Dining with DJ Pierra

You think she’s the queen of spinning the deck? Wait till Pierra Makena spins some hot nice chapos for you. However, she won’t tell how she makes hers different from any other chapo you’ve ever eaten. The versatile entertainer is also a radio presenter. We find out about her favourite hiding spots in Nairobi, here she enjoys sumptuous meals like Mashed Potatoes in alcohol, a dish she considers the weirdest she’s ever had.

What do you normally cook when you have friends over?

Sweet and sour pork and rice, it’s very easy to make. In fact, it’s the easiest thing to make in the house.

Is there a dish that you have perfected?

I have perfected chapos. I make chapos really well, if I make them for you, that’s it! I learnt it from my Mum, then my sister perfected the art and then of course now I do my own twist. I just make it my own. By the way it’s really special, nobody can make them the way I can make them. I can’t tell my secret to making chapos. About the obsession Kenyan men have with chapati, I guess it’s just an African thing. It must be linked to their childhood, when we were young chapatis were the things kids loved to eat.

What’s your favorite restaurant or café?

At this point, I don’t know if this is fortunate or unfortunate but I like specific dishes in every restaurant. Ole Sereni has a really nice mashed sweet potato. It really works for me. But my all time favorite is Misono, I like sushi.

What’s your favorite Kenyan dish?

I come from Meru so clearly Mashed Potatoes. It’s more of Irio but just plain with potatoes. It also goes well with a nice stew.

Any strange dishes you would recommend people to try?

That mashed potato s*** is good. It’s so strange because the first time I had it was at Ole Sereni and it’s amazing and the way they make it! It’s in a stew with lamb that’s marinated in some alcohol, I’m not sure how they made it and can’t put my finger on it. But that’s the one!

Do you have any cooking advice that was passed on from your mom?

I get all my skills from my mum. Almost everything she taught me was from scratch. Every time she’s cooking she’s like: “Come, we cook this.” There’s a lot I’ve learnt from her especially on how to make greens to make sure they are not overcooked and how to mix spices. However, I’m not too keen on spices. I prefer cooking with natural ingredients like dhania (parsley).

Pierra Makena does not limit herself to the decks. She is also a project manager and actress who has captivated audiences in Kisulisuli, Citizen Television’s ever popular Tahidi High and M-Net’s Changes. Some of the feature and full length films she has acted in include: Cry of the innocent, Aziz, Greencard, and Enough is Enough. Pierra is also set to feature in a soon-to-be-released Ghanaian film. She hopes to start a DJ school in Kenya in the future

By Anyiko Owoko