Meet Lola Osinkolu of Chef Lola’s Kitchen in Irvine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lola Osinkolu.

Lola, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started my blogging journey five years ago. At that time, I knew little to nothing about what being a blogger actually entailed. All I had was my cooking skills, my passion for food and sharing it with others, and a supportive husband.

Cooking has always been an important part of my life. I started cooking before the age of 10 and never turned back! Though I studied geology and mining for my first university degree, I never worked in the field; instead, I went straight into cooking. I got my first job as a restaurant manager, which gave me a bit more exposure to the cooking world. When I came to the U.S. a decade ago, I wasn’t able to open my own restaurant for a lot of reasons – raising my kids, financial restraints, and cultural shock amongst others. But I’m grateful I didn’t open a restaurant after all because through blogging, I feel I’ve been able to connect with people I never would have been able to reach if I owned a small restaurant.

I get emails, DMs, and comments every day from people in different parts of the world sharing how my recipes have been used in their homes to feed their families or as part of their small business, and it’s truly humbling.

Has it been a smooth road?
Honestly, it’s tough being a full-time food blogger while keeping my head above water as a wife and a mother and making sure I spend enough quality time with my loved ones.

There’s so much that goes into creating a no-fail recipe beyond just the glamorous final food photos. It requires a ton of background work! I have to come up with ideas for recipes that will resonate both with me and my audience, shop for the ingredients, and practice making the recipe until I get it just right. Then there’s also all the dishes and cleaning, the videography and photography and editing, and finally writing the actual content. You really have to love doing this in order to achieve success; otherwise, burnout is inevitable.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Chef Lola’s Kitchen – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I’m a food blogger at cheflolaskitchen.com, where I share creative, family-friendly recipes rooted in my African heritage. My site features recipes for daily breakfast meals, lunches, and dinners as well as lots of baked goods that anyone can recreate, no matter their skill level.

Sticking to my own voice and style has been pivotal for the success of my blog. I try not to chase trends or do things because other bloggers are; instead, I stay true to myself. My goal is to help people become more interested in cooking their own food from scratch without hassle, so I explain my recipes clearly in language that anyone can understand and skip the fancy five-star chef terminology.

I’m so thankful that I’ve been able to build cheflolaskitchen.com from the ground up to where it is today with the help of God and an incredibly supportive husband.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love Orange County! It’s beautiful and has a lot to offer – good weather, beautiful beaches, lots of outdoor activities, mountains, attraction for kids, shopping, restaurants with diverse food, hiking, and trails. It’s a blessing that I’m just a few minutes down the road from the Angel city (LA)!

I also like that I can easily source the indigenous ingredients I need to make my recipes. Even if the ingredient is not directly close to me, I can easily source it only a little drive away.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cheflolaskitchen.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheflolaskitchen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheflolaskitchen
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/cheflolaskitchen

Image Credit:
Cheflolaskitchen

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