ABOUT

HI THERE! Welcome to Nana’s Kitchen, where I’m challenging everyone that plant-based vegan is easier than you think!

But … WHO IS NANA?

Nana- that’s me. Well, my real name is Marianna, but to friends and family (and now, to you) I’m known as Nana 🙂

And I’m the passionate food-loving author behind this blog.

Launched on November 16th, 2017, I’ve been on a mission to put out as many fun, flavorful, nutritious, easy-to-make recipes straight outta Jamaica! Nana’s Kitchen is here to challenge the idea of vegan being “boring” and “expensive”- because in fact, it’s not!

Many people want to eat & feel healthier, but the sound of “vegan” intimidates them or doesn’t excite them at all! Meh! Using mostly everyday, accessible ingredients from this beautiful island, I handle every aspect of the content you see here: from recipe development to write-ups & photography. I’ve also worked on a couple of recipe videos with the awesome Yannick Reid, who is an extra talented Jamaican visual artist.

I’m largely self-taught (thanks to my awesome food-loving family and especially my most amazing mother) with a short stint in the prestigious Michelin-star kitchens of the Hotel de Crillon in Paris, France. It was tough (these kitchens are no joke!)– but it taught me the discipline it takes to take your passion a step further.

I have been cooking for so long now and I hope to cook until forever after! It’s what makes me happy, it’s my passion- and if there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that you can never run away from what you love. 

As a global citizen (French/Syrian/Egyptian, born in Greece), Jamaica has become my home for the last three years and I blog out of my small kitchen in Kingston 🙂

Aside of cooking, I’m passionate about social causes and positive change, grass roots style. I founded & spearheaded Paint Jamaica– the street art project set to uplift inner city communities in Kingston that accidentally also became the largest street art space in Jamaica and with time,  a “must visit when in Jamaica“. I’ve raised funds and helped rebuild parts of the Golden Age Home in Trench Town (an old age home for the blind) and set a crowfund for a 2 year old beautiful girl I met a few years ago, Kalia, who was born without an anus- and a digestive system that was sitting outside of her stomach- in addition to a number of other health complications. Fortunately, the money raised has helped her get surgery and all necessary health care. I also helped secure some sponsorship and start a crowdfund for SK876– a local Jamaican collective set out to transform a gully into Jamaica’s first skate park. Lastly, I’ve worked behind the scenes with many talented Jamaican visual artists and was a facilitator in the Imago Mundi project- curated by Luciano Benetton- putting together a collection of contemporary works from Jamaican artists.

Needless to say- I love food & and supporting grassroots, social causes! I love the idea of a meaningful life, in a nutshell!

See you later on the blog and on Instagram @missmariannaf

You can also see my work on other platforms- listed below. Prior to Nana’s Kitchen and being a full-time vegan, I was blogging as “Swirl & Scramble” since 2007 🙂 Click on the links below to check out my work on various platforms, from my vegan and pre-vegan life 🙂