Roger Mooking

Roger Mooking is a Trinidadian-Canadian chef, musician, and television host. Mooking is the host of the television series Man Fire Food (2012 to 2020). He is also the host and co-creator of Everyday Exotic. Both programs aired on the Cooking Channel and Food Network Canada. He also appears on Heat Seekers with Aarón Sanchez on Food Network. Mooking has had many appearances on shows such as Today, Good Morning America, The Marilyn Denis Show, Iron Chef America, Top Chef Canada, and Chopped Canada.

Early life Mooking was born in Trinidad and Tobago into an extended family made up of food and beverage business providers. He moved to Canada at the age of five, He is of mixed African-Trinidadian, Dutch, British, and Chinese heritage. Mooking was introduced to European flavours by his mother, who prepared dishes from recipes passed on by her Ukrainian neighbours. The group then moved to Toronto to continue their musical careers, but broke up due to creative differences before they could actually complete recording a full album, and Mooking went on to join the soul/R&B trio Bass Is Base.

Bass Is Base consisted of Chin Injeti on bass, Ivana Santilli on keyboards and trumpet, and MC Mystic (Roger Mooking) on percussion. All three members contributed vocals, Injeti and Santilli as singers and Mystic as a rapper. In addition to the early single "Funk-mobile", which garnered the band a deal with A&M Records, its debut album, First Impressions for the Bottom Jigglers, won a Juno Award in the Best R&B/Soul Recording category in 1995. A year later, the second consequential album, Memories of the Soul Shack Survivors, gave the band its first Top 20 hit, “I Cry.”

Mooking has since released two solo albums, Soul Food in 2008 and Feedback in 2013.

Chef

Mooking studied culinary arts at George Brown College, and still continues to operate as the chair of the professional advisory committee.

During his years as a restaurateur, Mooking was the executive chef and co-owner of Kultura Social Dining and Nyood Restaurant. Mooking claims that Twist is his favorite of his restaurants and is home to his favorite recipe - Egg and Nori.

Television appearances Mooking is the host of several television shows, including Heat Seekers and Man Fire Food. He is also the co-creator and host of Everyday Exotic, He also made a guest star in an episode of "This is Scarlett & Isaiah" in the episode, "This is Isaiah making wontons" in 2013.

Mooking has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Iron Chef America, Top Chef Canada, The Marilyn Denis Show, Wendy Williams, Martha Stewart Radio, Unique Eats, and Steven and Chris. Mooking has also made regular appearances at various food and wine festivals, including New York Food and Wine Festival, South Beach Food and Wine Festival, Gourmet Escape and The Essence Music Festival.

He appeared in the 2021 edition of Canada Reads, advocating for Francesca Ekwuyasi's novel Butter Honey Pig Bread.

In June of 2025, he launched "podcasty cooking-show" Breaking Bread with Roger Mooking on Amazon Prime.

Author Mooking's cookbook, "Everyday Exotic: The Cookbook", was published 2011,

In fall 2012, Mooking traveled to Bangladesh to visit nutrition-related programming run by Save the Children and to meet with community groups, medical clinics, and local families and explore ways to create sustainable health and nutrition programs so that successful concepts can be applied worldwide. He has continued to work with Save The Children and their programming and has since traveled to Peru as well as worked with the organization locally.

Mooking is also committed to Toronto-based charity Second Harvest, co-hosting its annual charity Toronto Taste, for providing rescued food to families in need.

Personal life Mooking is married and has four daughters. He has claimed to have "never [cooked] the same thing twice."

He lists Martha Stewart, Mike Tyson and Bruce Lee as some of his influences. Bruce Lee because of his dedication and discipline and the common ground he shares with him as an immigrant who broke down barriers, Mike Tyson for his drive to never give up and ability transform and evolve significantly in one lifetime and Martha Stewart for he dedication to sharing excellence, her steadfastness and her meticulousness.