheap and I was generally happy. Oxford is quite the opposite. I’m yet to actually find one thing, I actually like about this place. I mean the city now, not the University. This was one of the last things I made in Bradford and I’m in love the ASMR of this video. Corn and ube lovers will love this one.

• Sweet Corn (when they say sweet corn here, they mean it. This stuff was sugar sweet, I almost didn’t like it)
• avocados
• cherry tomatoes
• cilantro
• lemon
• black pepper
• salt
• olive oil

#salsa #food #avocado #sweetcorn #asmrfood #asmr by @yosicooks

NAVIGATING O X F O R D
Pt. 1

Fun fact about me: Around this time in 2012, I was actually in Oxford - I was about 14 years old and Lagos State Govt had sent me to the UK as a prize for being one of the best students in my district. (Yes, I’ve always been a good kid and I went to a public school).

I got to go to high school in the UK a little bit but also tour Oxford and Cambridge. I had not the faintest clue at the time, that 12 years down the line I will be back in Oxford as a student on the best scholarship ever, it feels like I won a lottery. (If you ever apply to Oxford, no other scholarship compares, believe me and… I share my accommodation with a Rhodes Scholar).

Anyway, I had gone back to Cambridge in 2015 for a program but never back to Oxford.

Unlike most others in my cohort, my previous exposure however has not allowed me over-romanticize the city or fall for the ephemeral internet trends of the glorious Oxford. Plus, I’m not exactly a tourist. Notwithstanding, it sure feels great (sometimes) to be here- and I’ve really come to enjoy the Hogwarts-like dinners.

The pictures here are my course dinner and Scholarship dinner but there are still so many more to come which is exciting. I like the dinners because they are so fancy and fun and you get to meet people and have amazing conversations. More so, for both dinners I’ve had, the meals have been the best I’ve had in Oxford.

At the dinner last night, my Oxford story gave people (even members of the scholarship faculty) literal goosebumps- two actually showed me. So even though I’m a bit fed up of Oxford, I’m grateful to be here with zero worries other than missing my T♥️ and my family and friends.

P.S - Harry Potter was shot in Oxford and I’ve seen some of the places😊

P.P. S : If you’re hating - you sef do am if e easy🥺

#toyosionikosi #salmon #yosicooks #dinner #dinnerspecial by @yosicooks

S U N D A Y R I C E

I mostly have adopted a keto diet, and unfortunately for T, I’m dragging him into this diet.

This was a smoked salmon salad with garlic butter rice and it was delicious! - I used

Smoked #salmon
#Avocados
Tommy #Tomatoes
#Salad leaf mix - with arugula and #Spinach
#Garlic #unsaltedbutter
#rice

Mostly T insists that I rest and not bother cooking - mostly eat out. But I love to cook and this feels like all the time I have left to do so - not sure I’d be cooking alot in Oxford. So I’m trying to get it all out in these last few days I have before school.

I love my candlelit meals and sunday rice (cuz my dad cooked me rice every sunday since I can remember). And that was what this was about.

Me cooking, sunday rice, my diet, candlelights, candlelit dinners, the ambience.

#sundaydinner #candlelitdinner #candles #salmon #salmonsalad by @yosicooks

When I make breakfast vs When he makes breakfast -

Key Differences

1. He wakes up super early and so candles make sense because it’s usually cooler and candles help with heating up and ambience. I sleep in, so breakfast is usually brunch.

2. He keeps it simple and just does whatever he likes. I’m more creative and intentional.

3. I take my precious time lol. It annoys him to no end😂 He takes his time too but in his case it’s not on purpose. He just doesn’t know how to multitask.

#breakfast #brunch #homebrunch #toyosi by @yosicooks

L I F E L A T E L Y

“You’re going to school free!”

This is one comment that I’ve heard more frequently by almost everyone who has schooled in the UK particularly in this period of crazy bank policies and damning exchange rates. They mean it in a way that suggests that I should be grateful and not fuss about how I truly feel.

I should be excited by Oxford- I mean, it’s Oxford- and on a full ride scholarship- where I pay for absolutely nothing and zero conditions attached- It’s as good as winning the lottery.

But tbh, my life lately has been characterized by fear, heaviness, impostors syndrome and longing. T, my partner, tries. He is kind and reassuring but certain things, you can’t just wish away. Relocating is HARD.

My body - physically and mentally has reacted to everything. I cry, I itch, I go mute, I suffer appetite loss, mood swings and I space out.

The more familiar thing to eat has been fruits and veggies and chicken. I made that first bowl in my first few days here and lost my appetite right after. T made the second (but he had no idea he had to cook the broccoli). The third slide was his second attempt. Although he uses way too much honey, his morning salads have gotten much better. And just like my dad, he serves me in bed.

#relocating #fruitsalad #breakfastideas #toyosionikosi by @yosicooks

R E S T L E S S

My favorite movie character of all time is Tony Stark. I identify so much with his character - well more of the restlessness bit and perhaps a little dose of a savior complex.

I can’t ever seem to take a break, I find it difficult to sleep - I sleep an average of 4 hours a day - I can’t stop working. It’s a terrible character flaw because I personally experience severe anxiety when things aren’t working well, terrible hallucinations, break outs, and with abysmal eating habits, you’ll most likely just fall down one day!

It’s not so bad though, you feel so great when things work - it’s such an out of worldly feeling.

I don’t eat alot of what I cook but this one I ate and bit my finger. I made this in a zombie state. I’d worked all night and I was running low on energy.

This is poached eggs, guacamole and bacon toast. It was absolutely delicious! Little tip, use fresh eggs and very good vinegar in cooking your poached eggs!

- So I cut my bread into a round shape
- Toasted it dry in a pan
- Made guacamole and poached eggs
- Threw the bacon in my OTC oven

This has got to be the best samich toast I’ve had in a while!

#yosicooks #sandwich #toast #guacamole #gaucamoletoast #bacon #toyosionikosi #poachedeggs by @yosicooks

P I C A - and my eating peculiarities

I read about pica first in a book - a very traumatizing book at that - Gabriel Garcia Maquez’s ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’.

Pica is a disorder mostly in kids where they eat odd things like chalk, ice, clay, paint sheets etc. Basically things which have no nutritional value.

I had pica as a child - story for another day - and I struggle to eat even as an adult - but growing up, I developed a strong preference for fruit which I can say is far better than eating junk.

My one eating peculiarity now, is that I crave food based on colour, size or shape.

When I started out making the salad, the craving was for something round - cookie shaped and juicy. After I made it, I decided again that I just wanted a plate with different colors.

It’s a bit childish but because I struggle to eat, I prefer to make and eat food that is exciting, aesthetically pleasing - most times colourful.

My meals make my life so much more interesting and inspire creativity in me. Nutrition for both mind and body.

food #foodphotography #foodart #foodie #foodofinstagram #easyprep #easyprepmeals #salad #saladinlagos #lagosfitfam #fruitsinlagos #toyosionikosi #lagoskitchen #naijafood #naijafoodie #foodblogger #nigerianfood #nigerianfoodblog #nigerianfoodblogger by @yosicooks