Chef Ifrah F. Ahmed’s Grub Street Diet
Chef Ifrah F. Ahmed balances a rigorous book tour with a sensitive stomach, maintaining a consistent daily routine that blends Somali hospitality with modern wellness practices. The approachable Somali food writer and cookbook author, who runs the pop-up restaurant Milk & Myrrh and contributes to the New York Times, has recently returned from an international promotional tour for her debut cookbook, Soomaaliya. During her time off, Ahmed focuses on a disciplined diet designed to manage digestive issues, a regimen she documents with precision. Her weekdays follow a strict schedule centered around hydration and fiber, while weekends allow for a more relaxed exploration of local markets and family meals.
Ahmed’s mornings begin shortly after 9:30 a.m. with a glass of water, followed by lactose-free whole-milk kefir sweetened with dark maple syrup. The core of her breakfast is a bowl of overnight oats mixed with chia seeds, ground flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, and oat milk. She adds collagen powder, Greek yogurt, and fruit before serving it to her family, a routine she has maintained for nearly six years since becoming pregnant with her daughter. After eating, she prepares a pot of ginger tea, a practice that connects her to her mother’s traditions back in Somalia. She often supplements this with raspberry, spearmint, or dandelion tea depending on her needs.
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The routine extends beyond the home. On weekends, Ahmed and her daughter make their way to their local coffee shop. An oat vanilla iced matcha for me and a “coffee” (steamed vanilla milk) for her. We also each get a King David breakfast taco from the coffee shop with egg, cheese, and potato (mine also
Workdays and family meals
Ahmed wakes up around 9:30 a.m. on weekends, switching off with her husband and hanging out with their 5-year-old daughter. She takes out ginger root from the fridge and smashes it in her mortar, a process that connects her to her mother’s traditions back in Somalia. She adds the ginger to a pot with water and brings it to a boil for several minutes, straining it and adding a bag of raspberry leaf tea. After her tea, she stretches for a while and then fixes a bowl of overnight oats, the heart of her breakfasts. She soaks oats and chia seeds every two days, adding ground flaxseed, homemade ground pumpkin seed, oat milk, collagen powder, Greek yogurt, and a little maple syrup before topping it off with fresh fruit. She makes a baby bowl of oats for her daughter, who has become a fan of the fiber-rich meal.
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Later in the morning, my daughter and I make our way to our local coffee shop. An oat vanilla iced matcha for me and a “coffee” (steamed vanilla milk) for her. We also each get a King David breakfast taco from the coffee shop with egg, cheese, and potato (mine also
