Local cook takes on icon and beats Bobby Flay

Most locals have heard that a Shreveport area chef went on the Food Network program “Beat Bobby Flay” and did just that.

Niema DiGrazia is the executive chef at Abby Singer’s Bistro at the Robinson Film Center. Her journey to national television notoriety started in her home country of Sierra Leone.

“I’ve always had a passion for cooking. We had a store in our house. I told my dad I’d like to open my own restaurant; even if you don’t give me any money, I’ll cook for the community, and they can come eat for free. I opened up my very small restaurant. I called it the Cookery Shop. My friends from school would come over before their parents cooked, and they would eat with me first before going home. They would say we really like your food more than our mom’s, our dad’s, our grandmothers’ or our aunties’. That inspired me every day.”

Her family was, and is, an essential part of Chef Niema’s culinary journey, especially her mother, who served as her mentor. They spent a lot of quality time in her kitchen, but Chef Niema’s mom unfortunately died at a young age.

“When my mom passed, the kitchen was my happy place. I feel like every time I step into the kitchen, I feel like she’s right there with me. So, I create phenomenal things knowing that she’s right there by my side.”

She’s been creating those phenomenal things in the restaurant business for over 20 years. She came to Shreveport in 2012, became a fan of the Robinson Film Center and met Wendell Riley, the executive director of the center. She chatted with him at the Farmers’ Market and told him he needed to hire her at Abby Singer’s. In June of 2024, he offered Chef Niema the executive chef position.

“I think it is a great decision that I made because I want to continue leaving a legacy,” she said about taking the position. “It helps me go to sleep at night knowing I am doing something every day for a nonprofit organization that has given back so much to our community, and I’m a part of that change as well.”

When she moved to America, Chef Niema realized something was missing. “I started my business out of necessity; I want African food. I enjoy American food, every type of cuisine, but being away from home, the only thing that can draw me closer is food. Not finding the ingredients here was a struggle, so I would drive to Dallas every weekend to go eat African food or buy the ingredients to bring back to cook.”

Then, one day, the television gods smiled on Chef Niema. “I was flying out of Washington, D.C., waiting for my flight, going through my phone. As I was going through, this email popped up, saying [the Food Network] was still waiting for my response.

“I thought this was a scam. So, I called and said, ‘If you want to talk, call me.’ I received a call immediately at the airport.

“We sought you out, and we wanted you to come on the show. Have you heard of the show ‘Beat Bobby Flay’? So, I said, can I put you on a brief hold? And I danced and twirled at the airport.”

After the impromptu waltz, she accepted, saying it would be an honor to be on the show or even to be on stage with “the icon.”

The reality of television production was a change for the chef. “When you are just a person who just loves to cook, there is no time limit in your kitchen. I normally cook as to how I feel. I take my time; I enjoy the moment. But for television, I’m working under pressure. What that did for me was make me tap myself on the back and tell myself, girl, you can multitask.”

Niema DiGrazia, executive chef at Abby Singer’s Bistro in Robinson Film Center, took on the challenge of beating Food Network chef Bobby Flay on his cooking show.

But the experience steeled her resolve. “Having a camera pointed at me while I cook and tell my story, that’s the television I want to see. Being on ‘Beat Bobby Flay’ has been my kickstarter. I’ve been on the news everywhere in Shreveport and around the world.”

She said the experience taught her that she could handle the pressure of being timed while she created her food magic. But she didn’t take the opportunity lightly.

“I’ve never been on a stage where I have to compete, and I’ve been timed for 20 minutes and timed for 45 minutes. How do I come out on top? I practiced. I didn’t just go show up thinking I got this. I’m standing in front of the icon, or I’m on the icon’s stage; I have to practice so I don’t embarrass Shreveport and Sierra Leone.

“I still practiced. Even though that was my dish, a dish I grew up on, I practiced and timed myself.”

That dedication and preparation paid off. “The competition was intense. It was hard in that room. I felt like an underdog because he (her first competitor before Flay) had done it before. He had done it on ‘Chopped.’ So, he had done TV before. I was the one they underestimated. I stayed true to myself.

“After my first competition with my opponent, I came back with a vengeance. I came back ready because I’m facing an icon. I want to be confident, not be scared, be yourself, don’t adjust yourself because you are in front of an icon, just be yourself. That’s what I did.”

And she beat Bobby Flay. What was the winning dish?

Maafe, also known as peanut butter stew. “Peanut stew is something I think everyone can cook,” Chef Niema said. “It’s all about layering and building your flavors. So, it was a clear beat, a clear win. And [Bobby Flay] knew he met a champion that day.”

She described Flay as a charming man. He welcomed her with a hug and was very personable, she said, although they didn’t have much time to chat since the television schedule was brutal.

“It started at 6 a.m. and finished after midnight. It was a long day. There isn’t much time to visit and talk. But I know that I left my mark with him.”

She is also making her mark on cuisine in north Louisiana, saying, “We are the Mecca of food. Yes.” But she dissimilates somewhat with, “You may disagree with me.”

And she has definite ideas about American eating habits, encouraging folks to lay off the fast foods.

“We don’t have good medical care in Sierra Leone. But guess what? Not everyone is sick. We walk, we run, we go outside, we grow our vegetables. It’s expensive, don’t get me wrong. Not everyone can afford it. But if you grow it, you can afford it.

“If you think you have a history of health problems, you can change it first by changing how you eat. By changing what you put in your body. It’s cheaper to eat than it is to go to the doctor’s.”

And when you hear that from the woman who beat Bobby Flay, you might want to take her seriously.