Celebrating 26 years of helping children become confident Food Explorers

Abdullahi hails from Ethiopia and earned a bachelor’s degree in Clinical Child Psychology before switching career paths. Instead of getting a graduate degree in psychology as she had intended to do, she applied to the Culinary Institute of America.  

While Abdullahi was waiting to hear if she got accepted to the prestigious institution (she did!) she decided to hone her culinary skills by traveling to 18 different countries. During her three-month travel stint, Abdullahi sampled dishes and studied flavors from around the world. She has since travelled to 63 countries in search of new flavor and ingredients.

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Since becoming a chef, Abdullahi has worked at the three-Michelin-star eatery, Noma, in Copenhagen, and was previously the culinary manager at five Hillstone Restaurant Group locations. Her dishes tend to include nods to her Ethiopian roots and have been featured in spaces such as the Met Gala and Vogue. She is currently the Chef Partner at Hav & Mar in NYC where she has been nominated three times for a James Beard Award and you can also see her on Food Network as a judge on Chopped and many other shows. 

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Abdullahi has also partnered with some friends and heads a non-profit organization that builds schools and gives water access to families in rural parts of Ethiopia. This year, they have begun construction on their tenth school.