Omnivore - Former Atlanta creative chasing NYC culinary dreams

• Fadia Kader’s Tumblr
• IN THE MAKING: Fadia Kader hopes to parlay her self-taught skills into an ICE scholarship. Daily voting for the #culinaryvoice challenge ends Sat., March 27.

The name Fadia Kader already rings bells in certain local circles — particular among the eclectic hip-hop scene she helped season as former promoter of her Broke $ Boujee lifestyle parties in Atlanta. Since decamping three years ago to NYC, where she currently works as director of brand partnerships and strategic marketing at Def Jam Records, Kader’s list of cultural indulgences have grown to include the culinary world. She’s pretty obsessive, too. Despite holding down a high-profile gig in the entertainment industry, she spends weekends in her kitchen making dishes on Snapchat video that look good enough to eat.

Now she’s looking to turn her hobby from side item to eventual main course. For the past three-and-a-half weeks, Kader’s been running neck-in-neck in a challenge to win a scholarship to New York’s Institute of Culinary Education (ICE). You can watch her video and vote daily until voting ends at 11:59 p.m. this Saturday night, March 28.

So, what’s her specialty? A little bit of everything, says Kader, who likes to infuse her Middle Eastern background into whatever she cooks. But the Southerner in her also comes out in such dishes as fried grit balls with corn and chives. But her hope to blend her entertainment career with her foray into the culinary world could be her best hybrid yet. Read her full interview at CL’s Fresh Loaf to find out what’s next on her menu. (And don’t forget to vote!)