Happy 2024, Besties!! This breakfast is putting serious pressure on the rest of my mornings. Toaster hashbrowns from @traderjoes, crème fraîche, Scottish smoked salmon, caviar and thinly sliced chives. A delicious combination of hi-lo decadence that sets the tone for a great start to the year! I find joy wherever I can and it’s usually in my kitchen. I love making THEE MOST out of leftovers and what I already have (yes, I had leftover caviar from a party #cheflife). And I still have a little more caviar leftover…what should I use it on next? 🤔 Life happens fast, enjoy the things you can when you can with whom you can! 🤘🏽 #chef #leftovers #caviar #caviarlover #breakfasttime #hilo #feedmecaviarandtellmeimpretty
Since NYC is as hot as Miami right now, why not just be in Miami with the beautiful water?! Some great meals are being had, courtesy of @majorfoodgroup @zitzsum @tam.tam.mia and my new favorite sushi restaurant Aoki. Biscayne Bay hits a little different than the East River, but if it cools off in New York I’ll be back! 🥵
Since NYC is as hot as Miami right now, why not just be in Miami with the beautiful water?! Some great meals are being had, courtesy of @majorfoodgroup @zitzsum @tam.tam.mia and my new favorite sushi restaurant Aoki. Biscayne Bay hits a little different than the East River, but if it cools off in New York I’ll be back! 🥵
Since NYC is as hot as Miami right now, why not just be in Miami with the beautiful water?! Some great meals are being had, courtesy of @majorfoodgroup @zitzsum @tam.tam.mia and my new favorite sushi restaurant Aoki. Biscayne Bay hits a little different than the East River, but if it cools off in New York I’ll be back! 🥵
Since NYC is as hot as Miami right now, why not just be in Miami with the beautiful water?! Some great meals are being had, courtesy of @majorfoodgroup @zitzsum @tam.tam.mia and my new favorite sushi restaurant Aoki. Biscayne Bay hits a little different than the East River, but if it cools off in New York I’ll be back! 🥵
Since NYC is as hot as Miami right now, why not just be in Miami with the beautiful water?! Some great meals are being had, courtesy of @majorfoodgroup @zitzsum @tam.tam.mia and my new favorite sushi restaurant Aoki. Biscayne Bay hits a little different than the East River, but if it cools off in New York I’ll be back! 🥵
Since NYC is as hot as Miami right now, why not just be in Miami with the beautiful water?! Some great meals are being had, courtesy of @majorfoodgroup @zitzsum @tam.tam.mia and my new favorite sushi restaurant Aoki. Biscayne Bay hits a little different than the East River, but if it cools off in New York I’ll be back! 🥵
Since NYC is as hot as Miami right now, why not just be in Miami with the beautiful water?! Some great meals are being had, courtesy of @majorfoodgroup @zitzsum @tam.tam.mia and my new favorite sushi restaurant Aoki. Biscayne Bay hits a little different than the East River, but if it cools off in New York I’ll be back! 🥵
Since NYC is as hot as Miami right now, why not just be in Miami with the beautiful water?! Some great meals are being had, courtesy of @majorfoodgroup @zitzsum @tam.tam.mia and my new favorite sushi restaurant Aoki. Biscayne Bay hits a little different than the East River, but if it cools off in New York I’ll be back! 🥵
Since NYC is as hot as Miami right now, why not just be in Miami with the beautiful water?! Some great meals are being had, courtesy of @majorfoodgroup @zitzsum @tam.tam.mia and my new favorite sushi restaurant Aoki. Biscayne Bay hits a little different than the East River, but if it cools off in New York I’ll be back! 🥵
Preshift is where everyone in a restaurant working service gets together before doors open to get on the same page. New menu items, 86’s, shoutouts, everything we need to have a successful service. As a guest chef @dakarnola (and anywhere I pop-up) preshift meant going over the whole menu, beginning to end. What made this so special was while I’ve always highlighted regional southern cuisine and the cultural influences that shaped them (local Indigenous, diverse West African, and immigrants from Europe/Middle East/Asia) this was the first dinner where I got to explore a singular influence, the origin and foundation of it all. After giving out high-fives in the kitchen, guests arrived and we started with Dakar’s hand washing ceremony, a traditional part of eating at someone’s home in Senegal. Freshly baked bread starts the meal, and I always begin meals with an ingredient that was new to our ancestors when they were brought here but became one of the most important staples in most diets to sustain life, corn. We learned from Indigenous people how to grow, preserve, and unlock the nutrients in corn. Cornbread, grits, hominy, hushpuppies, Johnny cakes, hoe cakes, spoon bread, hot water cornbread, all things we learned, adopted and developed. Along with Dakar’s Palm bread we served Cornbread Madelines, with smoky pepper-infused butter. It was a beautiful and delicious(!) way to connect the dots of where we came from with where we are. There’s much more to share from this collab coming soon, but it was truly one of my favorite dinners and I’ve been digesting (pun intended) the love and inspiration that came from working with such great folks. #collab #collabdinner #westafricanfood #southernfood #connectthedots #origins #wherewecamefrom #whereweare #chef
Preshift is where everyone in a restaurant working service gets together before doors open to get on the same page. New menu items, 86’s, shoutouts, everything we need to have a successful service. As a guest chef @dakarnola (and anywhere I pop-up) preshift meant going over the whole menu, beginning to end. What made this so special was while I’ve always highlighted regional southern cuisine and the cultural influences that shaped them (local Indigenous, diverse West African, and immigrants from Europe/Middle East/Asia) this was the first dinner where I got to explore a singular influence, the origin and foundation of it all. After giving out high-fives in the kitchen, guests arrived and we started with Dakar’s hand washing ceremony, a traditional part of eating at someone’s home in Senegal. Freshly baked bread starts the meal, and I always begin meals with an ingredient that was new to our ancestors when they were brought here but became one of the most important staples in most diets to sustain life, corn. We learned from Indigenous people how to grow, preserve, and unlock the nutrients in corn. Cornbread, grits, hominy, hushpuppies, Johnny cakes, hoe cakes, spoon bread, hot water cornbread, all things we learned, adopted and developed. Along with Dakar’s Palm bread we served Cornbread Madelines, with smoky pepper-infused butter. It was a beautiful and delicious(!) way to connect the dots of where we came from with where we are. There’s much more to share from this collab coming soon, but it was truly one of my favorite dinners and I’ve been digesting (pun intended) the love and inspiration that came from working with such great folks. #collab #collabdinner #westafricanfood #southernfood #connectthedots #origins #wherewecamefrom #whereweare #chef
Preshift is where everyone in a restaurant working service gets together before doors open to get on the same page. New menu items, 86’s, shoutouts, everything we need to have a successful service. As a guest chef @dakarnola (and anywhere I pop-up) preshift meant going over the whole menu, beginning to end. What made this so special was while I’ve always highlighted regional southern cuisine and the cultural influences that shaped them (local Indigenous, diverse West African, and immigrants from Europe/Middle East/Asia) this was the first dinner where I got to explore a singular influence, the origin and foundation of it all. After giving out high-fives in the kitchen, guests arrived and we started with Dakar’s hand washing ceremony, a traditional part of eating at someone’s home in Senegal. Freshly baked bread starts the meal, and I always begin meals with an ingredient that was new to our ancestors when they were brought here but became one of the most important staples in most diets to sustain life, corn. We learned from Indigenous people how to grow, preserve, and unlock the nutrients in corn. Cornbread, grits, hominy, hushpuppies, Johnny cakes, hoe cakes, spoon bread, hot water cornbread, all things we learned, adopted and developed. Along with Dakar’s Palm bread we served Cornbread Madelines, with smoky pepper-infused butter. It was a beautiful and delicious(!) way to connect the dots of where we came from with where we are. There’s much more to share from this collab coming soon, but it was truly one of my favorite dinners and I’ve been digesting (pun intended) the love and inspiration that came from working with such great folks. #collab #collabdinner #westafricanfood #southernfood #connectthedots #origins #wherewecamefrom #whereweare #chef
Preshift is where everyone in a restaurant working service gets together before doors open to get on the same page. New menu items, 86’s, shoutouts, everything we need to have a successful service. As a guest chef @dakarnola (and anywhere I pop-up) preshift meant going over the whole menu, beginning to end. What made this so special was while I’ve always highlighted regional southern cuisine and the cultural influences that shaped them (local Indigenous, diverse West African, and immigrants from Europe/Middle East/Asia) this was the first dinner where I got to explore a singular influence, the origin and foundation of it all. After giving out high-fives in the kitchen, guests arrived and we started with Dakar’s hand washing ceremony, a traditional part of eating at someone’s home in Senegal. Freshly baked bread starts the meal, and I always begin meals with an ingredient that was new to our ancestors when they were brought here but became one of the most important staples in most diets to sustain life, corn. We learned from Indigenous people how to grow, preserve, and unlock the nutrients in corn. Cornbread, grits, hominy, hushpuppies, Johnny cakes, hoe cakes, spoon bread, hot water cornbread, all things we learned, adopted and developed. Along with Dakar’s Palm bread we served Cornbread Madelines, with smoky pepper-infused butter. It was a beautiful and delicious(!) way to connect the dots of where we came from with where we are. There’s much more to share from this collab coming soon, but it was truly one of my favorite dinners and I’ve been digesting (pun intended) the love and inspiration that came from working with such great folks. #collab #collabdinner #westafricanfood #southernfood #connectthedots #origins #wherewecamefrom #whereweare #chef
Preshift is where everyone in a restaurant working service gets together before doors open to get on the same page. New menu items, 86’s, shoutouts, everything we need to have a successful service. As a guest chef @dakarnola (and anywhere I pop-up) preshift meant going over the whole menu, beginning to end. What made this so special was while I’ve always highlighted regional southern cuisine and the cultural influences that shaped them (local Indigenous, diverse West African, and immigrants from Europe/Middle East/Asia) this was the first dinner where I got to explore a singular influence, the origin and foundation of it all. After giving out high-fives in the kitchen, guests arrived and we started with Dakar’s hand washing ceremony, a traditional part of eating at someone’s home in Senegal. Freshly baked bread starts the meal, and I always begin meals with an ingredient that was new to our ancestors when they were brought here but became one of the most important staples in most diets to sustain life, corn. We learned from Indigenous people how to grow, preserve, and unlock the nutrients in corn. Cornbread, grits, hominy, hushpuppies, Johnny cakes, hoe cakes, spoon bread, hot water cornbread, all things we learned, adopted and developed. Along with Dakar’s Palm bread we served Cornbread Madelines, with smoky pepper-infused butter. It was a beautiful and delicious(!) way to connect the dots of where we came from with where we are. There’s much more to share from this collab coming soon, but it was truly one of my favorite dinners and I’ve been digesting (pun intended) the love and inspiration that came from working with such great folks. #collab #collabdinner #westafricanfood #southernfood #connectthedots #origins #wherewecamefrom #whereweare #chef
Scenes from a Seder. Not everyone does Matzoh Ball Soup on the Seder, and making traditional Gefilte Fish is sooo much like making classic French Quenelles… Just another example of shared techniques and overlap in the cuisine of different cultures. 🤗 Gefilte fish and beet horseradish, Herb and Matzoh-crusted Lamb (with spiced lamb and raisin-stuffed figs), a moody Caramelized Apple with soft Vanilla meringue and Almond Lace Tuile. Chag Sameach to all my friends who celebrate Passover! #passover #kosher #privatechef #vip #notforhire #pesach #passoverrecipes
It’s July?! 🤦🏽♀️ Welp, this was June. Date nights, consulting, travel, demos, book signings, show filming, pop ups, awards weekend, and family time with the least easily impressed niece and nephew 😂❤️ Onward to July! All my best to you and yours! Xo
*Bodega appreciation post* Next year is my 20 year anniversary of living in New York and one thing has been consistent throughout…my love and unwavering support for my local bodegas. Some are better than others, but from Brooklyn to Harlem they have always held me down with coffee in the morning and sandwiches, snacks &/or salads at any time of day (and random items like cups of ice) because I cook for others but usually not for myself 🤷🏽♀️ and without them I would be lost. The guy at my local bodega understands when I ask him to fully or not fully scramble the eggs, because sometimes I like pockets of yolk (just not runny if I’m going to eat it while walking to the train), and that is rare. He makes chunky, spicy guacamole every morning and encouraged me to get it on my egg sando instead of tomato, and I’m glad I know to trust the chef! Straight 🔥 The point… Get to know your local bodega, talk to the people who work there, and tip the cook a couple bucks if they make your order just the way you like it! They’re the ones who really support the restaurant industry! 🙌🏽💗 Btw, I’m here for the labeling 😂 #bodega #bodegasandwich #breakfast #lunch #dinner #icecup #kitchentape
*Bodega appreciation post* Next year is my 20 year anniversary of living in New York and one thing has been consistent throughout…my love and unwavering support for my local bodegas. Some are better than others, but from Brooklyn to Harlem they have always held me down with coffee in the morning and sandwiches, snacks &/or salads at any time of day (and random items like cups of ice) because I cook for others but usually not for myself 🤷🏽♀️ and without them I would be lost. The guy at my local bodega understands when I ask him to fully or not fully scramble the eggs, because sometimes I like pockets of yolk (just not runny if I’m going to eat it while walking to the train), and that is rare. He makes chunky, spicy guacamole every morning and encouraged me to get it on my egg sando instead of tomato, and I’m glad I know to trust the chef! Straight 🔥 The point… Get to know your local bodega, talk to the people who work there, and tip the cook a couple bucks if they make your order just the way you like it! They’re the ones who really support the restaurant industry! 🙌🏽💗 Btw, I’m here for the labeling 😂 #bodega #bodegasandwich #breakfast #lunch #dinner #icecup #kitchentape
*Bodega appreciation post* Next year is my 20 year anniversary of living in New York and one thing has been consistent throughout…my love and unwavering support for my local bodegas. Some are better than others, but from Brooklyn to Harlem they have always held me down with coffee in the morning and sandwiches, snacks &/or salads at any time of day (and random items like cups of ice) because I cook for others but usually not for myself 🤷🏽♀️ and without them I would be lost. The guy at my local bodega understands when I ask him to fully or not fully scramble the eggs, because sometimes I like pockets of yolk (just not runny if I’m going to eat it while walking to the train), and that is rare. He makes chunky, spicy guacamole every morning and encouraged me to get it on my egg sando instead of tomato, and I’m glad I know to trust the chef! Straight 🔥 The point… Get to know your local bodega, talk to the people who work there, and tip the cook a couple bucks if they make your order just the way you like it! They’re the ones who really support the restaurant industry! 🙌🏽💗 Btw, I’m here for the labeling 😂 #bodega #bodegasandwich #breakfast #lunch #dinner #icecup #kitchentape
*Bodega appreciation post* Next year is my 20 year anniversary of living in New York and one thing has been consistent throughout…my love and unwavering support for my local bodegas. Some are better than others, but from Brooklyn to Harlem they have always held me down with coffee in the morning and sandwiches, snacks &/or salads at any time of day (and random items like cups of ice) because I cook for others but usually not for myself 🤷🏽♀️ and without them I would be lost. The guy at my local bodega understands when I ask him to fully or not fully scramble the eggs, because sometimes I like pockets of yolk (just not runny if I’m going to eat it while walking to the train), and that is rare. He makes chunky, spicy guacamole every morning and encouraged me to get it on my egg sando instead of tomato, and I’m glad I know to trust the chef! Straight 🔥 The point… Get to know your local bodega, talk to the people who work there, and tip the cook a couple bucks if they make your order just the way you like it! They’re the ones who really support the restaurant industry! 🙌🏽💗 Btw, I’m here for the labeling 😂 #bodega #bodegasandwich #breakfast #lunch #dinner #icecup #kitchentape
Happy Juneteenth Freedom Jubilee Day to all. This is the true day of America’s independence, when ALL Americans know they are free. Today I thank my coterie of chef friends and colleagues who helped to bring my visions to celebrate this day to life during my tenure at @thespruceeats @dotdashmeredith. 1. As a follow up to my BHM programming, I took the first step writing the first Juneteenth piece for Spruce Eats ever and right before publishing @potus declared June 19th a federal holiday! 2. Had to hit up @rosh_lashana of @forthecocktailculture again to bless us with a cock-tale tying historical facts to cocktail ingredients to tell a delicious story. 3. If you love @chefadriennecheatham cooking, read her writing. Thoughtful and inspired is all I can say. 4 5. Inspired by her specialty ramen boxes I had to have Chef Rasheeda Purdie of @ramenbyra bless me with her Juneteenth table and her craveable watermelon ramen recipe. Thanks to @bakingistherapy for bringing it to life. 6. Last but not least, the master @soulfoodscholar Adrian Miller took my idea to honor Texas on this day with Black pitmasters from each corner of the state netted powerful words from @smokeyjohnsbbq @hooversez @mamaandpapajoes and @bravotopchef Wisconsin cheftestant @betweentheslices. It was a honor and privilege to create this content with these brilliant people and the talented teams at the company. Thank you! Now go out and celebrate your freedom today. #food #editor #writer #pride #grateful #celebrate #juneteenth #bodyofwork #producer
Happy Juneteenth Freedom Jubilee Day to all. This is the true day of America’s independence, when ALL Americans know they are free. Today I thank my coterie of chef friends and colleagues who helped to bring my visions to celebrate this day to life during my tenure at @thespruceeats @dotdashmeredith. 1. As a follow up to my BHM programming, I took the first step writing the first Juneteenth piece for Spruce Eats ever and right before publishing @potus declared June 19th a federal holiday! 2. Had to hit up @rosh_lashana of @forthecocktailculture again to bless us with a cock-tale tying historical facts to cocktail ingredients to tell a delicious story. 3. If you love @chefadriennecheatham cooking, read her writing. Thoughtful and inspired is all I can say. 4 5. Inspired by her specialty ramen boxes I had to have Chef Rasheeda Purdie of @ramenbyra bless me with her Juneteenth table and her craveable watermelon ramen recipe. Thanks to @bakingistherapy for bringing it to life. 6. Last but not least, the master @soulfoodscholar Adrian Miller took my idea to honor Texas on this day with Black pitmasters from each corner of the state netted powerful words from @smokeyjohnsbbq @hooversez @mamaandpapajoes and @bravotopchef Wisconsin cheftestant @betweentheslices. It was a honor and privilege to create this content with these brilliant people and the talented teams at the company. Thank you! Now go out and celebrate your freedom today. #food #editor #writer #pride #grateful #celebrate #juneteenth #bodyofwork #producer
Happy Juneteenth Freedom Jubilee Day to all. This is the true day of America’s independence, when ALL Americans know they are free. Today I thank my coterie of chef friends and colleagues who helped to bring my visions to celebrate this day to life during my tenure at @thespruceeats @dotdashmeredith. 1. As a follow up to my BHM programming, I took the first step writing the first Juneteenth piece for Spruce Eats ever and right before publishing @potus declared June 19th a federal holiday! 2. Had to hit up @rosh_lashana of @forthecocktailculture again to bless us with a cock-tale tying historical facts to cocktail ingredients to tell a delicious story. 3. If you love @chefadriennecheatham cooking, read her writing. Thoughtful and inspired is all I can say. 4 5. Inspired by her specialty ramen boxes I had to have Chef Rasheeda Purdie of @ramenbyra bless me with her Juneteenth table and her craveable watermelon ramen recipe. Thanks to @bakingistherapy for bringing it to life. 6. Last but not least, the master @soulfoodscholar Adrian Miller took my idea to honor Texas on this day with Black pitmasters from each corner of the state netted powerful words from @smokeyjohnsbbq @hooversez @mamaandpapajoes and @bravotopchef Wisconsin cheftestant @betweentheslices. It was a honor and privilege to create this content with these brilliant people and the talented teams at the company. Thank you! Now go out and celebrate your freedom today. #food #editor #writer #pride #grateful #celebrate #juneteenth #bodyofwork #producer
