Mama Rana’s Stuffed Eggplant

My name is Ahmet Kiranbay. I am from Izmir, Turkey, which is on the Aegean Sea. I graduated with a degree in economics and worked as an accountant in my 20s, eventually becoming CFO for a power and electric company in Ankara, Turkey. I came to the United States in 2006 to further my finance studies at UC Berkeley in California.
In 2007, I met Armando, who was catering on the side from his full-time job. Eventually, I started to help in catering, beginning my transition into Food and Beverage. I’ve always had a strong passion for cooking, which comes from my mother, who is an amazing cook. Armando and I moved to Miami in 2008, where we managed restaurants together.
In 2016, we opened FOB in Brooklyn, which is Filipino BBQ. Since we put the restaurant together from not much, it was often just Armando and I cooking in the kitchen, really honing my skills as a Chef. In 2022, I opened Rana FiTeen to showcase the food from where I am from. In America, there is a specific representation of Turkish food, mainly from the East part of Turkey with Arabic influences; I wanted to bring my West Coast side, which is a little lighter and not often seen here. The food is special to me because the recipes are really like my mother and family would do it.
I truly hope that the CookUnity audience loves it as much as I do!! Afiyet Olsun!! That’s how we say bon appetit!

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