Like so many of us, Aliya's passion for food was sparked as a child by working in the kitchen with her mom. Now that she's all grown up, she plays the role of educating others, passing on the recipes and techniques that were passed on before her, and expanding food culture from one kitchen to many different tables.
When did you know that you wanted to work in food?
The kitchen has always been a sanctuary for me. As a little girl, my mom was a working one, so Sundays in the kitchen were precious, a day apart from the rest. I think that programmed me to see the kitchen as a truly personal retreat, and I've used that well into my adult life - when I used to work at a less-than-fulfilling job and even now when I have a hard day. In my first actual cooking class (I was largely self- and family-taught at that point), I made the decision right there in that kitchen and enrolled full-time. There's just something magical about the cooking process, feeding people, and, most important to me, preserving heritage through food. Giving a voice to culture through food provides meaning, and I count myself as extremely lucky to have found something about which I'm passionate in so many different ways.
How did you get your current good food job?
As a cookbook author, I was lucky enough to have a publishing company reach out to me while I was working as a chef in a restaurant full-time and writing my blog. They wanted to model a book after my site, and so I had the fortune of writing, cooking, testing, and photographing my book! It was a labor of love and life-changing. I have so many more ideas, recipes, and visuals to put on paper - I can't wait to do it again.
How did your previous work or life experience prepare you for a good food job?
You know, I didn't have that linear story of washing dishes in a kitchen from 13 on to work across European Michelin-starred restaurants and land myself a position here in NYC. I trained across different cuisines instead of up a single one and traveled to learn indigenous traditions and techniques. Because I came from such a diverse background, it gave me the opportunity to be open-minded and think untraditionally about my path in food. I've tried to create opportunities for myself based on what I consider my strengths in cooking - flavor, creativity with global cuisines, recipe development to name a few.
I've also seen this void in cuisine since I was a child eating multicultural dishes that were disappearing with the few people that knew how to make them. My work in the kitchen was a very natural progression.
What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in pursuing your Good Food Job dream?
My greatest challenge has been to consistently connect with the cooks I've worked with in all of the countries I've visited. I'm coming in and asking people to teach me their traditions, their heredity in many ways. Some have been guarded, but overwhelmingly, people have opened up their kitchens to me, which has been amazing. I find that the more personal connection I have with someone, the better the day goes.
I haven't ever considered calling it quits - I've never felt like I didn't have a chance to move closer to my goals.
What can you identify as the greatest opportunities in food right now?
The market has changed, and I think the consumer has become so much more informed and aware. Families want to source and feed their children with what's best. I think there are a lot of opportunities around healthful food options and cooking for families - from optimizing what to bring home from the grocery store to teaching about farmers' markets and local purveyors.
If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?
Without a doubt, travel and more opportunities to learn from local cooks!