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Chef Niematulai Longstratt is living out her childhood dreams as the owner of Shreveport’s new food destination, RNL’s Cookery Corner.

Her culinary journey leading to the opening of the food trailer began an ocean away in West Africa. As a child, Longstratt watched her family prepare fresh meals daily in their home in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The task was a treat as much as a necessity.

“Growing up in Sierra Leone, we’re not fortunate to have 24-hour electricity,” Longstratt said. “We didn’t have the leisure of enjoying 24-hour power, so our parents would cook every single day. We’d eat fresh meals every day growing up not because we want to but because we didn’t have a place to store it.”

Fatmata Bah, Longstratt’s mother, ensured the family ate healthy home-cooked meals. She passed on the traditions of West Africa cooking to her daughter who eagerly wanted to learn.

“My favorite thing to do when growing up was to spend time with my mother in the kitchen,” Longstratt said. “Some kids didn’t want to be in the kitchen, but I always enjoyed my time in the kitchen.”

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Longstratt was 13 years old when her mother passed away. Cooking became her way to stay connected and carry on her mother’s legacy.

“She would always cook delicious meals for us and that threw me into this passion that I’m doing today,' Longstratt said. 'In the kitchen cooking—whether I’m cooking for one or for 100—I feel like she’s always beside me.”

Decades later, Longstratt applies the foundational cooking lessons and West African culture in the dishes she prepares as a professional chef. Seven years ago, she moved to Shreveport-Bossier City where she owns and operates a catering company, RNL Authentics.

This month, Longstratt introduced her new food trailer concept to the Shreveport community, RNL’s Cookery Corner.

© Henrietta Wildsmith/The Times RNL's Cookery Corner is a new food trailer and dining destination, located at 1507 Texas Ave. in Shreveport. The menu features Afro-fusion and traditional West African cuisine. Pictured: The Fulani Cheesesteak combination platter with Jollof rice, cabbage, and sweet potato frites. (Vegetarian platters are available.)

Where to find RNL's Cookery Corner

RNL’s Cookery Corner is stationed at 1507 Texas Ave. in Shreveport. The food trailer will operate regularly from the designated lot for diners to easily access platters of Afro-Fusion Street Food (influenced by American cuisine) and traditional West African meal specials.

The operation hours are set from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday beginning Nov. 12. Customers are welcome to pick up orders to-go or bring additional chairs to eat on-site with friends and family.

On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the RNL's food trailer will travel to and serve communities around the Shreveport-Bossier City area.

An introduction to West Africa

RNL’s Cookery Corner is the chef’s platform to share West African culture, history, and flavors with U.S. diners through her traditional, contemporary and innovative menu.

“I want to be stationed in one particular location because I want to not just serve food but to create an ambiance for people around town who want to experience a true African culture,” Longstratt said. “The beginning of this menu is to introduce RNL's Cookery Corner but there is so much more in-store that I want to introduce people to.”

RNL’s Cookery Corner also serves as a way for the chef to pay homage and continue learning lessons from her mother from the kitchen.

“I can hear her voice when I make a mistake tell me, ‘No, you shouldn’t have done that,’” Longstratt said. “(The kitchen) is like my little haven where I spend time with her spiritually and mentally. The passion keeps growing every day because I feel like that space is a space for her and myself. Pretty much, I’m doing it for her.”

RNL's Cookery Corner's debut menu is simple, featuring six staple Afro-Fusion dishes. Traditional West African cuisine will be offered as weekly specials, as a way to slowly introduce it to the U.S. diners, she said. The dishes may feature ingredients such as cooked sweet potato leaves and cassava leaves, a plant that produces yuca.

Each dish is curated to tell a story of Longstratt’s past and homeland.

“Most of the names you will see on my menu will be either a place where I grew up or where you can find the best ingredients just to tell a little story,” she said.

On the menu

Krio Wings. Fried chicken wings are tossed in RNL’s signature Peanut Butter Sauce and served with Jollof rice, salad, or sweet potato frites and a side of West African-style ranch dressing. The Peanut Butter Sauce can be substituted with Krio Demi Sauce.

The name “Krio” refers to the Sierra Leone Creole people.

“I named it Krio because I want to pay homage to my hometown,” Longstratt said.

Freetown Red Snapper. The red snapper fish is fried in tempura batter and topped with a sweet pepper cream sauce. The platter is served with Jollof rice, hush puppies, and cabbage.

Jollof is vegetable rice comparable to jambalaya (sans meat) and is a staple dish in Sierra Leone, Longstratt said.

The chef concocts signature seasoning blends and recipes to present authentic Sierra Leone food through an unconventional approach.

“I normally bake my cabbage,” she said. “My all-purpose seasoning spices that I blend and make into my own goes into that. If you taste a different flavor in different cabbages around town, that is the reason why. Ginger is one of my biggest secrets in my cabbage.”

Lumley Shrimp. Diners have the option of fried or grilled shrimp, which is served with Jollof rice, salad, or sweet potato frites.

The dish is named for Lumley Beach in Sierra Leone where Longstratt visited often when growing up.

“This is a place where we go to get the best shrimp,” she said. “It resonates with me because I remember my mom taking us there early in the morning to go buy whole shrimp or crab. It’s a beautiful beach and one of the most popular beaches in Sierra Leone.”

Kankankan. Steak (goat or beef) bites are seasoned with an African dry rub and topped with caramelized onions, tomatoes, and fresh parsley. The meal comes with Jollof rice and salad.

Longstratt has fond memories of her and her friends purchasing the street food from vendors after a night on the town.

“This is a steak bite you can buy on the side of the road. We grew up on that, too,” she said. “After clubbing or partying there’s a spot in town that we stop at and get Kankankan.”

Guinea Avocado Tapalapa Toast. Avocado egg salad is served on a bed of toasted French bread with homemade mayo. The meal is completed with a helping of sweet potato frites.

“My parents are from Guinea—Conakry (the capital),” she said. “In Guinea, one of the most popular street foods is avocado salad… Tapalapa means, in my