Mona Made It — Content creator finds sweet solace in the kitchen
Published:Thursday | July 20, 2023 | 12:06 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
Camona Burton’s complicated relationship with food was met with a deep respect for the science, ritual, tradition and emotions that go into creating a dish. It is for this reason that the content creator eventually found sweet solace in the kitchen.
Going by the moniker ‘Mona Made It’, Burton brings a refreshing approach to food content on social media. She is known for her sweet take on the hummingbird cake, vanilla bean cookies, chocolate chip cookies and sorrel jam. But she also enjoys making Bailey’s cheesecake, Bougainvillea ravioli, Milo milkshake, breakfast charcuterie, homemade Famous Bowl, strawberry Lasco milkshake, and water cracker pudding.
Posting proved to be difficult at first, because she didn’t believe it would be perfect enough to garner any views, but her fans, amounting to over 45,000 and counting on TikTok alone, thought otherwise. She found a culinary outlet for all those ideas swirling around in her head, and they loved her for it.
“I think my personality comes out when I cook. I try to make food that my ancestors would be proud of. With the right flavour combination, you can leave someone with a lasting memory. What I hear the most is that I make cooking and baking more approachable. And I’ve been told there’s an honesty in my cooking that can be felt,” she explained to Food.
Working with several local and international brands to generate content and develop recipes, her social media following is steadily growing. “People have been so kind and responsive,” she said, adding, “I never imagined anyone learning anything useful from me. I also didn’t think twice about my voice before this, but it’s nice to know it helps some people to relax.”
CREATIVITY AND AUTHENTICITY
What she adds to the culinary art is a mix of creativity and authenticity. “I like to show people that we can make something just as good from our local ingredients and flavours. And that there’s food at home. I also want the Jamaicans abroad to find home with unfamiliar ingredients by learning how to balance flavours.”
Growing up, Burton wasn’t really allowed in the kitchen. Her parents were stellar cooks: her father blazed trails with flavourful dishes, while her mother was busy mastering the art of baking. “My dad fell in love with cooking when he was a storeroom manager on a cruise ship. Whenever he had a free moment, he’d watch the kitchen staff work.” Quiet by nature, food was his only topic of discussion. She has never seen him use a recipe, but his food was always on point.
“My mother was a great cook too, but let her husband do the cooking as the ‘soft life’ queen she is. She was more of a baker. My mother and my aunt shared an interest in baking and kept a record of recipes together, which are mine now,” she revealed.
When her mother collected cookbooks from a baking course she enrolled in, Burton started reading them. Initially, the indulgence was purely for picture-viewing purposes. But the instructions were clear to follow. She soon requested an Easy Bake Oven. When that wasn’t practical enough, she cleverly timed her use of the kitchen close to her parents’ bedtime to ensure a positive response.
“I liked baking in the middle of the night. I could move slowly, and there was no one to interrupt me. My parents didn’t remember giving me permission, but they didn’t mind being bamboozled because they woke up to a clean kitchen and baked goods.”
They eventually trusted her enough not to burn down the house, so she tried out new recipes at every opportunity.
The memory of making pumpkin cakes for her aunt stood out, because she, more than anyone, encouraged Burton to bake. “One summer, she told me she liked my pumpkin cake. So I made it over and over again until she loved it. I haven’t made it since she passed, and I’m not sure I can.”
She obtained her Bachelor’s of Science degree in food service management, majoring in culinary arts, at the University of Technology. “I enjoy the technical aspects of this as much as the creative side. Art and science go hand in hand, so every time I try something new, it’s an experiment that could lead to something magical,” she shared. Reimagining certain flavours and how they work together, she is sensitive to scents and their contribution to recipe development.
She is hoping for continued growth, one that will attract the right attention and take her brand to greater heights. “I want my socials to be the beginning of a legacy to make beginners feel seen and heard.” On a personal note, she would love to gain more confidence as she explores other facets of media. “There’ll be a thriving YouTube channel with longer, more detailed videos soon, if God’s plan allows.”
This chef isn’t without her favourite dishes. Her top five savoury treats include her mother’s ackee and salt fish, her father’s curried goat, her grandmother’s sweet potato pudding, butter chicken and garlic-cheese naan from Saffron Indian Cuisine in Kingston, and any kind of soup.