Who doesn't like Benne (sesame seeds), Okra, Jakato (bitter balls), Chilli, fish and our very own Wala Res (rice) cooked with coconut oil.

Dry res is very popular in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. It's a lazy day dish, often cooked at weekends for breakfast.

It's very simple and quick to make. My mother always used FONIO or Wala Res and for added luxury ..sardines. I've gone a bit further by using pan fried Sea Bass just to add a bit of Shwen Shwen.

So you could say this is "shwen shwen dry res", the breakfast of Kings and Queens. A.K.A "The full Salone", but unlike the full English this won't kill you, and yet still will fill you up or set you up for the day.

Shwen Shwen as a brand is my way of expressing my identity, sharing my culture and perhaps my experiences as a child growing up in Freetown.

Great cooks have an encyclopedic knowledge of food, understand seasonality of ingredients, and can use a variety cooking methods to their advantage. My mother is a great cook. I remember not liking anyone's food but my mother's.

We weren't rich (far from it) but food was such a big deal in our household. We knew where it was sourced and how it was prepared and we knew how to make a little go a long way. My mother is the best cook I know.

No family gathering is complete if she's not involved in the food prep.

There's a family joke: " if Fatmata nor put an pan d it e nor get for fine". Not just because she's a mean cook but she's thorough and has a great palate.

You can't tell her nothing when it comes to traditional dishes. I love challenging her palate, with Afro-fusion ideas. Or when I seek to elevate traditional Sierra Leonean dishes using "shwen shwen" ingredients. Wishing you all a great weekend #shwenshwen #BlackHistoryMonthUK