Togo-born dynamo Adjo Honsou has won Season 3 of PBS ’s The Great American Recipe , the warm-hearted cooking show whose competitors represent cuisines from different regions of the United States and often, the countries they or their ancestors originally hail from. Adjo, a former bio tech scientist, impressed judges Francis Lam , Tim Hollingsworth , and Tiffany Derry , with dishes from her early years in the West African country. TV Insider asked her about the experience on her show, her favorite dishes, and the future with food.
How does it feel to be the winner on The Great American Recipe ’s third season? Adjo Honsou: It feels wonderful to be able to represent my culture and heritage and sharing it with such phenomenal cooks. I really, really loved it. As this season’s champ, what are you rewarded with? This season I know that PBS is not doing a cookbook, but I think there is an e-book that the winning recipe still appears on.
Your dishes looked yummy. I was in Southern Africa for a month a while back, and none of the food looked as interesting as your West African entries. Which of your dishes on the show are you most proud of? The Okra stew is everybody’s favorite.
It’s in my DNA because it’s something that’s very embedded in my culture, a staple food back home. I was very happy to display that and to hear Chef Tiffany comment on how she grew up eating gumbo and she now has seen the connection between the way it’s made in East Africa and how her grandmoth.