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About

Ongeipi, I’m so glad you are here. My name is Ester. I was born and raised in Namibia, but now residing in Germany with my husband and our daughters.

I started this food blog in 2018 a couple of months after becoming a mum for the first time as a hobby, with the aim to share family favorite recipes from around the world. Even though I mainly post authentic Namibian and German recipes.

My background

I grew up in a village in the northern part of Namibia. At a young age I learned cooking traditional Namibian dishes such as Oshifima, Oshingali, Fat cakes and Marathon Chicken with freshly homemade Marula oil, from my mother, my both grandmothers and aunts. And this is how I felt in love with cooking.

Even back then my relatives used to rave about my food. I remember when I was at boarding school, every time I went home for the weekend for instance, my cousin Kondja was always telling me how much he missed my food.

In my early 20s, after bachelor’s degree in geology and working for a couple of months, I received a scholarship to further my studies in Germany.

And this is how I left my home country for the first time, got on the plane, and came to Germany.

When I came to Germany, I wanted to finish my studies as fast as possible and go back home. But then I met my now-husband (back – then boyfriend), Jo. So I decided to stay. Sorry mum 🙂

My mum was not amused at all. But with time she accepted my decision. She was even over the moon after we got married in Namibia.

After my studies I moved to Bavaria, where I learned how to make authentic Bavarian dishes from my mum in law Beate, who is by the way an amazing cook and baker.

Thus why the hands you see in most of the German recipes on this blog like here and here belong to her. 😀

What to expect from this blog

On this blog you’ll find delicious and easy-to-follow recipes with photos, from busy-day dinner, Sunday roasts, cakes, drinks to DIY.

A little more about me..

  • In 2018 I took part in the German version of come dine with me ,,das Perfekte Dinner” and in 2019 in the parenting tv show entitled ,,Mein Kind Dein Kind”.
  • I represented my country, Namibia at 2 international beauty contests: Miss Supranational and Miss Princess of the World .
  • When my husband and I went on a one-month honeymoon to Thailand, I took a Thai cooking class in Chiang Rai, in the northern Thailand.
  • On my free time I sing in a choir, give cooking classes at local adult education center, do zumba or go for a short run. I also took part in a half marathoN, even though I only trained for a 10 km run.
  • It took me 5 months to learn German from basic (A1) to fluent (C1/C2) after my master’s degree.
  • I only go out to eat when the food is really good. Yes I am a foodie, so much so that I travel for food.
  • And by the wayEster kocht, simply means Ester cooks, in German.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Julie DeRuwe

Sunday 27th of August 2023

Very excited to see authentic German recipes. I’m 50% German on my mother’s side and have my grandmother’s (German) recipe box that I cook things from.

Jane

Wednesday 21st of June 2023

Aloha from Hawaii. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. My whole family absolutely can't get enough. I've made this cake 10 times in the last month. We have a lemon tree in our yard and that helps too. It tastes really good when chilled!

Ester

Tuesday 25th of July 2023

Aloha Jane,

Thank you so much for reaching out! I'm thrilled to hear that you and your whole family have been enjoying the recipe. Making the cake 10 times in just a month sounds incredible, and it warms my heart to know that it has become a favorite in your household.

Having a lemon tree in your yard sounds fantastic and must be a real blessing. Freshly picked lemons definitely add an extra burst of flavor to the cake.

I'm glad you've discovered that chilling the cake enhances its taste. It's always nice to find little tips that make a dish even more delightful.

Warmest regards, Ester

Susa

Saturday 27th of May 2023

Dear Ester, I have just made your vegan Momos. They taste absolutely delicious!! Thank you so much for your recipie. I have never eaten Momos before, but now they are my favorite!

Ester

Tuesday 25th of July 2023

Dear Susa,

Thank you so much for trying out the vegan Momos from my dear friend Kabita. Your comment brought a smile to my face, and I know Kabita would have been overjoyed to hear that you enjoyed her recipe and that the Momos turned out absolutely delicious.

I am deeply saddened to share that my dear friend Kabita recently passed away, but it warms my heart to know that her recipe continues to bring joy to others, just as she had always intended. Kabita was truly passionate about sharing her love for cooking, and I'm grateful that her legacy lives on through her delicious creations.

It's wonderful to hear that Kabita's recipe introduced you to the world of Momos, and I'm thrilled that they have become your new favorite! The joy of discovering and savoring new dishes is one of the beautiful things about cooking and sharing recipes.

With warmest regards,

Ester

Danial

Sunday 26th of February 2023

Hallo Ester, eine coole Seite hast du! Ich bin über das äthiopische Berbere auf deine Seite gekommen, aber du hast auch noch viel mehr zu bieten. Weiter so!

Blair

Sunday 31st of July 2022

Hi Ester, came looking for the Nusszkopf and stayed for other treats! Hey, what is the dish you’re pictured making at the bottom of your bio? Tomatoey sauce that you’re breaking eggs into? Just wondering… Thanks for the recipes. Blair

Ester

Tuesday 2nd of August 2022

Hello Blair, I'm so glad to hear. It's shakshuka ;-)