Today we’d like to introduce you to Hafsa Mustafa.
Hafsa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I remember being 12 and my dad and brother encouraging me to cook by giving me a small monetary prize every time I’d bake something good. That lead to me wanting to create better things and before I knew it, I was in university, studying to be a pharmacist but cooking up a storm on the side.
I got serious about the whole food scene once I moved to Houston from Dubai and had way too much time on my hands. I began using my Instagram platform to post pictures of what I was cooking for my husband and me daily. We then moved to Boston for a couple of years while my husband pursued his MBA at Harvard and I used that time to taste all things lobster rolls and clam chowder plus all those other incredible East coast flavors. It was around this time my food blog started getting some traction.
Once he graduated, we moved back to Houston because we missed it way too much(seriously, what’s not to miss? The amazing food scene, affordability, non-freezing weather and great place to have kids flourish and grow). Once we settled in, I began posting my creations more frequently and got noticed by a few restaurants as well. It’s been great ever since. I love creating new recipes and experimenting with flavors. All the recipes on my blog are my own and I love it when people try them and give me feedback on how great it turned out. I live for those moments 🙂
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I mean, we moved around a lot so really establishing yourself in one city was difficult. I had babies along the way and two months of nausea made it difficult to maintain a food blog, let alone even look at food, haha, but I overcame that and here we are!
We’d love to hear more about your work.
So, on my food blog @htm_cooks, I post different recipes. That’s the simplest way to put it. I’m not what you would say is a conventional cook. I never really have a plan on my head when I step into my kitchen. I do, however, have an idea in my head that I have a curiosity to execute. Most days, I’ll go into my kitchen and decide on the spot I’m going to make some sort of pasta and it will have a creamy base, plus I have to incorporate those mushrooms that I have in the fridge. Just make it up as I go and end up with a product that’s mouth-watering.
What really sets me apart from most food blogs is that when I say I cook from the heart, I really do! I don’t make dishes for the sake of Instagram and think that my feed needs this or that. I genuinely create food that I’m serving for lunch or dinner that day and take pictures of the process and end product. My family enjoys what I cook and I hope others out there may get inspiration and ideas of what they could feed their family.
I’m most proud of how far I’ve come. You can see the progress in the pictures and presentations from last year to now. I’ve collabed with a few restaurants. I’ve been reached out by the food network and while that didn’t go through, just to be considered was a huge honor for me. I’m hoping to continue growing and to have more opportunities, all the while sharing my love for food.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
It’s funny because most of my childhood memories are food-related. I come from a foodie family so that had a huge impact growing up. From getting prize money from my dad and brother to continue baking to having a dessert eating competition with friends to see who could down the most sweets is right up there!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.instagram.com/htm_cooks
Image Credit:
@htm_cooks
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
