The Flygerians Cookbook Giveaway and Quick Bites with the Authors

Enter our US/CA/UK giveaway below to win one of three copies of The Flygerians Cookbook: Over 70 Recipes for Nigerian Food That Will Speak to your Soul & Warm Your Heart by Jess and Jo Edun.

Jo and Jess Edun started their food careers with a residency in a pub whilst catering corporate lunches. Five years on in 2022, they opened The Flygerians restaurant in Peckham Palms, a black female-led space supporting start-up businesses. They made it into Vogue in a round-up of ‘the best black-owned restaurants in London’ and have since attracted media attention and made several TV appearances.

The Flygerians Cookbook: Over 70 Recipes for Nigerian Food That Will Speak to your Soul & Warm Your Heart is the debut cookbook from two inseparable sisters, Jo and Jess Edun, who are bringing the sweet taste of Nigeria to the UK food scene. Inspired by their Grandma’s joyful cooking, they are keeping her legacy alive in their restaurant and pop-up residencies. Local heroes themselves, these siblings are striving to make a positive impact through food and the social connections it can create. They believe great food should speak to your soul and warm the heart.

Visit their restaurant and enjoy Supermalt wings, smokey jollof, and pounded yam and rum punch. Customers can expect good vibes care of the Afrobeats soundtrack and hang out with diners who insist it is the best Nigerian food outside of the homeland. And if you are not in London, amazing dishes are delivered in this vibrant book for anyone who loves to eat and wants to experience the uniquely delicious tastes and textures that West African food brings to the table.

Our takes you inside this beautiful book and features the following

• Mighty Supermalt wings 
• Twice-cooked cassava chips 

The authors took some time to answer questions for our Members:

Jess and Jo Edun are the Flygerians, two larger-than-life dual-nationality Nigerian sisters, bringing the sweet taste of Nigeria to the world with authentic classics and some sensational Flygerian creations.

Q: What first triggered your interest in cooking? 

We were inspired to cook by our legendary grandma, who taught us food was for all and should be a shared experience made with love. She believed in inclusion and cooking for the masses. We started cooking at the ages of 9 and 10 and would spend hours with her crafting beautiful dishes with her and the family. Today we cook to keep her legacy alive and share our passion with the world.

Q: If you had to describe your cooking style, what would it be? What types of recipes will we find in your new book?

Jo – If I had to describe my cooking style, it would be ‘taste over a design.’  We focus more on the flavors and the authenticity of the food rather than having a minimal Michelin-style design plate. We enjoy lots of spices and bold flavors in a dish. We are  all about abundance of food and its tasting well-seasoned. In the book you’ll find a cross between our dual nationalities of being British Nigerian. We have kept authentic dishes but also put our own Flygerian spin on the dishes. Being first generation Nigerian in the UK, there was a sense of not being Nigerian enough and not being British enough. And with age we have concluded that we are the best of both, and we are unapologetically proud of it. We have added some big chops which are the hearty  authentic Nigerian stews as well as incorporating some fun new recipes that merge both cultures together. 

Jess- Our style is taste tantalizing and we lead with flavor. You will find traditional Nigerian favorites and vibrant Flygerian creations handcrafted by us. We are all about moving with the times, so it was very important for us to put our own stamp on modernizing and creating new dishes influenced by our British Nigerian dual nationality.

Q: Are you a cookbook collector? If so, tell us about your collection?

Yes, we love to collect all cookbooks from different cultural backgrounds, like Original Flava: Caribbean Recipes from Home and Sunshine on a Plate from Shelina Permallo, who is from a Mauritian background and a MasterChef winner. Also, we are big fans of Melissa Thompson’s cookbook Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook.

Q: What is the best part of your job? Do you sometimes feel like working with food all day keeps you from wanting to get creative in the kitchen?

Jo – The best part of the job is feeding customers face-to-face; we love working at our Flygerian bar and seeing customers’ responses to our food. Initially it’s nerve-racking and then when somebody comes up to you and says ‘wow, that food was delicious,’ honestly it sticks with you for life. I feel like when working with food, you find it hard to cook a dish for yourself. The creativity never dies when cooking for customers or family members or friends but when it comes to cooking a meal for ourselves, then it could be a basic dried Ramen. 

Jess- the best part of our job is working with our incredible team, hosting cooking classes, and working with big brands. We love popping up in spaces people would least expect, and have worked across all industries including fashion, finance, and medical. We would love to do more of this. We’ve also enjoyed live cooking on TV and sharing our recipes with the world.

Q: What is your go to for a quick dinner – quick dessert?

Jo –  Don’t Be Basic Indomie, which is Indomie noodles ‘jazzed up’ with vegetables, chicken, and prawns. Finish off with Chinoffee Pie.

Jess – A quick dinner go-to would be our pepper prawns and Agege bread. It’s a light yet filling combo and our Chinoffee pie always hits that sugar spot.

Q: Tell us about this cookbook or any future projects you are working on?

The Flygerian Cookbook is way of ensuring our Incredible grandma’s legacy is timeless. it also takes you on a journey of two sisters’ growth and charismatic personalities. We want to take people on a journey to Nigeria without leaving the country. We will be making more TV appearances soon, are currently in talks with top supermarkets on supplying and producing our hit sauces, and are in talks about having our own show. We would love to work with some cooking shows in the States too. So, get in touch if you want some Nigerian bangers to get your audience talking.

Be sure to follow the authors on Instagram.

Special thanks to the publisher for providing three copies of this title in our promotion. Entry options include answering the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index would you like to try first?

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