Culture and cuisine: Valley woman overcomes obstacles to dish up diversity

Not everyone in Chef Patty Titcomb's shoes would be able to leap over life's hurdles as easily as she has, but if you've ever stumbled, doubted yourself, or just thought there was no way to reach your dreams, you may think twice after meeting her.

In so many cultures, food is the ultimate connector. Emeka Njoku tells ABC15 that in his native country of Nigeria, it is no different.

"It's a conversation starter," explains Emeka. "It's how you trust people. It's how you welcome people. Being able to eat with someone, that means I trust you. And I welcome you to my home."

But when your whole life is more than 7,000 miles away, getting that taste of home isn't always easy -- that is, until now.

"The community here...we are small but we are mighty!" explains Chef Patty Titcomb, who owns and operates the Lasgidi Cafe Nigerian food truck.

"I say I cook with love every single dish. Every single piece of chicken. Every pot of Jollof rice."

Whether it's her African twist on tacos, savory wings, or iconic spicy Jollof rice, every last morsel will leave you wanting more.

"Even when I go to a festival and see her, it's a happy dance inside because I know I'm about to eat good," explains Emeka.

One thing is clear: Chef Patty definitely has some good word of mouth - but it wasn't always that way. Patty immigrated from Nigeria when she was a little girl. She'd later attend college on the East Coast and would give birth to a baby girl before starting her new chapter in Arizona.

Moving to a new state, starting a new business, and adjusting to life as a single mom wasn't easy, but somehow, Chef Patty kept going.

"Your kids will push you," she explains. "She'd be on her best behavior on those long nights that I am cooking or hosting a cooking class... If you believe in me, I have to believe in myself."

That journey as a paid chef started with Patty just making food for friends - and then came a pivotal moment when Airbnb reached out to her and asked her to offer culinary experiences to people who rent on their website.

Patty thought she'd just be teaching the basics to her first guest, and had no idea what the universe was cooking up for her.

"We were in my backyard and I showed her how to cook Jollof and we had a glass of wine and she said, 'Patty, you are on to something!'"

Patty certainly was!

From that key moment, Patty knew her devotion to her dishes was where her heart was - even through a pandemic, a new relationship, and a new baby, Chef Patty kept finding ways to make it work.

"I said to myself, 'What would this look like if I went full gas and no breaks? Let's just see.'"

Chef Patty says at the moment she felt she couldn't do it, she leaned on her culture and customs to provide that kind of unspoken support she knew she needed.

"That is the Nigerian blood in me - knowing that my father relocated here in 1974 with $25 and his suitcase - that's his 'claim to fame' and he made it! What can't I do?"

And here she is today - her food truck is bouncing from Anthem to Avondale, from Glendale to Gilbert, and everywhere in between, highlighting her heritage, and also, part of herself: her dream, served fresh on every plate.

"I always say - if I could tell myself one thing 10 years ago, it's like, 'Girl, you can do it! You can really do it!' I am my ancestors' wildest dreams. I am my parents' wildest dreams. Two sets of immigrants who came to this country."

For more information on how you can sample Chef Patty's cuisine, head to her website.