Daniella Abraham “Chef Danie,” – The Culinary Architect ‘Love is her religion’

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

“Karma is how I practice. Music is how I worship. Food is how I express it.”

I will be honest; there is not much I can say about this woman that has not already been said. What I will do is share what I have learned about her during our short time together. My personal experience with her helps me innerstand exactly how Chef Danie has risen to the heights she has in her culinary journey.

I was first introduced to Chef Danie on a show called “Working Women Wednesday,” hosted by Publicist Extraordinaire, Marie Driven. Chef Danie was on before I was, and I was so drawn by her easy nature. I reached out to her right after and asked if her and I could chat. She gracefully agreed, and we set up a time to talk.

Chef Daniella Abraham has been linked to A-list clientele, not only because of her natural charm, and beauty (which cannot be denied), but also because of her creative genius. Her client list speaks to the height of her talents: Pharrell Williams, Pitbull, Oprah Winfrey, Kylie Jenner, Drake, Antonio Banderas, Diddy, Ciara, Russell Wilson, Dj Khaled as well as numerous pro athletes.

When Bob Gruters from Digital Trends CRO assembled a roster of celebrity chefs, Chef Danie was chosen to kick off the show. She has had to go to lengths in the sake of art. One of her billionaire clients wanted everything on their plate to be provided by their surroundings. So, what did this mesmerizing mermaid of the sea do? She went diving for fresh ingredients while she was on different yacht placements. These are the extremes that this artist goes to when it comes to her work.

I would like for the Toronto Caribbean Community to stand up in celebration of another successful African Queen, the Queen of Cuisine (The Culinary Architect), Daniella Abraham.

“The energy that you put into your food is the energy you put into your family.” 

Out of respect of what is to come from Chef Danie, I am not going to touch on certain parts of her story. We were able to get really personal during the interview, and I think that part of her story would be best coming from her. Don’t worry, she has a book coming out in 2021, which will explain an interesting part of her past that not many do not know.

The beginning of her life was riddled with anxiety, pain, separation, and death. At the age of four, Chef Danie experienced something that would change her look on the world forever. It was a very vulnerable stage in her life, and her earliest pleasant memories are with her mother.

“I had a babysitter a lot. Mom was raising me with no partner. I know there are mothers out there who know how that is. I spent my time watching shows like Little Bear on Nick Jr. I was so mesmerized by how excited he was. He made this birthday soup, which inspired me so much that I had to go and do it myself. Imagine, me at four or five years old, throwing everything I could find in the pot: yam, squash, anything I could. No water of course,” she giggled. “The stove started burning, and my mom came running into the kitchen. I was so scared. I thought she was going to whoop my ass, but instead she took a deep breath and asked,

‘What are you doing?’

 I’m making birthday soup!

 ‘Ah baby! That is not how you make soup.’

 She sat there and taught me how to make soup. I remember how happy I was in that moment.”

This is how she fell in love with food. Whenever her mom was in the kitchen, she wanted to be with her. She began experimenting with food; mom was very eclectic and kept Danie around a diverse group of people. “This made me want to learn more and more,” Danie shares with me.

The people around her recognized her talents when she was a teenager.

 “My mom’s side of the family aren’t cooks, and I had to cook Sunday dinner at 12, 13 years old. I didn’t like it. It was a lot of responsibility, but I have to admit that it taught me a lot. When I started really tackling cooking and making large meals, time management was my biggest challenge. This is where I learned how to for how long things take and give it the appropriate time even if you’re up in the middle of the night.  Kids in the neighbourhood would come to my house because I was always experimenting. They always wanted to be around.”

In high school, it became really clear for her. This was her destiny, to create food out of love. Her mom supported the idea of me being a chef, but not financially. “I would have to work for that. I went to the University of Miami to be a lawyer, and if I wanted to throw that away, I had to handle it myself. I have never liked depending on people. I have always been a hustler. In elementary school, I would buy candy from the store, and sell it for three times what its worth. I could always find ways to make money. I didn’t want to add extra strain on my mom. Anything extra I had to do it on my own.”

She attended Le Cordon Bleu in Miami the summer of 2006 “I loved school. We had master chefs from around the world (France). It is a very hands-on curriculum. I maintained my GPA and was on the honour roll. I was still at school at the University of Miami and had to drive an hour and a half to campus, I had to make sure I was pressed and polished, and I couldn’t be late. I swear; during this time, I was running on adrenaline, Craisins and Cup-of-noodles.”

All this hard work began to pay off as her notoriety grew. One of the first people to notice her was Pharell Williams. “I will always be indebted to Pharell. He was the first A lister to give me a shot in the industry. He told me that he saw something in me. I created something special for him. They are called Happy Scones (you can check out that recipe online at https://www.chefdanie.com).”

About a year later (2012), Diddy shouted out her Cocktail Cake on instagram. “I created an alcohol cake (scientifically created). Biting into it is like taking a shot. He was shocked by it. I was promoting it for two years before he got it in his hands (Ciroc Cake). I have been his exclusive dessert creator for 10 years.”

Most recently, Chef Danie cooked for the Presidential family in Ghana. “This is how I rang in the New Year! I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. It was at the private residence of the Prime Minister’s sister. I showed them how things were always tied to Africa. I loved it so much. Of course, sometimes things can get nerve racking, but I don’t let my brain start rushing. I allow my brain to relax. This is what allows me to knock everything out smoothly.”

Her experiences have not let her forget where she came from, and what she has been through. In 2009, 2010, she began visiting women and children’s centres to donate goodie bags, toiletries, sanitary napkins, and gift cards. “I give because who knows what they are going through. If my mom received the help she needed, she would have been in a better place back then. When you are going through the darkest time, making someone smile is the best thing you can do. When I was in Ghana last Christmas, I sat on the street feeding homeless children. I ordered a whole bunch of KFC and sat with them to eat. If you are here to do something, just do it.”

Whether it is her famous Chanel pancakes (no syrup needed), served with a lux noire drip, and an actual Chanel logo handcrafted in sugar, or her filet mignon covered in edible 24-karat gold, Chef Danie proves over and over again what puts her in a league of her own.

My life revolves around music and food. If I have to break myself down to people; love is my religion!