MADISON, Wis. — An Afghan chef is sharing his cuisine with Wisconsin after fleeing Taliban rule.

Bakht Mohammad knows what he wants in the kitchen. He can be a little bossy, but many of the best chefs are.

He ran a restaurant in Kunar, Afghanistan. When the Taliban took over in August 2021, he and his family were among the thousands at the Kabul airport trying to leave.

“We left Kabul airport on Aug. 15, and we came to Dubai,” Mohammad said through a friend interpreting. “We spent about 45 days in Dubai, and then we flew to Virginia, United States.”

He, his wife and five children have settled in Madison.

“They like and love Wisconsin and Madison,” said the friend, translating for Mohammad. “They just thought good life here.”

In the kitchen, he’s in his element. It looks like he could cook some of these meals in his sleep. He works out of FEED Kitchens, a co-op space often used by caterers, food trucks, and up-and-coming chefs.

He’s started his own catering company with the help of Jewish Social Services. His face lit up when Executive Director Kai Yael Gardner Mishlove walked into the room.

Of course, he wouldn’t let her leave without enough food that looks like it would last her all weekend.

“Oh my goodness,” she said as he handed her the food. “The benefits of working with such generous refugees.”

For Mohammad, feeding people is part of his culture. On top of that, it’s just what he loves to do. His goal is to share Afghan cuisine not just with his fellow refugees, but with everybody.

“I’m trying to make Afghani food popular in the Midwest,” he said.

Jewish Social Services has helped organize a dinner on Sunday at Morris Ramen in Madison. It’s called Tables Across Borders, and Bakht is cooking the meal.