One of our biggest takeaways from the social and cultural response to this moment in our country's history is that Black excellence deserves to be celebrated every day, not just in times of tragedy or hurt. While that hurt requires addressing, to let it define the groundbreaking work of Black artists, creators, engineers, and indeed, chefs, would be a mistake. Creative work, should we happen to forget, is also an exercise in joy.
While we sit (and act) with the weight of the moment, we're also deeply inspired seeing our Black colleagues using food as a tool for healing: for creating, celebrating, and loving with abandon. Today we want to take some time to celebrate Black excellence in our community - the culinary sphere - and acknowledge those wonderful pockets of joy and community-building that can be found in uncertain times by creative, determined people. Particularly through food.
All honorees of Dine Diaspora’s 2020 Black Women in Food,
here are four movers-and-shakers making the world a tastier, brighter, more creative place right now:
Twice a week, Melissa Jones’s podcast “Edible Activist” delves into the often overlooked - but hugely fascinating - relationships between food and race in the US. Each episode offers a new perspective from its qualified guests, ranging from “growers and farmers” to “artists, healers, and other extraordinary individuals.” Edible Activist is required listening for everyone with a stake in their community health and its access to quality food...which is all of us! To quote gardener and recent guest Kevin Alsop, “whoever controls your food source controls you.”
This ain’t your grandmother’s homemaking guide.
Creator of the popular Brownbelle lifestyle and hospitality blog, Mariama Bramble is the influencer to follow if you like finding new recipes sprinkled amongst interior design, self care, and sleek, ultra-contemporary homemaking content. Despite her elevated style, though, Bramble is writing for real people. Forgot you had guests coming? Try the Ethiopian Inspired Dinner Party in One Hour. Feeling a little more put together? Treat yourself to her Hibiscus Watermelon Whiskey Smash and learn how to make a eucalyptus wreath, you modern domestic goddess, you.
For those of us not in-the-know, “recipe developer” might sound like a title made up by an amateur food blogger. A glance at Yewande Komolafe’s portfolio, though, will tell you otherwise. A veteran of Bon Appetit, Saveur, and the James Beard Foundation kitchens, Komolafe’s work regularly appears in the New York Times and a host of other high-caliber publications. This is to say: you should follow her on Instagram and keep tabs on her website. Trust me. If only to perfect your Jasmine Milk Cake or Corn-Andouille Spoonbread...
The year is 2019, and Chicago’s Kikko has just earned its first Michelin Star. The chef running it all? Mariya Russell, whose Japanese-inspired bites (at an otherwise cocktail-based establishment) has gained the attention of all the major publications in the culinary world. She also happens to be the first Black female Chef de Cuisine of a Michelin-Starred restaurant. All in a day’s work, I suppose. Follow this history-maker on Instagram for sneak peeks at her newest dishes and snapshots of food culture around Chicago!