A Photo Series by Brendan "FotoDiaspora" Miller
Chef Max Guillaume and Chef Charlie Mitchell in front of Clover Hill in Brooklyn, NY
A culinary renaissance is happening before our eyes. After generations of historical marginalization, black chefs across New York City are finally being recognized for their industry-leading talent. Exactly 100 years ago a crop of African American musicians, artist, authors and academics collectively reached an unprecedented zenith of recognitions for their excellence. That period, known as the Harlem Renaissance, set the stage for the following century of black artistic excellence.
I had an epiphany last June while attending a Carribean Heritage Month dinner by Chefs Brittney "Stykxz" Williams and Camari Mick. As the chefs introduced themselves and extolled their accolades it struck me how rare it was for a group of young black people to be recognized in any industry for genre leading excellence. Sure, there may be a token phenom in a sport like golf or an exceptional talent in science or politics but rarely does a discipline so historically segregated become influenced by diverse representation.
Chef not Cook: The Process to Plate is a photo series that captures the story of eight industry leading African-American chefs. I chose this title as a nod to the generations of black food creators who were eschewed the esteem of being called ‘chef’ and instead called “cook”. Heavily influenced by the African and Caribbean diasporas, these black culinary artists are impacting gastronomy through their food, voice and cultural authenticity. For generations dishes associated with black food creators were excluded from the discourse of fine American dining.
The transatlantic slave trade brought not only people but ingredients and culinary innovation to the colonies. After initially abdicating culinary duties to white indentured servants, plantation kitchen became the domains of slaves by the late 17th century. Slave cooks often worked 24 hours a day to maintain furnace like hearths that reached temperatures upwards of 800° Fahrenheit. Despite the presence of Hercules Posey, who served as the chief cook in George Washington’s presidential mansion and James Hemming who trained as a chef in Paris at the behest of Thomas Jefferson, black cooks were largely uncredited for the curation of American cuisine. Post emancipation, when blacks were still relegated to service positions the contributions of black cooks remained shrouded behind the veil of Jim Crow and tropes of jolly African Americans who happily catered to white diners. Personas like Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, Rastus and Mrs. Butterworth portrayed amicable caricatures that misappropriated the skill of black cooks. Despite the impressive profiles of midcentury culinary titans like Edna Lewis, Leah Chase and Dr. Jessica B. Harris, few accolades were bestowed to black chefs or their cuisine.
Chef Brittney "Stikxz" Williams serves her jerk lobster in Brooklyn, NY
Chef Edna Lewis-New York Post Archives/Getty Images
Leveraging the significant contributions of black chefs before them, the current generation of black chefs is evolving the historical narrative of black food into the pantheon of elevated cuisine. This series captures Micheline Star recipients, James Beard honorees, Culinary Institute of America graduates, a Netflix star, a Forbes 30 under 30 member and Food Network alums who have overcome years of marginalization to define the current culinary era. Their contributions transcend the kitchen as they use their talents to impact the community and bridge their culture to the world.
“I've always been the token black girl in any restaurant I've ever worked at. When I realized there is a slew of black women chefs out here crushing it right now I can't hate that, I love it, it feeds my inspiration. I've never had a mentor but I have my sisters and there are some things that they have knowledge on that I may not and there's some things that I have knowledge of that they may not so it's only right for us to build together band together instead of being crabs in a barrel and pulling each other down because there's there's no elevation in that.”-Brittney “Stikxz” Williams
Chefs Shenarri Freeman, Nana Wilmot, Jazmin Johnson, Brittney Williams and Rasheeda Purdie discuss sisterhood in the hospitality industry at Platform by James Beard Foundation
As a kid I spent every other Saturday in the back seat of my parent's car traversing the Bronx for meats, seafood and produce. No, we didn’t own a restaurant but Sunday dinner with its rotating cast of family and guests was a serious affair that required live poultry off Gun Hill, butchered oxtails from Arthur Avenue and dasheen bush from the veggie stand on White Plains Road. My parents commitment to sourcing the best food for our table and preparing it with care instilled a desire in me to understand the origin of the food we eat. As I traveled the world as an adult, I constantly found myself asking “How was this dish made?” Who prepared it? What is the origin story of its creator? Was this meal prepared out of abundance or shortage? Celebration or defeat? Freedom or compulsion?” This curiosity has driven me to explore the culinary arts through an investigative lens.
The goal of this series is to give viewers an intimate look into the story's of elite minority chef. The exhibit reveals a close knit community that collaborates and uplifts each other through a unique bond of kinship. It’s important for people to understand that food transcends race, class and gender, leaving an enduring legacy. Black food creators are an integral part of America’s culinary history and Chef not Cook: The Process to Plate is a capsule that captures the breadth of this contemporary renaissance.
Featuring:
Chef Nana Wilmot-Born to Ghanaian immigrants Nana is the owner of Georgina’s Private Chef and Catering Co. and curator of Love That I Knead Supper Club. An alumna of The Art Institute of Philadelphia, Nana went on to work for Wolfgang Puck Catering, Iron Chef Jose Garces. She has also worked at Le CouCou, a Steven Starr restaurant collaboration with Chef Daniel Rose in Soho that garnered a James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant in 2017 and 1 Michelin star in 2018. She has been featured in a variety of publications including Bon Appetite, the New York Times and Eater.
Chef Max Guillaume-This second generation Haitian American is the executive Sous Chef at Clover Hill in Brooklyn, NY. Clover Hill has been awarded back to back Michelin stars (2022 and 2023) with Max playing a key leadership role. After cutting his teeth at his dad’s Boston bakery Fan Fan (where we also shot), Max worked at elite culinary institutions like Michelin Star awardees Jônt and Bresca in Washington DC and Eleven Madison Park in New York City.
Chef Brittney "Stikxz" Williams-Stikxz is a renowned Chef hailing from NYC, of Jamaican descent. She alchemizes dishes spotlighting the Caribbean diaspora, all while reinventing the narrative through pop ups at Michelin Starred restaurants all over New York. Chef has been featured on Food Network's "Taste of Jamaica", Chopped, Food Network's Kwanzaa special, and has developed easy to make recipes on their platform. Not only has she taken part in television features, but Stikxz, has spearheaded a multitude of food styling campaigns for companies like Crux, Saks Fifth Avenue and Ghetto Gastro's cookbook. Her experience in all things culinary, makes her a powerhouse in this industry. With a love & passion for people and the food we eat, it is her determination to embody the notion..."Out of many, One people", through food.
Chef Charlie Mitchell-This Detroit native is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of two time Michelin Star awardee (2022 & 2023) Clover Hill. He has been named a semifinalist for the James Beard Emerging Chef (2022) and Best Chef (2023) awards, and is New York City's first (and only) Black Michelin-starred chef, as well as the second Black executive chef in the country to receive the honor. Charlie credits his grandmother with his passion for cooking. In 2016, at the urging of the chef he worked for at the time, he moved to New York City to pursue a career as a chef where he’s worked at powerhouses such as Eleven Madison Park, One White Street and more.
Chef Lana Lagomarsini- A product of the Great Migration and Caribbean diaspora, Lana was born and raised in the Bronx and currently calls Harlem home. A Northeastern University and the Culinary Institute of America alumna, Lana served as a chef at Michelin and James Beard honorees Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Gramercy Tavern, Daniel, Charlie Bird and Momofuku Ko. Since the pandemic she has been running her own private chef business, Lana Cooks, as a pivot in response to the shutdown of normal restaurant life. Her events have been covered by Eater and the Infatuation, and most recently was featured in Netflix’s “Pressure Cooker” reality chef competition series and on the Food Network’s latest season of “Chopped”.
Chef Lana Lagomarsini holds a tray of seasoned ribeye steaks at a private event in East Hampton, NY
Chef Kuukua Yomekpe- This Ghanaian native migrated to the United States in her teens and settled into a career in higher education. After earning two master’s degrees she pivoted and now runs Asempe Kitchen a pop-up and culinary education program.Asempe means “Curiosity” in Fante which is Chef Kuukua's maternal grandmother's tongue. Asempe Kitchen uses food to encourage dialogue and curiosity about each other. Kuukua leverages culinary experiences, cooking classes, food demonstrations, catering and pop-ups to begin important conversations about how best to create a just world.
Chef Camari Mick-Camari is the executive pastry chef at both The Musket Room, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Manhattan's Nolita neighborhood, and Raf's, a nearby French and Italian bakery and restaurant from the same ownership (of which she is also a partner). In 2022 Mick was a James Beard Award semi-finalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef. In 2023, she became a James Beard Award semi-finalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef for the second consecutive year and was named to Forbe’s 30 under 30 list. Mick proudly incorporates her Jamaican heritage into her dishes. Prior to The Musket Room, Mick honed her pastry experience in some of New York's finest kitchens, including Thomas Keller's TAK Room, Eric Ripert's Le Bernardin and Daniel Boulud's db Bistro Moderne.
Chef Jazmin Johnson- Jaz is a native New Yorker educator and community organizer who dedicates her time to empowering residents through food access and education. The daughter of Honduran immigrants, Jaz attended the School of Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education. Post graduation, she worked at Michelin-starred Bouley at Home, Melba’s in Harlem and developed curriculum for various culinary based educational organizations while refining her cuisine that celebrates Central American ingredients. She was nominated for the NYC Food Policy 40 under 40 Rising Stars Class of 2021 and awarded a certificate of recognition for outstanding contributions to the community from the New York City Comptroller. She currently runs the Teaching Kitchen at The Dalton School and is working to develop it into the first culinary department in a K-12 independent school in the country. In 2020, she founded a community fridge that rescues and distributes farm fresh produce, breads and prepared meals throughout Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.
