Black Event Planners Lead the Charge for Diversity and Inclusion
Cocao Farmers Reclaim Chocolate in Uganda
Houston Restaurants Honor Legacy and Community
Global Businesses
Keep Passions Alive Through Reinvention
TIA MOWRY
Builds Food Empire with New Show and Cookbook
Special Edition 2021
cuisinenoirmag.com
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2 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
MORE is always a good idea. Occasionally, we all enjoy more of a good thing. If you like our Original Creole Seasoning, but want a little more spice with a little less salt, this seasoning blend is for you.
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Publisher’s Note www.cuisinenoirmag.com PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
V. Sheree Williams GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Terry Tomlinson DIGITAL DESIGNER
Tarik Assagai COPY EDITOR
Janice M. Sellers CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Phyllis Armstrong, Ashia Aubourg, Mira Cassidy, Rekaya Gibson, Wanda Hennig, Ruksana Hussain, Lauren Johnson, Angela P. Moore, Mia Nicole, Sucheta Rawal, Kalin Thomas, Fred Wilds What a year. Never in a million years would I have thought we would be in the middle of a pandemic. But here we are. Many describe the events of 2020 and 2021 as heartbreaking, dark, lonesome and life-changing. Others I have talked to have shared the words and phrase pivotal (yes, that one), awakening, discovery and a time to focus on what matters. All def initely resonate with me. Our last print issue was in 2017. At that time, the media landscape continued to be challenging to navigate. Black-owned media companies such as ours were tirelessly advocating for advertising and sponsorship dollars from brands that many Black consumers support. This work continues today. I took a step back to see how we can continue to pioneer stories about and with Black tastemakers, game changers and influencers in food, drink and travel without the f inancial support and backing that mainstream media outlets have built their platforms on. My answer was to move in a direction that aligned more with who we are, our mission and the legacy we want to leave behind. Last August, I started our multimedia nonprof it, The Global Food and Drink Initiative, because at the heart of what we do, we’re here to serve. We’re here to not only tell stories but to inform, help build and provide access and opportunity. Cuisine Noir continues to be our flagship publication and this September, we celebrated 12 years of leading in the Black food media space. This is an accomplishment that we are so proud of. And, not but, there is more work to be done. This issue is part of that work. I am so excited to share the stories in this special edition that capture voices from around the globe as entrepreneurs and small business owners share in their own words how the pandemic changed their lives and how resilience played a role in coming through to the other side. I hope you enjoy the stories as much as we enjoyed writing them. Also, be sure to check out some of the Black-owned products launched over the last year, as well as our food and drink recipes to add to your at-home gatherings and happy hours. Lastly, thank you all for your support. Knowing our community recognizes the importance of platforms such as Cuisine Noir gives us the fuel we need to keep going.
In solidarity,
V. Sheree Williams, Publisher 4 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Wes Naman RECIPE DEVELOPMENT & TESTING
Nikki Shaw Adrian Lindsay ADVERTISING SALES
Paula R. Bowens MAILING ADDRESS
4100 Redwood Road, #20A-124 Oakland, CA 94619 CONNECT WITH US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM (@CUISINENOIR). Cuisine Noir is published by the multimedia nonprof it, The Global Food and Drink Initiative. Any views expressed in any advertisement, article or photograph are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Cuisine Noir or its parent company. © 2021 The Global Food and Drink Initiative. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from The Global Food and Drink Initiative. To donate and support our work, visit www. globalforgood.org.
A SPECIAL ISSUE PREVIEW
ON THE COVER: TIA MOWRY, PHOTO BY MATT ARMENDARIZ
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PHOTOGRAPHY: MATT ARMENDARIZ, LEONARDO CARRATO, JENN DUNCAN, SALVADOR MARCH, NOIRBNB AND V. SHEREE WILLIAMS
Tia Mowry continues her passion for creating delicious recipes with a new cookbook and cookware collection along with her hit YouTube show premiering on CLEO TV.
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7 ART OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP Nkoyo Adakama delivers more than flavor with vegan food truck Don’t Be Chick’n.
30 RETURNING TO RIO AND BAHIA Brazilians look to welcome tourists back after suffering signif icant losses in tourism brought on by COVID-19.
16 ALL IN THE FAMILY Building on his family’s legacy for serving the community, Chris Williams’ shift to save his restuaurant gave birth to a deeper purpose.
35 COMMUNITY AND COLLABORATION After creating a platform to celebrate Black culture in Canada, ByBlacks extended its efforts to highlight the country’s Black-owned restaurants.
21 REINVENTION IN EUROPE Two small business owners share how they used the unfortunate events of the pandemic to redirect their businesses.
37 LODGING FOR PEACE OF MIND The owners of these Black-owned properties aim to create a safe and respectful experience for travelers of color. WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM
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6 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
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Don’t Be Chick’n:
Oakland’s Hot Spot for Crunchy Fried Vegan Chick’n and More BY MIA NICOLE A thick slab of tangy baby back ribs smoking on the grill. Tender baked beans drenched in grandma’s secret sauce. These are just some of the dishes you look forward to at family cookouts. With the yearly debate about which auntie makes the best potato salad heating at the spades table, you survey the ample spread. Reaching for the plump, crispy drumstick staring at you, your mouth begins to water as your favorite “yoga-loving-save-the-animals” Millennial cousin proudly shares, “It’s vegan fried chicken,” with a smile. “It is from Don’t Be Chick’n and it is plant-based.” Plant-based? It may not be poultry, but trust, once that burst of fried goodness hits your taste buds, it’s every bit like chicken and it is delicious.
PHOTOGRAPHY: DARRIN BALDRIDGE AND V. SHEREE WILLIAMS
THE PANDEMIC WILL NOT STOP A DREAM The year 2020 took a major toll on the food industry. Restaurants large and small, food trucks and even a few Starbucks could no longer survive due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seeing your favorite eatery permanently closed has become our new normal. Yet, some entrepreneurs were not afraid to take a chance and forge ahead with their dreams no matter how gloomy the world appeared. In 2019, model and entrepreneur Nkoyo Adakama envisioned a new concept that focused on creating soul food classics with a plant-based twist. She off icially launched Don't Be Chick’n in August 2020, quickly garnering buzz as her soulful renditions became the talk of the town. Born in Sacramento, California, Adakama started her pre-vegan journey as a plus-size model. “I love my body and who I am, and I wanted to represent that to other women around the world,” she says. “I began taking photos of myself and several companies reached out to me and asked me to come to Los Angeles to model with them.” However, her self-conf idence was rocked when she experienced an unimaginable and devasting situation. “I was assaulted in my early 20s. I started not to feel comfortable with who I am and in my own skin, and that led to depression and anxiety. It was really hard to model and be this example to women when I knew my truth inside, and I didn’t feel like that anymore,” she shares. Instead of taking medication to f ight her sudden mental health challenges, Adakama searched for a healthier alternative, and it was then that she began her journey, which resulted in becoming a vegan. “I wanted people who looked like me to know that there is an alternative [to medication] option,” she says.
DON’T BE CHICK’N TO BE YOURSELF The entrepreneur’s desire to empower and encourage others quickly crossed over into her food; she wanted everyone to be healthy. That led to creating a plant-based meal prep company called Compassion Meals in 2018. “When people tasted my food, they loved it, so I decided to start selling it,” she says. A vegan for f ive years, it was the comfort food that she missed, so she created her own recipes. “I added the fried chicken to my menu, and it just really took off.” She wanted a business name that spoke to her and her philosophy of “don’t be afraid to be your true self.” Don’t Be Chick’n was born. “Where can you go and get a vegan bucket of fried chicken with all of the classic sides?” asks Adakama. “A lot of people do burgers, BBQ, but no one has really done vegan fried chicken, and it is one of the hottest things on the market right now.” Adakama relocated her new business to the Bay Area, initially setting up inside The New Parkway Theater in Oakland. In July 2021, she put Don’t Be Chick’n on wheels, launching her f irst food truck which can be found throughout the city. A follow on her Instagram page (@dontbechickn) will give you the locations where she’ll be with the truck on any given day. EXPANSION DREAMS With plant-based options such as macaroni and cheese, chick’n tenders, beignets and more on the menu, Don’t Be Chick’n has made a name for itself across the country. “I have received calls from North Carolina, Virginia [and] various places on the east coast,” she says. She also sees herself and her food truck traveling in the future. “I see a Don’t' Be Chick’n tour where people in various parts of the country can see what it is about. Half of my clientele is not vegan. They just literally love my food and the flavors and are so intrigued by it, that it keeps them coming back for more. I get a lot of fried chicken lovers who are obsessed with it, and they can’t believe that it's not chicken.” WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM
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Baltimore’s
Breaking Bread and Hotel Revival Are Blessing the Community STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY KALIN THOMAS The sizzle of chicken wings being lowered into hot oil is the beginning of Kimberly Ellis’ award-winning “sticky wings.” The tasty, sticky sauce she covers them in has made the wings the most popular item on the menu of her restaurant, Breaking Bread (@breakingbreadnation). The Baltimore native and her team have come back to the city’s only boutique art hotel, Hotel Revival, to show what it was like being able to use the hotel’s kitchen to keep her business going during the height of the pandemic. Hotel Revival (@revivalbaltimore) is located in the tony, historic arts district of Mt. Vernon, just a stone’s throw from the United States’ f irst Washington Monument. As Ellis and her son and sous chef, James, plate her perfectly prepared wings, salmon and lamb chops, she looks out at the nearly panoramic view from Hotel Revival’s top floor restaurant, Topside, and shares memories of how her business and relationship with the hotel all came about. 8 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
FROM RECOVERY TO RESTAURANT OWNER “As I look out to the far left of the Washington Monument, I can see my old high school, Baltimore City College,” Ellis says with a sigh. “And as I look to the far right of the monument, I can see Mercy Hospital, where not long ago, I was expecting to die. And yet here I am, still doing what I love,” she shares. After getting sick, Ellis had to have surgery. “It was supposed to be outpatient surgery but the surgery lasted 10 hours and I started hemorrhaging,” Ellis recalls. “And I literally gave my husband, Edward, my last will and testament from my hospital room. And I told him to be sure my sons, who were teens at the time, had my recipes because girls their age can’t cook.” But Ellis came through that health scare and with a different attitude about work. “I said I was never going to do what I don’t love doing ever again,” she explains. “I wanted to do what makes my heart sing, and I love
food! I love cooking it, growing it, f ishing, farming and crabbing. I love it all! And I love to feed people and sit down and talk to people,” she says with excitement. And that’s when Breaking Bread was born. FEEDING AND BLESSING THE COMMUNITY Ellis started preparing meals out of her home. “I would call my friends and coworkers at Care F irst and tell them that I was cooking on Friday and, if they could get me ten orders, their meal would be free,” Ellis recalls. “Then people started asking me about catering. And that summer, we did farmers markets and food festivals, and my sticky sauce became a hit with customers,” she says. Word of mouth got so good that she needed a separate space to work from, so she rented a building in Baltimore’s Pig Town neighborhood, just a block from where her grandmother used to own Hattie’s Luncheonette. And in November of 2014, Breaking Bread
opened as a restaurant and catering company. Along with being a popular community spot for good food, like her “awesome fries” and her top-selling sticky wings and jerk turkey lamb burgers, Breaking Bread also became a community hub for political candidates as well as conversations with police during the 2015 uprising after the police killing of Freddy Gray. But Ellis says the real blessing was being able to mentor kids through her nonprof it, Chewmanity. “Our tagline for Breaking Bread is ‘Great Food for All Chewmanity,’ so that’s what we decided to call our nonprof it,” she says. “We had cooking classes on the second floor of the restaurant, and we have a relationship with a community grocery store that will have someone come out and speak to the class about fresh vs. frozen, store brand vs. name brand, couponing and feeding a family of six on $50 a week in food stamps.” KEEPING THE FAITH THROUGH THE PANDEMIC Then came the pandemic. Breaking Bread could no longer serve guests in the restaurant, but it stayed open because it was feeding frontline medical workers, so it was considered an essential business. The loss of dine-in customers caused a decrease in income and an increase in stress from their landlord demanding that they pay their rent, which was months
late. “He kept threatening to put us out, even though the city had announced a moratorium on evictions for not paying rent,” laments Ellis. “And my rent at the time was $3,400 a month. On top of that, we kept all of our staff, so we were carrying them too,” she adds. But then she received a miracle. “We got contacted by [celebrity chef] Jose Andres’ World Central Kitchen to help supply meals to the needy. And that really was a gamechanger for us because it alleviated a lot of the stress of what we were going to do with all the food we still had.” THE HOTEL REVIVAL BLESSING Then the lease with their landlord ended in December of 2020. Still, Ellis’ strong faith continued, and Hotel Revival showed up. “Shout out to Jason, Dante and Donal, who was the kitchen manager. They were awesome,” shouts Ellis. Hotel Revival also has a commitment to helping the community. And Jason Bass, their f irst director of culture and impact, creates ways to make that happen. “When the company shares their core values, I’m responsible for connecting that with actions,” says Bass, who is also a Baltimore native and attended the same colleges as Ellis. He continues, “We were introduced to Breaking Bread through a partnership with Dr. Nia Banks of The Art of Balance Wellness Spa. We put it out there that we had an
additional kitchen that we weren’t using and wanted to donate and she connected us with Kim Ellis. And after hearing her story and tasting her food, we thought it made a lot of sense for us to offer our kitchen to her.” NEW BUILDING AND BLESSINGS Once Hotel Revival’s restaurant reopened, Breaking Bread had to look for another location. But through the help of her best friend and business partner, Catherine Inniss, who is co-owner and COO of the restaurant and a real estate agent, Ellis was able to f ind a new location just blocks away from Hotel Revival. “We recently closed on three sideby-side buildings at 220, 222, and 224 Park Avenue,” Ellis effuses. “Now we’re in the process of renovations.” Ellis hopes to reopen by February 2022. She says the pandemic has taught her to embrace what really matters, saying, “How you treat people matters. And so our restaurant is all about being that place for everyone to be fed and be safe no matter your race, sex, religion, politics, whatever. You’re welcome here.” She gets emotional, concluding, “I want to feed bellies and souls. Our food is great and it wins awards, but it’s not just about that. It’s about being a blessing to other people. And I’m just grateful that God chose me to be the vessel to do it. I’m blessed and I’m living my best life.”
Kimberly Ellis plating her top-selling sticky wings
Kimberly Ellis at Breaking Bread's new location
Jason Bass
Kimberly Ellis and her team WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM
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Christopher Viaud F inds His Way Back to
Haitian Roots and the Importance of Togetherness BY ASHIA AUBOURG
STEPPING INTO HIS OWN LIGHT AMID COVID-19 After years of working in different restaurants and consulting on various projects that included opening new restaurants in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the future business owner decided it was time to step into his own light. Many necessary pieces fell into place, allowing the new restaurateur to open Greenleaf. Greenleaf opened in 2019 as a farm-to-table restaurant and provided an opportunity for Viaud to showcase his years of experience. Many emerging restaurateurs assume diff iculties in their f irst years 10 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
of operating a restaurant. Understandably, challenges such as training a new team and coming up with a brand identity arose. However, like everyone else, Viaud did not anticipate a pandemic and its impact on his restaurant and the industry worldwide. In May 2020, which would have been Greenleaf’s f irst anniversary, Viaud continued taking steps to ensure his restaurant could survive the grasp of COVID-19 instead of preparing for celebrations. “Greenleaf is an upper-end dining model. So, we refreshed the menu, ordered take-out supplies, new products, and catered our meals towards more family-style plates," shares the chef. Consequently, COVID-19 sparked an awakening for many people who had been pushing off inner interests. For Viaud, becoming a contestant on Bravo’s “Top Chef" was not at the forefront of his mind as he navigated being the owner and executive chef of a newly opened restaurant. However, when pushed by mentors to go after the opportunity, like many people during the pandemic who tried new things, Viaud knew it was time to reach new heights, which landed him on season 18 of the hit reality culinary show. FAMILY AND TOGETHERNESS After f ilming and packing up his knives in Portland, Viaud (@chefchrisviaud) returned with the idea of bringing his parents and siblings together to establish the presence of their Haitian roots at Greenleaf. The innovative restaurateur reflects, “It was still the pandemic, and we met on the phone to learn more about our family's Haitian recipes. As a result, we came up with the idea to host dinners called Ansanm at Greenleaf. At the f irst dinner, we had over a hundred orders. My parents and siblings are not professional chefs, but regardless we knew we had something special," shares Viaud. Last summer, Viaud also opened Culture, serving artisanal breads, pastries and sandwiches. While the storefront name sources its origins from the art of bread making, Viaud still prioritizes showcasing his Haitian roots occasionally as specials on the menu. "It's the beauty of introducing our culture's food to the community, and more importantly, f inding time to meet with each other as a family to learn and preserve Haitian recipes that I hope to pass along to my daughter someday."
PHOTOGRAPHY: PHIL VIAUD AND VINNY MARINO
For Christopher Viaud, owner and executive chef of Greenleaf and its sister restaurant Culture in New Hampshire, collectivity paved the way for prosperity in the culinary industry, as well as his learning odyssey. Viaud's adolescent memories involve him in the kitchen with his Haitian mother crushing herbs and spices in a wooden pilon for aromatic stews and sauces. “Food was the root of what brought us together," he says. Before entering the culinary industry, the chef's path began in Randolph, Massachusetts, a city right outside Boston and home to many Haitian people. Viaud’s parents, born in Haiti and later making a home in the United States, prioritized their children knowing Haiti's rich history, values and pride. "It was important for my parents to enforce what it means to be a Haitian family, including food, language, attitudes and religion. Being centered in that upbringing allowed me to understand who I was hoping to become as a husband, father, chef and throughout my career." There was a turning point near the end of Viaud's high school years when it was vital for him to f igure out what's next. As f irst generation in the U.S., he jokingly shares, “In the Haitian culture, there are specif ic paths that your parents typically want you to pursue, like becoming an engineer or lawyer." Facing a crossroad of pursuing his interests while still making his parents proud, he decided to explore a curiosity in the culinary arts. "My parents were supportive just in the fact that I decided that I wanted to pursue something and follow a path that I thought would be successful," he shares. So, with the desire to make his parents proud, he eagerly attended Johnson & Wales University and absorbed as much learning as possible.
Recipe Corner thanks to one of my favorite brands, Tony Chachere’s. No matter what I am making, I can always f ind something from Tony’s that helps me create amazing meals.
As a chef, I love playing around with different ingredients to take some of my favorite dishes to the next level. For these recipes, I am adding even more flavor
Nikki Shaw
PREPARATION
CAJUN DEVILED EGGS WITH CRISPY BACON Servings: 12 | Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS 6 jumbo eggs 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon sweet and hot mustard 2 tablespoons sweet relish 1/4 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s More Spice Creole Seasoning 3 strips bacon, cooked and sliced
1. Add eggs to a medium pot and completely cover with water. Turn heat to high. After water begins to boil, cook for 12-14 minutes. 2. Drain and rinse eggs with cold water. Peel eggs and slice half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a small bowl and arrange egg halves on a plate. 3. Mash warm yolks with a whisk and stir in mayonnaise, mustard, relish and Tony Chachere’s More Spice Creole Seasoning. Add ingredients a little at a time, using more or less mayonnaise depending on the desired creaminess of the mixture. Whisk mixture until completely smooth. 4. F ill egg whites with yolk mixture using a teaspoon. Sprinkle a dash of Tony Chachere’s More Spice Creole Seasoning to garnish the top of each egg. 5. Cut each slice of bacon into four equal pieces. Top eggs with bacon right before serving to maintain crispiness. 6. Serve right away or store eggs in refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap up to 3 days (keep bacon separate when storing).
TIPS & NOTES 1. For a better presentation, make a disposable piping bag. Place yolk mixture in a resealable sandwich bag. Twist the top of the bag to force the mixture to the bottom corner. Using scissors, cut a 1/2 inch off the tip. Gently squeeze the mixture into each of the egg whites. 2. Jumbo eggs are recommended, but if using smaller eggs, slightly reduce the amounts of the other ingredients. 1 cup safflower oil 1 fresh lemon, cut into wedges TARTAR SAUCE 1 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon onion, f inely chopped or grated 3 tablespoons dill pickles, f inely chopped or sweet pickle relish 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, f inely chopped 1/4 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
PREPARATION
PAN-FRIED F ISH F INGERS & TANGY TARTAR SAUCE Servings: 4 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 4 minutes
INGREDIENTS 1 pound f ish f illets (cod, bass or sole), rinsed and patted dry 1 egg 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Louisiana Pepper Sauce 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning 1 cup Tony Chachere’s Crispy Creole F ish Fry Mix
1. Cut f ish f illets into strips (about 1 inch wide, 3 inches long). 2. In a medium bowl, create an egg wash by whisking together egg, milk, Tony Chachere’s Louisiana Pepper Sauce and Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning. Pour Tony Chachere’s Crispy Creole F ish Fry Mix into plastic bag. 3. Add f ish to egg wash bowl and evenly coat all pieces. Shake off excess wash and add f ish to bag with f ish fry mix one piece at a time. Shake each piece to evenly coat then lay f ish on a plate. Place plate in refrigerator for 15 minutes to allow coating to set. 4. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high to reach 350 ºF. Lay the f ish f ingers in the skillet and pan fry until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove f ish from pan and lay on paper towels or rack to drain. 5. Add all tartar sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and mix until blended. Transfer sauce to a small dish and serve with hot f ish f ingers and lemon wedges.
TIPS & NOTES 1. Try this same delicious recipe with large prawns. WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM
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Cover Story
Tia Mowry Making Money Moves and Building Her Empire While Being Her Authentic Self BY ANGELA P. MOORE
T
CREATIVE TIME With the country still in the middle of a pandemic, the talented actress has managed to continue pursuing her dreams and stay creative. Since the pandemic, the mom of two has found herself in the kitchen more than ever. “With two kids in the house, we absolutely had to get creative during lockdown. One of our favorite activities was creating fun recipes in the kitchen. Cory and I spent a lot of time with the kids in their playroom – there were arts and crafts, tea parties, video games and more,” says Mowry. With a career spanning three decades, Mowry is known internationally after becoming a pop culture icon starring in the hit sitcom “Sister, Sister.” She currently stars in Netflix's award-winning series “Family Reunion,” which won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Children's Program. She released her f irst cookbook, “Whole New You,” in 2017, which is f illed with recipes, life-changing information and resources to 12 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
help you enjoy your best life. Her follow-up, “The Quick F ix Kitchen,” hit bookstore shelves and kitchen counters in September. “All my cookbook inspiration comes from my family. In the Mowry household, food and family have always gone hand in hand. The recipes in ‘The Quick F ix Kitchen’ are family-friendly, delicious and accessible/ easy to follow. It took over a year of prepping. I poured my heart into this book, meticulously choosing recipes that my family and I love. I am in love and cannot wait for you to get the recipes.” FOOD, FAMILY AND FUN Managing a household is a job in itself. Try adding a family, cooking meals, a career and a global crisis to the equation and life can become even more challenging. Furthermore, it takes a dedicated person, a good team and lots of planning to balance it all and maintain one's sanity. “You know, life is all about balance, but at the end of the day, family comes f irst. The pandemic has almost been a blessing in disguise because it has allowed me to work from home. In between zooms, I'm playing with dinosaurs, cutting up quesadillas and listening to detailed explanations of each and every Pokémon. “Regarding balancing my different projects, I have an incredible team who understand me and know my passions. They help me create a schedule where I can be on set while simultaneously designing cookbook packages while also f inding time to share my favorite things on Instagram; they help me follow my dreams.” In many households, Sundays tend to be reserved for family, attending church, cooking favorite meals or a day of catching up on rest and relaxation. Things are no different for this celebrity family. “Sunday is def initely family day in our house. Currently, we are loving sheet pan dinners. It's such an easy, delicious meal. You
PHOTOGRAPHY: MATT ARMENDARIZ
ia Mowry is at it again. This time the multitalented actress, producer, author and entrepreneur has inked a mega-licensing deal with Kin and TV One's sister network, CLEO TV, to bring “Tia Mowry's Quick F ix” to cable television for the f irst time beginning in October. This is a rare cable syndication deal for a web series. With a strong social media presence and over 21 million followers between all her social media platforms, Mowry is the epitome of embracing the power of social media. According to Kin, Mowry’s channel is its fastest growing to date, and the deal gives the franchise an opportunity for expansion by reaching a new audience. Launched in 2017, CLEO TV plans to roll out 80 of the more than 150 episodes that can be found on the popular YouTube channel that helps viewers solve life's little dilemmas fast, from quick ideas for a weeknight meal and organizational hacks to tackle clutter, to beauty tips that get you out the door in a flash. “’Tia Mowry's Quick F ix’ is coming to a television near you. I'm so thrilled to share my YouTube adventures on the big screen. There is so much viewers can look forward to. We've got all kinds of videos [from] over the years. I've been lucky enough to capture my kids' birthdays, fun and tasty recipes with my dad, personal conversations with my husband Cory and more. You really get an inside look into my life,” Mowry announces with excitement.
just place your ingredients onto the pan, throw it in the oven, and package up the leftovers for the week when you're done. We also like mixing it up with breakfast for dinner. Sheet pancakes are a staple in our house. I'll cut up extra fruit and make extra pancakes for breakfasts later in the week.” EXPANDING EMPIRE AND LEGACY In addition to a licensing deal with CLEO TV and a new cookbook, Mowry launched her own vitamin line in 2020. “Anser is my baby! Each product was created with so much love, precision, thought and care. I started Anser because I was tired of not seeing people like myself represented in the wellness space. So, I took charge and decided to create my own line of supplements. Teaming up with UTA Ventures and BioSchwartz, I was able to manifest my ideas, fuel my passion and grow Anser. Our products are healthy, unique and state-of-the-art. The main thing that sets Anser apart from other vitamins is its accessibility. Anser is a brand for the people. This year we launched in Target – a store where everybody shops. We pride ourselves in being present and available,” says Mowry. There's more. Mowry is putting the f inishing touches on her upcoming housewares line, Spice by Tia Mowry. She’s the latest celebrity to partner with Gibson, a leading producer of housewares products, on an extensive collection that will include prep tools and gadgets, cookware, bakeware, storage, serveware, dinnerware and drinkware, as well as hydration and outdoor products.
When asked what legacy she would like to leave behind, she says, “Wow, I love this question. I def initely want to be remembered for inspiring health and wellness and for making a difference in people's lives. My supplement line, Anser, has given me an incredible platform to make this happen. I've experienced f irsthand the frustration of not knowing what was wrong, why you were feeling ill, and having no knowledge of how to f ix it. So I took action. I want to leave behind a legacy of change, inspiring people all over the world that it's okay not to be okay – your health should come f irst.”
QUICK TOMATO SAUCE Use this sauce for pasta or pizza as well as for cooking meatballs. It is a quick tomato sauce that doesn’t have any sugar, like some of the jarred sauces. MAKES: 3½ cups | PREP TIME: 5 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes INGREDIENTS ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 small onion, grated 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 garlic cloves, grated 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes PREPARATION 1. I n a deep skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. 2. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and stir well. Let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the pan. Excerpted from THE QUICK F iX KITCHEN copyright © 2021 by Tia Mowry-Hardict.
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CN Essentials Just a few ofnine summer’s travelsweet experience. I am highlighting Blackmust haves for the ultimate food, wine areand savory, or worth the sip. businesses that have launched Browse our amazing selection and products during the pandemic that show your support.
Rekaya Gibson
SYMPHONY POTATO CHIPS COCONUT FEVER | $4.39 $20.99 (6-pack) Coconut is definitely the flavor of the Symphony introduces a new flavorbars to its year and a natural fit for ice cream collection. features the same that willItcool you down on acrispy, warm thin chips many have grown to love.Coconut The briny summer day. Edy’s OUTSHINE balsamic gives a smoky Waters bars arethem infused with asweetness, sweet, makingbanana it a new customer favorite. creamy puree and chunks of www.symphonychips.com fresh pineapple and very refreshing. www.outshinesnacks.com
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All bottled waters mixes really don’t tastethe theguesssuperb seasoning will take same surely proves that to be canworkand out1907 of preparing mac & cheese, true. premium water isand sourced and died This yams, peach cobbler collard greens. The easy-to-read instructions everybottled in New Zealand and the explain naturally thing yougives needitto rave reviews. high alkalinty anget enjoyable taste that www.soulfoodstarters.com is sweet and refreshing. www.nzng.com
MARY ALICE CAKES | $13.98 (2-PACK) SAUCE ON THE cake FLY with | $7.53 Whip up a delightful this easyDon’t let this byit’s without to-use mix.summer It tastesgo like made grillfrom ing your favorite wingsAlice’s dressedsecret in wing scratch, thanks to Mary recipe. sauce from Modern Gourmet Foods. Scrumptious and family approved. www.maryalicecakes.com Nothing says “Come and get it” like Hot, Sweet & Sour, Garlic and Honey BBQ. After one bite, you’ll be the talk of the party, basketball game or office. www.moderngourmetfoods.com
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WONDERFFLE | $49 Take this innovative waffle iron and stuff it. Then, placeTIME it on |an$9.99 outdoor grill or on a gas COCKTAIL & $19.99 and electric is cooktop. Cook 5-inch round and Networking easy with Holdaplate 2-inch thick f illed with that allows youBelgian-style to have one waffles hand free scrambled eggs, fried sausage and/or and food and a drink in the other. This whatyou desire. in minutes. 6-inchever cocktail plate isReady eco-friendly, www.wonderffle.com stackable and perfect for entertaining at home, the office or events. www.holdaplate.com Prices at time of publishing.
PUR NOIRE WINES | $120 Set the mood with three inaugural wines fromTRAVEL this husband-and-wife team. SMART They include 2019 Pur a red PRICEthe VARIES bY Epiphany, SIzE blend; the 2019 Pursecurity Elevation, a pinot gris; Zip through airport with GoToob and the 2020 Pur Euphoria, a rosé – all travel tubes that are soft, “civilized” andwith meaningful labels. wine tasting easy to fill and clean.Host Oneasqueeze and at home and sip to grape-ness! you’ll be sold and best of all they are www.purnoirewines.com drip-proof and food safe too. www.humangear.com
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BARLOW’S FOODS | $10 ROADTRIP FUEL | $6.50 Start home your own breakfast Don’t leave without a bag traditions of Ellen’s with Granola Barlow’s.made It makes and Gourmet with fluffy clusters moistgrain pancakes and and waffles entire of whole oatmeal nuts,the seeds family willAenjoy. The resealable bag and dried fruit. perfect energy booster contains organic and ingredients while on the road or at whole the ballpark. to amplify its deliciousness. Available in a variety of flavors. www.barlowsfoods.com www.ebay.com
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14 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021 8 Cuisine noir | summer 2013
Recipe Corner While at home with family over the last year and a half, I found a new direction for my cocktails with Black-owned spirits and ingredients. “The Ideal Bartender,” the classic bartending book by Tom Bullock, probably moved me in that direction. The Pullman Porters and past chefs are often cited, but rarely do we hear of past Black bartenders. The food and beverage industry is experiencing
a “Black Renaissance” and I’m stuck at home. Both of these spirits are two of my favorites for making cocktails that will become the talk of the party. If you’re building a bar at home, I highly recommend making sure these are in regular rotation. – Adrian Lindsay, Veteran hospitality professional
UNCLE TOM The story behind Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey has impacted the industry, inspiring new brands. Legendary Black bartender Tom Bullock impacted the industry from behind the bar. Here’s a drink inspired by these gentlemen. A play on the classic sazerac, this cocktail also pays homage to the African contribution by way of sorghum. 2 ounces Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey 1/4 ounce sorghum 4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters anise hyssop tincture or absinthe rinse orange peel anise hyssop flowers (optional)
PREPARATION Combine f irst three ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Stir for ten seconds. Rinse a coupe or martini glass with anise hyssop tincture or absinthe. Strain drink into glass and garnish with expressed orange (orange peel squeezed over drink). Add anise flowers if available.
HAITIAN REVOLUTION Primarily known for its rice, Haiti is getting recognition for some amazing spirits. LS Cream Liqueur based in Montreal, Quebec, is making a big impact; the nutmeg and other spices are perfectly balanced. You’ll want to put this in a flask for coffee outings, if that’s legal in your state.
PHOTOGRAPHY: WES NAMAN
2 ounces LS Cream 1/2 ounce Rhum Barbancourt 1/2 ounce Liquor 43 small piece of chocolate of your choice, shaved
PREPARATION Combine f irst three ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Thoroughly shake and strain over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with chocolate shavings. Cocktail sponsored by LS Cream Liqueur, visit www.creamls.com for more information and to purchase. WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM
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Houston Chef-Owner
Chris Williams Makes the Right Moves for Lucille’s and 1913 Nonprof it During the Pandemic
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atching Broadway go dark in New York City gave him a sign of dire times ahead. A celebrated Houston restaurateur then realized what was coming to Texas when he witnessed Bourbon Street shutting down in New Orleans. “I knew we had about f ive days tops before it was going to happen with us,” says chef Chris Williams, the owner of Lucille’s (@lucilleshouston). “My biggest concern was not our closing, but us losing all the good work and the progress made up to that point.” SHIFTING TO SURVIVAL Williams quickly shifted Lucille’s into survival mode to keep executive chef Khang Hoang and other people responsible for the restaurant’s success working. He and his team implemented a contactless to-go model for serving customers. The staff of 46 agreed to accept the average of their biweekly pay. “Even though we were down 92%, we were able to still pay 99% of our staff. There was only one person we lost,” he says. The Houston entrepreneur also talked to his vendors about lowering expenses by doing transactions at cost. “You can continue to pay your people and keep business going, but we’re not going to be making money right now,” Williams told them. 16 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
The chef and his brother Ben opened Lucille’s in August 2012 as a tribute to their great-grandmother. Lucille B. Smith’s life as a culinary innovator, educator and successful entrepreneur still inspires them. Chris had just celebrated the restaurant’s most prof itable quarter when the 2020 pandemic forced him to revamp the ref ined Southern cuisine menu. “We’re not getting any Wagyu. Give me the toughest, cheapest piece of meat that you have and let me f igure out how to make that delicious, so we save money,” says Williams. “With everything to go, we went to family-style and took our prices down 40% across the board. It is a model that worked.” Lucille’s raised $52,000 for out-of-work bartenders when Williams started a bar pop-up series on Thursday nights. Alley Cat’s owner Marcus Davis was the f irst to let his staff mix cocktails behind Lucille’s patio bar. Bar owners of all races accepted the offer and their customers showed up. “It turned out to be a great cross-promotional kind of thing because now we’ve introduced ourselves to their audiences, and I’ve introduced them to my audience. It was beautiful,” Williams says. BIRTH OF 1913 Lucille’s staff takes pride in making the most of their time and talents. So, Williams began providing free meals for Texas Medical Center workers on the
PHOTOGRAPHY: JENN DUNCAN AND AYAAN AHSAN
BY PHYLLIS ARMSTRONG
night shifts. “We started feeding graveyard workers to the tune of 3,000 meals in the first 15 days,” says the restaurateur. Then Williams accepted a two-week contract with the World Central Kitchen to make and deliver meals to senior citizens in the historically Black Sunnyside community. “The first day I went to deliver meals for 120 residents, I knew exactly who they were. They looked just like my family. I used to visit all the time back when they were living in Sunnyside, and I knew exactly how they liked to eat.” Williams continued delivering meals Sunnyside residents could enjoy after the contract ran out. He took proceeds from his hospitality group, Lucille B. Smith’s Fine Foods, to start the nonprofit Lucille’s 1913, a conscious community collective (@ lucilles1913). He chose the name because of his great-grandmother’s ability to open a Fort Worth catering company in 1913 with limited resources. The chef worked 20-hour days to launch his nonprofit and went from delivering 120 to 400 meals a day by the end of the second week. “I’d cook all those meals alone. I’d package them up, load them up in my car, go deliver them, and then I’d go back to the restaurant and work until midnight,” he says. “I got addicted to those relationships I built with those people; just the little interactions in seeing the joy that bringing a meal that is deliberately planned with their palates in mind.”
brother’s accomplishments. “It’s really like watching my brother just grow a lot in his purpose and passion and fleshing out who he really is,” says the entrepreneur. “You realize a lot of interesting things, like how this spirit of community service runs so deep in our family,” Ben says. “Top Chef” f inalist Dawn Burrell (@ chefdawnburrell) helped create 1913’s new fermentation lab. She and Williams collaborated to take advantage of 52 acres of donated land. The land will be used to give people jobs and provide fresh and preserved produce for communities. “It’s bringing us back to the way things were done, preserving things at the peak of their ripeness and season, and also preserving things for later use,” says Burrell. EYES ON THE FUTURE
Williams plans to set up more 1913 satellite kitchens. He is working with Project Row Houses on opening the Rado Market next summer. “I feel like you have to take advantage of the opportunity because when has this ever happened for us in this country? We’ve never been celebrated and nurtured the way we are now and really supported by our own community,” he says. His partnership with Burrell will bring new culinary talent to self-funded restaurant ventures in the works, including Emile’s Black Point Bistro in Canada, where Williams’ sons Tracy and Daylyn live. He and Burrell are working on getting Late August ready to open early next year at The Ion constructed on the old Sears & Roebuck site in Houston. Burrell’s culinary vision f its The Ion’s purpose of bringing innovators together. “My hope and mission are to expose people to an elevated form of global comfort with connections to the African diaspora,” says Burrell. She is excited about the partnerPATH TO PHILANTHROPY ship with Williams. “Chris is an extremely Substantial donations helped creative, brilliant, brilliant man with a expand 1913’s mission. “We passion that matches mine.” Williams is went from doing 400 meals with equally impressed. “The reason why I think a staff of two people to doing Chris Williams and Dawn Burrell Dawn will be great is that she’s an amazing 1,800 meals a day. Now we emchef. She’s all about using ancient techploy over 18 people, including niques, flavors and ingredients in innovatwo chefs, to run the operation. We’ve donated over 300,000 meals,” tive ways in combination.” says Chef Williams. Over the years, Williams received valuable lessons about giving The entire Williams family joined in when the charity helped resismart people a chance to grow. He learned from his father, Connie dents left without electricity, food or water after winter storms hit Texas last February. The chef’s parents, brother, sister-in-law and the Williams, who established his own law f irm and from his mother, Panonprofit’s new culinary director, Lawrence Walker, banded together tricia Hogan Williams, the founder of the Imani School. He treasures in the organization’s production kitchen. “We did 200 meals that first the examples set by his parents and his great-grandmother. “It’s a lot night. Four hundred meals the next night, and then I got Chef Dawn, easier to pick up somebody’s torch as opposed to having to start your own f ire, right? What she’s done is pass the torch to us, and we’re and we did 600 meals every day after that,” Williams says. Ben Williams, the owner of Highway Vodka (@getonthehighway), continuing on with her legacy. So, I think she would be proud for donated 10,000 liters of artisanal water from his distillery to 1913’s sure, but I also think the critic in her would be like, ‘Baby, you need efforts. The nonprofit’s founding board member is impressed with his to work on those hot rolls ‘cause that ain’t right.’” WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM
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Veronica Wandui
Takes the Lead at One of the Most Luxurious Banquet Kitchens BY SUCHETA RAWAL
PUTTING IN THE WORK Being in a male-dominated industry, Wandui had to prove herself to her peers and earn their respect. She claims her reason for success is hard work and constantly pushing herself. “I learned knife skills, butchery, and how to cook so many different cuisines when I went to culinary school in Atlanta. At the St. Regis, I learned to make sauces and stocks from scratch. But I didn’t just stop there. I wanted to learn more so I can rise to the top. I networked with all the other departments and asked them to show me everything about sourcing, budgeting, leadership, etc.,” she adds. Wandui’s culinary techniques span a variety of cuisines, including Italian, Latin American and French. When diners like Congolese basketball champion Dikembe Mutombo host galas, she whips up elegantly plated masala-rubbed steaks with sweet potatoes and ugali, drawing on her African roots. LUXURY AT HOME Before COVID-19, Wandui worked long hours and the fast-paced cooking environment def ined her life. Once the state issued an executive order limiting gatherings, all of the hotel’s events were canceled and Wandui and her staff were furloughed. 18 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
To reinvent herself, she started making African-style lamb, chicken, beef and vegetable stuffed samosas and fresh savory chapati in her home kitchen, which she sold to people stuck in the house. “They could store in the freezer, reheat snacks for families, and add the chapatis to stews to make quick weeknight dinners,” she says. Orders for her African homestyle food started pouring in from all over the country and she would ship them out in ice boxes. “The mailman came to know me. I was there 3-4 times a week,” recalls Wandui. “It helped me out a lot because it kept me busy.” Some of her clients also reached out for help in creating personal banquets at home while they celebrated birthdays, anniversaries and backyard weddings during the pandemic. Wandui recollects, “For a birthday party, I made bacon risotto, roasted Brussel sprouts and lamb for six people and packed it really well. But I also sent them pictures of a plated dish and the table layout. Virtually, I showed them how to set up the table with f ine china, flowers, and votive candles so that they can have the St. Regis luxurious experience at home.” INVESTING IN FUTURE LEADERS Fortunately, most of the hotel’s events booked before the pandemic have been rescheduled, but on a smaller scale. Instead of 600-person balls, there are smaller, socially distant banquets. This means Wandui is back in the kitchen facing new challenges and implementing signif icant changes in her operations. Because of the aftermath of the pandemic, Wandui also faces limited supplies of ingredients and has to improvise quickly. For example, if she gets a bad batch of asparagus, she runs to the nearby farmers market to purchase sunchokes, or if she didn’t get the seasonal berries ordered, she alters her breakfast display to what she can f ind. “I always f ind a solution f irst, then communicate to the client right away. They always seem to understand,” she says. Wandui’s biggest personal achievement is proving that a Black woman can be an excellent leader in the kitchen. To inspire others to rise up, Wandui employs mostly women in her kitchen and mentors girls in Kenya studying culinary arts. She is f irm yet kind, understanding yet demanding, and never displays her weaknesses in front of others. “I play mother and boss at the same time.”
PHOTOGRAPHY: SALVADOR MARCH
Chef Veronica Wandui is one of the few Black women chefs in the country to lead the banquet kitchens of a luxury hotel. She exemplif ies that hard work and focused leadership can help you get to your goals. But the road here was not easy. Wandui grew up in a large family in Nairobi, Kenya. She attended Save Our Souls culinary school and came to the U.S. through a green card lottery program. When employers wouldn’t recognize her African culinary degree, Wandui enrolled at The Art Institute of Atlanta and later earned a business management degree. Her career path includes an internship at the Georgia Dome sports stadium, owning a catering business, and working in the kitchens at different Starwood Hotels. In 2009, she joined the brand new St. Regis Atlanta hotel, starting as a garde manger supervisor and working her way to executive banquet chef. Her job now involves curating memorable dining experiences at the hotel for guests celebrating weddings and hosting conferences. She meticulously orchestrates the demands of event planners, sources specialty ingredients, coordinates menus and runs a smooth kitchen that serves hundreds of guests simultaneously.
Planning for a Pandemic:
The Event Industry’s Dilemma PHOTOGRAPHY: ANA ISABEL PHOTOGRAPHY, WP WILLER SPECIAL EVENTS AND ANDREW ROBY EVENTS
BY RUKSANA HUSSAIN
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hen the pandemic was f irst declared in March 2020, it sent the world spiraling. All industries and sectors were impacted and suffered, including the event planning world. What would have been a busy season of corporate events and big weddings was reduced to a state of no activity. Black event planning professionals were already working on improving representation and inclusion within the industry in the United States, and the pandemic now added a new set of concerns. DIVERSIFYING EFFORTS For Andrew Roby, award-winning Washington, D.C.–based event and wedding planner and the founder and CEO of Andrew Roby Events (@andrewrobyevents), the wedding side of his event planning business crumbled. “We shifted to doing micro weddings and did about 20 during 2020,” he shares. “In 2019, we brought in over a million dollars in sales, which is really great being that we are only f ive people, but for 2020 we have a def icit of 30% on revenue, so it hit us hard. Our income evaporated.” Across the industry, Roby has seen professionals adapt in different ways. Designers transitioned to interior décor services; many became coaches, mentors and speakers. For himself, there was an interesting twist: consulting. Many organizations didn’t know what to do next and needed help on direction. “The consulting side allowed us to navigate the experience they were wanting to have and create that opportunity for them,” he shares. Another avenue he explored was speaking at events on diversity, equity and inclusion for the National Events Council. Roby co-founded the council with industry colleague Darryl
William P. MIller Moore, founder and CEO of D’Concierge Design, amid the racial injustice events in 2020. “When we look at DEI within the event industry, there wasn’t enough happening within the U.S. from corporations supporting Black and brown event professionals. This is why we began to really target corporations that are hiring us … they are the ones that have the most power and can employ members of the event industry.” The council asks corporations to commit to a 20% pledge to say that, at minimum, 20% of the people working future events will be Black and brown. Looking ahead, Roby is concerned about how businesses will navigate this fluctuating landscape. “I think we are going to be in this phase through summer of next year,” he says about the everchanging pandemic restrictions. “Knowing that, my guidance is to not forget the virtual realm and hybrid. For hybrid, focus more on the core participants being at the event’s venue while everyone else is watching virtually.” PRIORITIZING COLLABORATION “2020 put a damper on everyone’s business. The fast pace that we were going at abruptly came to a halt,” says Tara Melvin, founder and creative director at D.C.-based Perfect Planning Events (@perfectplanning). She is also the founder of the Signature CEO conference, an annual event which she held as a hybrid in 2020 and resumed as an in-person experience this year. She has a program where she mentors individuals on how to become event planners, and she launched the National Society of Black Wedding and Event Professionals last year as well. “We are the f irst and only nonprof it association for Black wedding and event professionals, with members in 23 states and representation in the Caribbean, and we have 150 Black-owned businesses currently,” she shares. The association collaborated with some of WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM
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Having observed the industry evolve over the years, she says, “When I started, it was less of us. Now there is more of us.” She believes with intentional collaboration and networking between Black business owners, media shining the light on them consistently and not simply as a response to societal unrest and celebrities becoming more intentional on where the spending power of their dollars goes, there can be more recognition for Black event planning professionals. EMERGING STRONGER
Andrew Roby
the top organizations in the industry—Wedding International Professional Association (WIPA), National Association for Catering and Events (NACE) and International Live Events Association (ILEA)—to shine a light on Black-owned businesses, educational opportunities and more. With events coming to a standstill, Melvin had to review how to contractually do events because nobody had previously set up contracts to face something like a pandemic. Being able to handle those types of situations to protect one’s business was important. Also, the increase in costs for commodities used to create events called for revisiting the pricing structure to ensure event planners were running prof itable businesses. Melvin had to transition most of her clients to event dates later in 2021 and 2022. Some of her vendors transitioned to micro weddings, catering companies had to release staff and pivot to delivery service only, photographers moved to doing socially distanced family portraits or business branding sessions. 20 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
At the onset of the pandemic, William P. Miller, creative director of Los Angeles–based WP Miller Special Events (@wpmillermoments), was busy at work. “We were in the process of planning four major events … I knew the pandemic was serious, but I did not know the impact it could have on myself and my employees,” he says. Miller has (center) and team had his events production company for 23 years and worked with clients worldwide, including celebrities such as former F irst Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Kamala Harris, Mira Sorvino, Niecy Nash, Holly Robinson and others. “Fortunately, all my clients were understanding, so we had to work with venues and vendors to negotiate refunds and rescheduling.” To address the lull in business, Miller switched to virtual and hybrid events and participated in more online conferences for speaking engagements. He offered a threeday high-performance event planners professional master class for newer event planners to build their businesses. Most importantly, he created a candle company called Opulent Scented Moments, which had him f illing orders and handling new business the last few months. Miller is also one of the founders of The Black Table (@theblacktable_), an organization formed to promote the presence and positions of Black event professionals. “As Black event professionals, we need to work together. We are stronger united than Tara Melvin divided,” says Miller. In response to several cultural issues taking place during the pandemic, The Black Table saw more engagement, furthering its focus to enhance the presence of business opportunities for Black event professionals nationwide. “One thing worth noting is the event industry produces weddings, conventions, conferences; all the reasons that people travel,” he shares. “The airline industry was bailed out, but because our event industry was so used to operating individually, there was no bailout for us. So, I have noticed people have tried to come together to form a more collective body within the special events industry overall.” Meanwhile, he says business is coming back, sharing that he has three major conventions planned for 2022. “We have the challenge as everyone else of not knowing what’s ahead . . . We are becoming creative with producing hybrid and virtual event experiences . . . people are f iguring out how to make this work, but that’s what we are supposed to do because in a state of emergency, this is when we emerge.”
CREATIVITY EMERGES AMID A
Pandemic in Europe BY LAUREN JOHNSON
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hen COVID halted all nonessential business operations in 2020 and again in early 2021, business owners around Europe were confronted with a shocking reality. Besides the drastic lifestyle change, the number of international tourists who kept businesses afloat was dwindling. Major streets that were normally bustling with giddy shoppers were now quiet. Globally recognized landmarks were desolate. And shops and restaurants were closed, if only temporarily. France, which took the largest economic hit out of all European countries, saw a loss of 193,000 jobs in the travel and tourism sector during the pandemic’s lockdowns, resulting in a loss of nearly $103B to the country’s economy.* As many small businesses around Europe shuttered for good, some Black entrepreneurs used the opportunity to pivot their businesses for longevity.
PHOTOGRAPHY: LAUREN JOHNSON AND TANISHA TOWNSEND
MORE WINE TALK IN FRANCE Tanisha Townsend, the founder of Girl Meets Glass (@girlmeetsglass), was running a successful wine tourism business in Paris, France, when the pandemic brought everything to a halt. Like many, Townsend was forced to switch gears to keep her freelance business alive. Once fully booked with tours of Parisian wine bars and jaunts to the Champagne producing region of Epernay, Townsend began to reach out to winemakers to offer her extensive marketing and communication skills. “I began setting up social media accounts and bios for winemakers. I also marketed and promoted wines through my social media account. I was drinking wine. Why not talk about it?” For Townsend, the pivot has been a turning point for her business. “Tourism is back in France, and I have a few client tours here and there, but the business and work that I developed during conf inement and lockdowns have continued,” she says. Many countries within the European Union had swift and effective aid programs for small business owners. “Without having to worry completely about not having any money coming in, I was able to
focus my energy totally on the wine industry and what I could do to build my business.” NEW DIRECTION IN GERMANY In Germany, small business owners were issued an emergency aid package for up to three months to help them stay afloat during tough times. This was issued as a lump sum for many and came as a muchneeded lifeline during unknown times. Kirk Henry, owner of the Jamaican restaurant RosaCaleta (@rosacaleta) in Berlin, Germany, was satisf ied with the aid he received from the government, and it helped sustain his business during the forced lockdown. It was crucial to his dine-in restaurant, which couldn’t transition to take-out as easily as more casual establishments. “The brand [RosaCaleta] is known for the atmosphere, so takeout wasn’t great for us. People came, but it wasn't big business like pizza joints, for example.” When RosaCaleta reopened on May 15, 2021, after nearly seven months of a forced shutdown, he was relieved when business picked up, returning to nearly prepandemic traff ic. But for Henry, the downtime and a change in perspective have encouraged him to pursue his dream of taking the brand international. He once saw himself opening a Miami branch of RosaCaleta but decided instead to close the Berlin restaurant and pivot to host year-round pop-up events and holiday dinners as well as continue his successful catering business. As the EU struggles with stagnant vaccination rates, some Black business owners are grateful to f inally see a clear path to success and, at long last, some optimism marking the end of a dark time. With a resurgence in tourism and events, business owners are excited about the return to normal while appreciating the opportunity to pursue other avenues and keep their entrepreneurial passions alive. *World Travel & Tourism Council, 04-05-21 - WTTC research reveals Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to France’s GDP dropped by €103 billion in 2020
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Recipe Corner below will make cooking for the family something you look forward to doing and a meal they look forward to eating.
Quick, easy and delicious meals still reign supreme in my household. As we all get back into a new routine of everyday life, these recipes
Nikki Shaw
CAJUN CRAB CAKE SLIDERS Servings: 8 | Prep time: 40 minutes | Cook time: 12 minutes
INGREDIENTS 1 egg, beaten 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Louisiana Pepper Sauce 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s More Spice Creole Seasoning 2/3 cup flaky, buttery crackers, crushed 1 pound lump crab meat nonstick spray 2 tablespoons butter, melted 8 sweet Hawaiian-style slider buns or dinner rolls 2 lemons, sliced into wedges parsley, chopped for garnish
PREPARATION 1. In a medium bowl, mix egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, lemon juice, Tony Chachere’s Louisiana Pepper Sauce and Tony Chachere’s More Spice Creole Seasoning together until well blended. 2. Add cracker crumbs and crab meat to the mixture, then gently fold all the ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Try not to break the lumps of crab meat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 3. Preheat oven to 400 ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with nonstick spray. Using a tablespoon, scoop a heaping portion of the mixture, the size of a golf ball. Using your hands, gently
form the mixture into a ball and place on pan. Drizzle melted butter over the top of each crab cake. 4. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly golden. 5. Slice rolls in half, place hot crab cakes inside, then add tartar sauce, lettuce, tomato or pickle and garnish with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.
INGREDIENTS 1 box (8 oz) Tony Chachere’s Creole Dirty Rice Dinner Mix 1 1/3 cups chicken broth 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup 1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets 1/4 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning nonstick spray 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in half 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
PREPARATION 1. Preheat oven to 375 ºF. 2. In a large bowl, add Tony Chachere’s Creole Dirty Rice Dinner Mix, chicken broth, soup, broccoli florets and Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning and mix well. 3. Lightly coat an 11x8x2-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Pour the rice mixture into pan and place chicken pieces evenly over mixture. Lightly season chicken with Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning. Cover pan with foil. 4 Bake for 50 minutes or until all ingredients are fully done. Remove pan from oven and remove foil. Immediately sprinkle cheese evenly on top and allow it to melt before serving.
DIRTY BIRDY CREOLE CASSEROLE Servings: 4 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 50 minutes 22 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
TIPS & NOTES 1. Replace broccoli with other vegetables such as asparagus, green beans, peas or carrots.
Uganda’s
Latitude Craft Chocolate
Creates Sustainable Business Model for Farmers BY WANDA HENNIG
Cacao farmer Kabugho Provia
PHOTOGRAPHY: CANDICE LASSEY
O
h yes. We all know about chocolate bliss. Chocolate’s rich and exotic 4,000-year history had its origins in ancient Mesoamerica, that matrix of Indigenous cultures — Mayan and Aztec among them — found in parts of Mexico and Central America before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. Now, about two-thirds of the world’s cocoa is produced in western Africa with Ivory Coast being the largest source; Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon are up there too. Uganda, the setting for our chocolate story, was later to the party in terms of cocoa production, which has seen a steady increase over the past few years. “You drop a seed and the soil is so fertile, it roots and grows,” a friend says when I tell him I am writing this story. Cacao, a perennial crop, thrives under shade in rainy tropical areas. It is now the country’s fourth largest export after coffee, tea and f ish. “Whether you are looking for mountain gorillas — the country’s primary allure — wildlife safaris, volcano trekking, whitewater rafting or just kicking back on the beach, Uganda, with its dense, misty forests, snowpeaked mountains, glassy lakes and sprawling savannas, has the best of Africa covered,” I read in a BBC travel article and add Uganda to my bucket list. This landlocked African destination, with high volcanic mountains to the eastern and western borders, sits on a central plateau covered by rainforest. Sadly declining at 2.6 percent per annum, it’s one of the highest rates of forest loss globally. “African farmers sweat, while others eat sweets” is a sad but true reality. Cocoa production in Africa is mired in stories of child
labor and exploitation. Cacao beans are exported in raw form, which means few within the country of origin benef it. The good news is, chocolate is going the way of coffee, especially in the U.S., with more people paying attention to ethical practices. Easy these days to Google “sustainable chocolate” or “fair trade chocolate” and buy selectively. HOT CHOCOLATE Latitude chocolate, the brand, the philosophy, the bean-to-bar business, was launched in 2017. The name is in reference to “latitude-zero,” the equator being the location of the small western Ugandan town of Kasese where this chocolate (ad)venture was born and which is home to Latitude’s drying station and processing plant. A second plant is in Bundibugyo, about two hours’ drive away. In 2020, the company opened a boutique chocolate factory in Uganda’s vibey capital city of Kampala, which borders Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake. Uganda was, and continues to be, pummeled by COVID-19. It has driven many from the cities, forcing them to return to agriculture and other natural resource-dependent activities. As one of the world’s poorest nations, poverty remains deep-rooted in rural areas where farming — around 90 percent of women work in the agricultural sector — is the main source of income. Tanzania-born Nuba Elamin, general manager of Latitude Craft Chocolate, has a master’s in international development and social change from Clark University in Massachusetts. The company is run by 25 full-time Ugandan employees. The mission is to bring the unique
flavors of Ugandan cocoa to the world while having a positive impact on the community. “We are quite literally building an industry from scratch, not only establishing a new reputation for Ugandan cocoa in the marketplace, but training a workforce of young chocolate and confectionary professionals. We work with them from f inancing to agronomy and best organic practices,” says Aggie Verdin, based in Kampala, who works in marketing. Before COVID hit, around 1,000 farmers were working with the company, growing cacao beans on one-to f ive-acre homestead plots. The number of farmers selling to Latitude has grown during the times of COVID to close on 2,500. More than half the farmers are women. “There has been an increased influx of people [going] back to their home villages due to COVID. This is attributed to the diff iculty in f inding income in the city with businesses locking down. In the country, people can grow food and be assured of a more stable livelihood. Also, there are few things people need to spend money on so life is more affordable,” says Anying Paul Max, cocoa production manager at the company’s Bundibugyo plant. “Supplying the premium market has enabled a number of farmers to build brick houses covered with iron sheets and to establish other businesses as an alternative source of income. More farmers are growing cacao as a result of the premium market and better prices," says Kabugho Provia, a farmer who sells her cacao to Latitude. Provia farms on the three acres around her home. “Training provided by Latitude on WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM
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pruning, weeding and how to maintain my cacao garden has improved my cacao quality and yield,” she says. Her typical day is spent working in her garden and maintaining her other crops: bananas, cassava, beans and yams. Since selling to Latitude and the quality market, she says, “I’ve been able to construct a house, buy another plot of land, buy some goats and to send my children to school. And I no longer hire out my cacao garden to other people as I used to in the past.” CREATING FAIR PRACTICES Buying directly, not through a broker, means farmers are paid 15 to 20 percent above market value and paid in cash on delivery. On receipt every purchase is tagged. This is the f irst step in offering sustainability, traceability and transparency to the customer base. The cacao pods are taken to the hand-turned drying and fermentation plants where the flavor prof ile is developed over about two weeks. After processing, some of the cocoa is exported in this form to the international premium chocolate market. About 20 percent is turned into Latitude’s luxury chocolate bars at the artisanal Kampala plant, via drumroasting and alchemy, which yields each slab’s ultimate flavor prof ile. “Our aim is to have 50 percent made bean-to-bar, chocolate at origin, right here in Kampala,” says Verdin. Uganda has a large diaspora, mainly in the U.S. This diaspora has contributed signif icantly to the country’s economic growth, largely through investments (especially property). For tourists, Uganda offers its “pearl of Africa” attractions. Those previously mentioned plus a diversity of birdlife; the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994, which contains about half of the world’s population of endangered mountain gorillas; and the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, also home to these mammoth great apes. While at least 32 languages are spoken, with English (along with Swahili) being “off icial,” Uganda is an easy destination for the U.S. traveler. The restaurant scene in Kampala is lively. The coffee is sublime. And of course there is the chocolate. Knowing farmers, fermenters, forgers and families are benef itting, what better way to make one feel virtuous the more one indulges? Visit Latitude online at www.latitudecraftchocolate.com and follow along on social media (@latitudechocolate_kla). To purchase outside of Uganda, go to www.barandcocoa.com. 24 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
Owners of Alfreda’s Soul Food Overcome Pandemic Challenges to Keep a Houston Legacy Alive BY PHYLLIS ARMSTRONG What happens when economic downturns, natural disasters or cultural changes sweep away a beloved business? The late Otis Redding said it all when he sang, “You don’t miss your water till your well runs dry.” Patrons across America are longing for Black-owned restaurants that vanished during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. In Houston, the proprietors of the decades old Alfreda’s Soul Food (@alfredassoulfood) f ight to not only survive but thrive. “When you look at Alfreda’s and how long it’s been open, this is like a legacy situation for many of these businesses,” says Marguerite Williams. She co-owns Alfreda’s with her husband Troy. American Express and the National Historic Trust Preservation recently awarded the couple a $40,000 grant to help keep the doors of the Third Ward mainstay open. “God has been with us through this process and continues to help us navigate and make a way. We’re thankful for that because he’s shown up right when we needed him,” says Marguerite.
“We’ve learned how to do things more eff iciently, which I think most people have if they are still in business,” says Troy. A takeout and delivery operation kept Alfreda’s going in the pandemic’s early months. Troy’s early work on an online ordering system made a difference. “One of the initial things that I really pushed for when we f irst bought Alfreda’s was to drive some of the orders online. We’ve had that in place close to day one,” Troy explains. The restaurateurs supported customers as they adjusted to new technology and menu changes. Some new and updated dishes had to be dropped. “Because we have limited staff, and it requires orders to be cooked on demand, we haven’t had a full menu since the pandemic,” Troy says.
PHOTOGRAPHY: KEN JONES PHOTOGRAPHY AND ALFREDA’S SOUL FOOD
WORKING DAY AND NIGHT Troy Williams and his wife devoted the past four years to preserving and improving Alfreda’s, founded in 1964. They bought it in 2017 after Hurricane Harvey closed their downtown Houston restaurant. Disaster struck again in 2020 when the pandemic shut down the world. The couple rallied to overcome lost customers, falling revenues and dining restrictions. “It was def initely a lot of pressure. It was tiring and a lot of work involved,” Troy says. “At one point, Troy was cooking, cleaning, opening, closing, doing the cash register and getting the supplies. We had gone down from a staff of 12 to just a few,” his wife adds. The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy and Research estimates nearly 41% of Black-owned establishments did not survive and closed permanently in 2020.
Troy and Marguerite Williams
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Alfreda’s owners received some assistance through the Payroll Protection Program. They did not get approved for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, even though they submitted their paperwork on the f irst day. Congress instructed the Small Business Administration to prioritize funding for independent restaurateurs lacking access to pandemic relief, including women, veterans and people of color. However, a Texas judge blocked the SBA from distributing revitalization funds to priority applicants. Thousands of restaurant owners already approved did not get the money promised to them. Wealthy businesses getting aid upset a friend of Troy’s so much he offered Alfreda’s owners a no-interest loan. It helped cover rent not reduced despite declining sales. “We can pay him back when we can. His point was that it’s not time for people who have money to get more assistance from the government,” Troy says.
The Williamses elevated the legacy of the Almeda Road institution by offering better quality food, such as fresh vegetables and a homemade seasoning blend. The soul food restaurant ranked among the city’s best gained some advantage being among the f irst to reopen after pandemic closures. That changed with another unforeseen crisis. EXPLOSION ON ALMEDA An explosion at Bar 5015 on June 12 last year caused about $100,000 in damages to Alfreda’s. The Williamses managed to get some restoration work done with a $40,000 budget. “All the windows were blown out. The doors had to be replaced and the siding,” Troy says. Houston f ire investigators believe four men seen on a surveillance camera pouring an accelerant inside Bar 5015 triggered the explosion. Repairs to Alfreda’s took until October because the club’s insurance company refused to pay for damages caused by suspected arson. “We lost the momentum we’d gained during the pandemic. If we hadn’t had to close for four months, our sales would be f ine,” Marguerite says. SOURCES OF SUPPORT The American Express grant could not have come at a better time for Alfreda’s, one of 25 small restaurants selected for their history and cultural signif icance. The grant required the funds be spent on improving signage, menu boards and outdoor seating. The restaurant at 5101 Almeda Road will be able to seat about 40 patrons on the refurbished patio and about 20 socially distanced customers indoors. 26 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
JOY OF SURVIVAL The Houston restaurant’s loyal patrons are also helping to uphold the legacy of the longest surviving soul food restaurant in the Third Ward. Alfreda’s comfort food, uplifting music and community connections are cherished, especially by older generations. Troy was told one long-time customer actually cried when he heard about the explosion. “They had relationships like that with Alfreda’s. Some of the retired people would hang out, and some of the working people would pass through cracking jokes, having fun and catching up with what was going on in the community,” he says. A mural painted on Alfreda’s northside wall illustrates the history that matters to so many customers. Former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison, Astros pitcher J.R. Richard, Super Soaker inventor Lonnie Johnson, and other Black achievers are there. Pastor Victor Gaddie painted the History, Heritage and Hope mural with assistance from student volunteers. “People take pictures over there just about every day. I think if anything, the mural has gone national and across the world just from Instagram,” Troy says. The Houston restaurateurs are as intentional in their commitment to service as they are to Black History. They often provide jobs to people rejected by other employers. “They meant everything to me as far as getting me started. Mr. Williams personally has shown me not only the work through his ministry. But he became a great friend as well,” says Romy Ladet, an Alfreda’s employee since 2018. Ladet was turned down for 40 to 50 jobs after serving 23 years in prison. He thought he would never get work. He tried again after spotting the restaurant from a bus window. “I went in there and talked with him. He told me he would be giving me a call. It’s all praises to God that he gave me that chance,” Ladet says. He learned food prep, work ethic and so much more from Troy. Ladet now does heating and air conditioning maintenance full-time, but still works part-time at the restaurant. “He’s so valuable to Alfreda’s that all the months we were closed, I paid him [for] 40 hours every week,” says Troy. The Williamses f ind joy in battling to stay in business because the restaurant fulf ills a higher calling. “I’m really praying that we will be able to keep the restaurant because of its history and being able to serve through Alfreda’s,” says Marguerite. Troy hopes their restaurant never becomes a Black business people don’t value until it is missed. “If we get back to where we were, I think we’ll appreciate it even more. We appreciated where we were before we got into this situation, but we didn’t know we had it so good, right?”
South African Chef Amanda Manyatshe Challenges the Global Food Conversation BY RUKSANA HUSSAIN When South African chef Amanda Manyatshe embarked on her culinary love affair in Cape Town a few years ago, she was on a personal journey to learn more about her own roots and, in the process, the similarities that bind the African continent and diaspora. Some of Manyatshe’s best work has blossomed to the forefront during the last few months of the pandemic, with recent milestones to include the unexpected feature this year on CNN as an African Voices: Changemaker. Her pivot also includes taking on the role of private chef and recipe developer, as well as content creator and food stylist/ photographer on her Instagram account, @forthefoodieinme, turning the spotlight on the important work she is spearheading.
PHOTOGRAPHY: AMANDA MANYATSHE/@FORTHEFOODIEINME AND AFULELE MASHALABA
BRINGING FOOD AND COMMUNITY TOGETHER ONLINE As a private chef, Manyatshe is trying to change the palettes of people by incorporating traditional foods and modernizing it for approachability, whether that’s organic chicken, called umleqwa in Xhosa, mopane worm pasta or even sheepshead risotto. Her clients, garnered through word of mouth and social media, comprise the who’s who in the local business world and South African celebrities. “I try to change people’s views on African food and ingredients by cooking in a way that is closer to what they know,” she says. “It’s basically the marketing of the ingredients because if you think about it, prawns are like ocean cockroaches, but they’ve had much better PR than mopane worms, which is why we eat those but look down on the worms.” She quickly points out this isn’t about a fear factor or shock value of cooking with the most unique ingredients. “For many people, it’s their traditional food and staple diet. Nobody’s food is disgusting; it’s just different from what you know.” It all began with a yearning to learn more about herself. Manyatshe was born in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) and her father’s job had the family moving around across Johannesburg, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), and several other parts of the continent. Her father is Venda and mother is Xhosa, and relatives have mentioned extended family in Zimbabwe, Zambia and central Africa. “Which explains why I have always had this unknown attraction to things from that side of the world,” she says. “Food connects us in that way, so I was interested to f ind out what other shared cultures and histories we have.”
SHARING DISHES FROM AFRICA WITH THE WORLD During a stint in the corporate world, Manyatshe applied for a Woolworths Taste Eat Out Initiative scholarship toward chef training at Silwood School of Cookery, the oldest culinary school in South Africa, not expecting much of it. To her elation, she received the scholarship and specialized in Le Cordon Bleu-style French cuisine and f ine dining. But the long hours working at top-notch culinary establishments barely spared time for self or family. Becoming a private chef answered her need for both flexibility and creativity. “I wanted to see food that was us, ingredients that are ours, that have been elevated to a f ine dining level,” she shares. “Food has always been central in my life. It’s my happy place, my sad place and my love language. It’s how I communicate with people.” Manyatshe dealt with personal loss and professional setbacks during the pandemic. She turned inward to serve herself and those around her better, enlisting the help of a life coach and therapist. “I was able to get the tools I needed to pick myself up and restrategize… to see what’s happening or working or not. What people need right now.” COMMUNITY CONNECTION THROUGH FOOD Meal preps, online lessons, video tutorials and recipe development were all birthed from that realignment of her energies. “It forced you to think outside of your normal box … in doing so, I found a whole other community of people who love my food and content,” she shares. The mopane worms received quite the reaction online, as did the snoek roe (f ish eggs from an oily fleshed f ish like mackerel). “The comments on social media were about how it brought back childhood memories, and people were telling me how to prepare it.” Such cultural and culinary conversations initiated through her work are ample fodder for Manyatshe to continue her quest for community and connection through food. The other big win is changing the minds of people about African cuisines and how they are presented. “The one complaint I used to hear was our food is not visually appealing, but I specialize in pretty f ine foods, so challenge accepted! Being able to change people’s opinion about how they view food is a great motivator for me. I am not saying I will change the world, but if I can change your mind and you at least taste it, that’s a good enough start.” WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM
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The
Ivy Hotel Reseals Its Commitment to World-Class Hospitality
A
s you turn down Biddle Street in Baltimore’s historic Mount Vernon district, you’ll want to let out a breath and exhale for the experience that awaits you at The Ivy Hotel. With original architecture dating back to 1889, Eddie and Sylvia Brown have transformed the original mansion, turned off ice space for the city’s parks and recreation department into an über-luxury 5-star boutique hotel. When the two HBCU alums, who met at Howard University, decided to buy the property, it wasn’t with the intent of entering the hospitality industry. Eddie, who started Brown Capital Management, the second oldest African American-owned investment management f irm in the world, in 1983, needed more off ice space. That all changed after meeting David Garrett of Garrett Hotel Consultants who knew they had something more. THE IVY EXPERIENCE From the moment the idea of what would soon become The Ivy Hotel was shared, the Browns assembled and worked with what they call “a dream 28 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
team” to bring something special to Charm City. “We think it is a great addition to Baltimore. [It’s the] f irst and only Relais & Châteaux property ever in the state of Maryland. So we wanted to do it since it has so much character in the historic mansion. We wanted to preserve all of that, and then we did an addition because we didn’t have enough space to do everything we needed,” says Eddie, in reference to the outdoor courtyard and other property amenities. The Ivy Hotel opened its doors to guests in 2015 and has received nothing but top-notch accolades since. Eight suites and nine bedrooms, each embodying a different character and charm of its own, welcome guests with ample room to lounge one's cares away before winding down the evening with a glass of Champagne by the gas f ireplace. You may want to rethink getting an early start in the morning as the 400-thread count Frette sheets convince you to sleep for another hour before walking into the bathroom for a makeshift spa experience complete with Eddie and Sylvia Brown heated limestone floors.
PHOTOGRAPHY: THE IVY HOTEL
BY V. SHEREE WILLIAMS
And unless there is a reason to leave on any given day, dine in for breakfast, daydream with cucumber slices over your eyes in the spa and turn a few pages in your suspense novel in the library before enjoying afternoon tea. If you do have to leave, depending on your destination, black car service is available to make sure you get to and return safely. Privacy is among what guests treasure most about their stay. Over the years, The Ivy Hotel (@theivyhotel) has become the accommodations of choice for couples on their honeymoon, celebrating a birthday or anniversary, girlfriend reunions and celebrities wanting to get away in between projects quietly. The hotel’s policy is never to disclose the identity of any guest, especially those in the public view, which makes it a home away from home. GOLD STANDARD CARE Like the rest of the country, The Ivy Hotel temporarily closed its doors last March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, most importantly, the safety of guests, staff and the community. Rob Arthur, The Ivy Hotel’s general manager, shares, “During that time, we decided to take the opportunity to make updates to the historic 19th-century property. Signif icant preservation efforts are required every year to keep the original aspects like the staircare, windows and murals in top shape, and we also replaced the HVAC system.” With safety protocols in place called The Ivy Promise, Maryland’s only Relais & Châteaux property reopened on October 1, 2020, with the same level of impeccable service. “Since reopening last fall, we have seen a great uptick in hotel and spa reservations. These are coming mainly from the local drive market,” says Arthur. “The Ivy was well-positioned being such a small intimate setting as a completely private boutique hotel. Only hotel guests have access to our lobby and amenities, with large common areas that can hold 2-3 times the amount of our max capacity. Our guests can f ind ample room to relax in one of our many public spaces without having to engage with other guests if preferred.” Arthur also shares that The Ivy Hotel achieved its Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation this past January, the gold standard for prepared facilities when it comes to
validating a business’ cleaning and disinfection program. In summary, it means the Browns, as well as Arthur and his team, have left no stone unturned when it comes to protecting the health and well-being of each guest. A TASTE OF MARYLAND Preservations to the property and protocols put in place aren’t the only changes guests will notice when returning to The Ivy Hotel. Creating a world-class experience at any hospitality property will always include dining. Known for its seasonal menu and expansive wine list, the hotel’s restaurant, Magdalena, also reopened last fall with a new culinary focus. “We also reimagined the hotel restaurant into a bistro paying homage to local Maryland cuisine,” says Arthur. In addition to the new focus, the restaurant’s logo now includes the words “A Maryland Bistro,” refreshing its approach to food that is driven “by the vast spirit of Baltimore” and inspired by classic and comfort dishes from France and England. This new direction is being carried out by head chef Scott Bacon, who took the helm in September 2021. Bacon is charged with honoring the cuisine that put Maryland on the map – think Chesapeake Bay – while giving it an “artful interpretation” that will continue to make Magdalena one of the city’s top restaurants for hotel guests and locals also wanting an amazing dining experience. As properties around the world look to create a new normal of their own, Arthur shares, “The Ivy Hotel will continue to give our very best to our guests and the Baltimore community as we take on the pandemic together.” Having stayed there before the pandemic, I wonder if the experience I remember so vividly can be recaptured. Arthur assures that it can, saying, “The Ivy experience is still a bastion of world-class hospitality. We still are that warm and welcoming property that provides a sanctuary-like escape to those who walk through the doors.” Plan your escape to The Ivy Hotel located at 205 E. Biddle Street in Baltimore by visiting www.theivybaltimore.com. WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM
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Resilience and Reinvention Carry Business Owners Through a
PANDEMIC IN BRAZIL
C
OVID-19, a word and virus that has slipped into our lives domestically and worldwide. Because of a lack of vaccines, misinformation and a Brazilian president who refused the shipment of the vaccines early in the pandemic, no place in South America has been hit harder than Brazil. China offered the vaccine to the country but its president, Jair Bolsonaro, refused it, saying on his social media page, “The Brazilian people will not be anyone’s guinea pig.” According to the WHO (World Health Organization) from January 3, 2020 to August 30, 2021 Brazil’s total conf irmed case count was 20,728,605 with conf irmed deaths of 579,010 along with a total vaccination count as of August 27, 2021 of 177,094,781 (WHO, 2021). ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF CARNIVAL When you think of Brazil’s Carnival, it brings to mind 30 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
one of the biggest tourist attractions and money makers the country has to offer. Of course, the most famous Carnival is in Rio de Janeiro, the party town of Brazil. Each year, Carnival is held in February at the Sambadrome which was built especially for the cultural event and designed by the brilliant Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. Thousands of people and businesses large and small depend on the monies that come as
a result of this major multi-city event. According to Riotur, the off icial tourism website of Rio, Carnival drew 2.1 million visitors and generated $725 million in revenue in 2020 (Housold, 2020). After COVID hit, all of that came to a screeching halt. With Carnival 2021 canceled because of the pandemic, it caused a major ripple effect on the economy of the city to the tune of $1 billion dollars (Moor, 2021). “No one imagined Rio without Carnival,” says Ferrera Vierira, the granddaughter of a legendary f igure from the event. She has been part of this event since the age of nine. A study done by researchers Claudio Considera and Juliana Trece revealed that the amount of money lost is equivalent to 1.4% of Rio de Janeiro’s GDP (Moor, 2021). Street vendors, seamstresses who put together the costumes, van services and shopkeepers, who for the most part Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology are people of color, all took
PHOTOGRAPHY: LEONARDO CARRATO, ANGELICA MOREIRA, VLADIMIR ILITCH AND JOSUEL QUEIROZ
BY FRED WILDS
a major f inancial loss. Many of the people who live in the favelas (slums) spend an entire year preparing their samba routines and costumes to win the samba competition and money. Of course, Rio wasn’t the only major city where Carnival was canceled. Salvador da Bahia was another. Losses to a business such as an ice factory where Carnival represented 10% of their annual turnover of ice or the beverage distributors who suffered losses that represented 80% of their annual sales was devastating (Chagas, 2021). NO TOURISTS, NO BUSINESS Carnival isn’t the only thing that builds up the country’s economy, especially for underserved people of color who have small businesses that depend on tourism. For that, we can look at Salvador da Bahia, a city where 80% of the population is of African heritage and proud of it. In addition to Carnival, this city depends very heavily on tourism and tourists. I have taken groups there many times to experience and learn about the AfroBrazilian culture with the help of Josuel Queiroz, owner of Olafemitours (@olafemitours). His company’s specialty is cultural tourism and the Afrocentric history of Salvador. Queiroz explains that COVID and the lack of incoming tourists have made it very diff icult for him and many other tour companies, bus operators and tour guides to make a living. Between March and November of 2020, incoming international and domestic tourist numbers dropped completely. Parks, beaches, churches, restaurants, museums, etc. all closed along with the cancelation of flights coming into Salvador. Queiroz’s last group was in March 2020 and his business was without tourists from March to November 2020. According to Queiroz, “Many van and bus owners who used their vehicles to transport tourists lost their vehicles back to the banks if they paid with a loan. Some of them had to even sell their cars and vans just to put food on the table. Restaurant owners, many of whom had turned their homes into small restaurants had to close and this also included the street vendor carts.” One of the things Queiroz wanted to emphasize is the people want the vaccine but
Ajeum has been around for nine years, and as Moreira describes it, “Ajeum specializes in food and spices of the African diaspora. The food is prepared and brought to the table for each person to share family-style.” Ajeum in the Yoruba language means “to share.” Before the pandemic, the restaurant did especially well as a home-based restaurant. When asked whether her customers were local Brazilians or tourists, Moreira replies, “My client base is very diverse, with African American tourists being a large part of it, as well as many locals, especially on Sundays. Most of my European client base come to take culinary classes.” After the pandemic hit, she found herself “without floor,” Angelica Moreira Brazilian slang for not knowing what to do. She had to close for 18 months, which is when her resilience kicked in. She shares, “Black women have the capacity to reinvent themselves.” She did that by holding cooking classes online and receiving help from various donations. Because her restaurant was in her house, she did not have to worry about paying staff or rent like many of the other restaurants, which helped considerably. After the 18-month lockdown, with mask-wearing requirements and vaccination rates increasing in Salvador, she reopened as things are starting to normalize again. She practices strict safety protocols in her home and restaurant. For now, patrons must call and make reservations ahead of time, no exceptions. The tables have been placed Josuel Queiroz outside, and if you must enter the house for any reason, you there is not enough to go around. With things must wear a mask. Moreira’s message to all getting a little better and tourists starting Black brothers and sisters is, “Come visit and to somewhat return, Queiroz says, “I miss learn about another side of Africa. Learn receiving my Black brothers and sisters from about the other brothers and sisters that were overseas. Please come visit us.” separated by the Atlantic here in Salvador. Come learn about what we have preserved STAYING ABOVE THE FLOOR as a culture.” Some small home-operated restaurants closed and have not reopened, while others are open with strict safety protocols in place. Chagas,Monica (2021, January 25). Carnival in Bahia CANCELED? Understand the Government's Ajeum da Diaspora (@ajeumdadiaspora), an Decision on the Pandemic; Hausold, Andrea (2020, January 13) exquisite gem of a restaurant, is owned and Tourism Review - 1.9 million Tourists Are Expected During The operated by Angelica Moreira. I eat there on Rio Carnival; Moor, Richard (2021, February 21) Tourism Review: every visit to Salvador because not only is Rio De Janeiro Loses US $1 Billion Due to Carnival Cancellation; NYCTRACK (2021, August 21) New York Times – Tracking the every dish amazing, dining there fully im- Coronavirus in Brazil; WHO (2021, August) World Health merses me in the Afro-Brazilian culture. Organization Coronavirus Dashboard. WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM
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Hospitality Businesses Navigate
COVID in the Caribbean BY MIRA CASSIDY
The Garden of Eden. That is how some would describe the enchanting beauty of the Caribbean. With hundreds of tropical beaches, it is one of the best places in the world to travel for a multitude of people. Sadly, the novel coronavirus has placed a terrible strain on this beloved destination, leaving Caribbean natives to struggle because of their dependence on tourism. With repetitive lockdowns, curfews and everchanging mandates, these carefree, happy people are experiencing challenges similar to other countries and destinations worldwide.
Shaniel Mclean, the owner of Morelife Tours (@morelife_tours), a reliable, trusted private tour and airport transportation company located in Jamaica, tells, “We were used to a more vibrant feeling in Jamaica. The entertainment section was booming because that was one of our main things: entertainment, parties, events, attractions. A lot of these things were fully open. No restrictions. No time limits. So, that’s what we’re trying to recover from right now. “It’s different. It’s harder. Jamaica is a third-world country, and we don’t have the benef its that f irst-world countries, The United States and Canada, would have for persons that are unemployed and the less fortunate,” Mclean shares. Ms. Esha King, owner of Cherry Blossom Bistro (@cherryblossomsbistro) located in Trinidad, says, “When the lockdown came it was like, Oh my God, 17 years in the business working for other companies, and now we’ve opened our own place, thinking we were headed for success, but we headed to flat zero. “It was disappointing. It was heartbreaking. We love our freedom. Being a carefree Caribbean people, we are not used to the word restriction. We are not accustomed to being held at home,” explains King. In Trinidad, Cherry Blossom Bistro is a place where you can enjoy breakfast all day long. Their menu includes ice cream waffles, coffee frappes, fruit smoothies and peanut butter brownies. Their mission is to bring love and passion from the kitchen straight to the customer. In The Bahamas, chef Garrette Bowe (@garrette_b/), who studied culinary at the University of The Bahamas and Kendall College of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management in Chicago, currently en32 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
Rafting in Jamaica joys working for one of the biggest resorts on the island. However, Bowe was unable to work from March 2020 until March 2021. She gives a glimpse into what it was like in Nassau. “We just saw the decline the f irst week of March. We went from 100% to 70%, then 70% to 50%, then 50% to 20%, then 20% to 5%. At that point, the hotel made the decision to close. “F inancially it’s a setback. I’ve been fortunate enough that I was able to save. I’m a saver.” Many Bahamians were helped through the National Insurance Board, an organization that aids in different services, including unemployment compensation. “It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to get by,” Bowe adds. In the Rodney Bay Marina of St. Lucia, Sea Salt Restaurant (@ seasaltrestaurantandbar) is an establishment that prides itself on serving exceptional meals and providing great service. Kurt Phillip, who owns Sea Salt with his wife Alison Phillip, tells, “We opened in October of 2019. We had only f ive months of business, and then we went into a pandemic and had the f irst shutdown in March 2020. We had something really nice, something unique. This location had never been successful before for whatever reason, but we built a success of it.” POSITIVE OUTCOMES DESPITE DISASTER “We’ve seen people become very creative. Backyard gardening became a big thing. We saw an upward shift towards supporting local farmers and f ishermen, fruit and vegetable stores were popping up. Mom and pop shops were popping up. So, we had a sense of
PHOTOGRAPHY: MORELIFE TOURS, CHERRY BLOSSOMS BISTRO, BLAIR J. MEADOWS AND SEA SALT RESTUARANT
THE INITIAL SHOCK
community going on,” tells Dean Fenton, Antigua and Barbuda director of tourism for the USA (@antiguabarbudany). “F inancially it was hard for the staff. People were f inancially devastated. It came upon pretty suddenly, but, you know, you work with people, and you get through it,” says Philip. “If you pay attention to the small details, give good food, good service, and make sure your customers are happy, the repeat clientele will always keep you going. The consistency of what we deliver has people coming back.” King agrees, saying, “The customers are Chef Garrette Bowe so encouraging. That gives you strength and courage to come the next day and try again. We appreciate our customers. We go 100% for our customers.” For Bowe, the extended time allowed her to visit her family for three months. She says, “My family is not from the island that I live on. So, I had a lot of free time. I did some gardening and some cooking projects with some friends because with the hotels closed, there weren’t many places for people to eat because a lot of locals actually come to the hotel to dine in the restaurant.” HOW THE CARIBBEAN KEEPS YOU SAFE Fenton conf irms, “We were the f irst destination to open to tourists that wanted to come down and still be safe, and our government has done a fabulous job of protecting the citizens and tourists alike. “We’ve had at least a third of our population vaccinated. The hotels are really making a conservative effort to make sure their staff are fully vaccinated and able to serve their guests when they get on the island.” Mclean conveys, “Jamaica has been doing a lot in terms of keeping people safe. Especially the local vendors. Whenever you stop at their business place or restaurant, they have the proper sanitization,
Bar at Sea Salt Restaurant temperature checks, all of that. So, my clients feel more comfortable dining there or eating from there. “Due to taxi regulations, you cannot have your car at full capacity. So, if you’re in a group of ten, I will transport you in a vehicle that has the capacity of 15 persons so that no one is too close to each other.” King says, “Everybody was scared, but being in the food industry, of course, our life is sanitation to prevent bacteria and cross-contamination. It wasn’t diff icult for us as an employer and employees to handle the situation, but we had to prepare our customers in every way. We opened with curbside delivery only and we made our menu accessible through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and WhatsApp messenger. We ask our customers to send their orders in advance and pick up.” WHAT AWAITS YOU “It’s our 365 beautiful beaches, unique accommodations, wonderful culinary experiences, and the warm and friendly people. These are a few reasons why people love our twin-island destination,” Fenton shares about Antigua and Barbuda. For St. Lucia, Phillip relays, “It’s a beautiful country with a lot of natural scenery. The people are very warm. Come down and see the place, wear your mask. St. Lucia is a very friendly place. That’s probably what’s helping to keep things under control. Everybody becomes your friend within f ive minutes of you being here.” Over in The Bahamas, Bowe shares, “There’s still lots of things to do. Come and tour. As much as I like the hotels, I would say visit the local spots. They’re hurting during this time. They’re great restaurants, great tours.” “I put my foot in it. I make it the best of the best,” explains Mclean in Jamaica, when describing his tours that give visitors a truly authentic experience and focus on supporting local businesses and attractions. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Are you ready to travel? If so, are you vaccinated? The Center for Disease Control and Prevention advises, “Do not travel internationally until you are fully vaccinated.” One of the most important ways to remain safe while traveling is to follow the CDC’s recommendations carefully and study the off icial destination travel page of your choice to understand better and obtain up-to-date information about restrictions, mandates and protocols.
Food at Cherry Blossom Bistro
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Recipe Corner After more than 30 years of spending days and hurried nights with strange people in “da biz,” aka the restaurant industry, it all came to a screeching halt for me last March. How will I manage without the chaos, food and camaraderie? No more wine tastings and pairings (think pig feet and
muscadet). Who are guests going to complain to now? With plenty of time on my hands to stay busy by being creative, both of these cocktails are regulars on my athome cocktail menu. – Adrian Lindsay, Veteran hospitality professional
STRAWBERRY F IELDS No strawberry picking this season for me. All the locals here in Durham, North Carolina, know about the strawberry patches and Perkin’s Orchard, a third-generation Black-owned fruit stand. Their strawberries never disappoint and are perfect for my quarantine happy hour cocktails. 2 ounces Indigo Strawberry Gin 1/2 ounce strawberry syrup* 1/2 ounce lemon juice 1/2 ounce agave or simple syrup 1-2 strawberries
PREPARATION Combine all ingredients except for strawberries in a cocktail shaker with ice. Thoroughly shake and strain into a large martini glass. Garnish with strawberry on the side.
NOTES & TIPS If you are in Durham and can stop by Perkin’s Orchard, be sure to pick up their strawberry cider and use 1 ounce in this recipe in place of the strawberry syrup.
STAYCATION Tequila is always a vacation favorite and I’m on a bit of an extended vacation right now. Lime, coconut and tequila. Oh my! Backyard cocktails, here I come.
PREPARATION Combine all ingredients, except lime wedges, in a cocktail shaker with ice. Thoroughly shake and strain over ice in a tall glass. Garnish with lime wedge or wheel. Cocktail sponsored by Anteel Tequila. Go to anteeltequila.com for more information and to purchase. 34 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
PHOTOGRAPHY: WES NAMAN
2 ounces Anteel Coconut Lime Tequila 3 ounces coconut cream 3/4 ounce lime juice 1/2 ounce Pama (pomegranate liqueur) 1/2 ounce agave 1-2 lime wedges or wheels
ByBlacks.com
Shines Light on Canada's Black Hospitality Businesses During Industry Crisis BY ASHIA AUBOURG
B
eing a Black business owner during the peak of the pandemic in 2020 was bittersweet. Founders and operators were faced with navigating new business models, the ebbs and flows of increased support from patrons wanting to buy “Black-owned," along with slow days when the momentum faded. All coupled with the overall mental strain of fearing the unknown. Black establishments have navigated crises that have impacted their operations for centuries. Roger Dundas, the co-founder of ByBlacks.com (@byblacks), prioritized developing an online platform that shares stories of Black Canadians eight years ago. Home to Canada's most prominent Black business directory, ByBlacks is more than a website. It is a hub for the amplif ication and exposure that, for so long, Black businesses have lacked.
PHOTOGRAPHY: NADINE SPENCER, DWAYNE MORGAN AND DANIEL PAGE
A JAMAICAN UPBRINGING ROOTED IN BLACK COMMUNITY "I grew up in Jamaica, predominantly around Black people. I saw Black success everywhere. This laid the foundation for my conf idence in my blackness and helped me succeed when I moved to Canada," shares Dundas. Growing up in a predominantly Black country allowed Dundas to witness Black people excelling while still recognizing that struggle existed. Dundas entered corporate Canada and navigated that industry for years. However, there came the point where he knew it was time to leave due to “the microaggressions and overall racism." The ByBlacks founder decided to take a new path, attempting marketing in the theater industry, working for predominantly Black productions in Canada. The marketing expert reminisces about how during this period of his career, “When you pitched Black projects, even if they are at a similar stature, they did not get the same traction as white productions." At this time, he knew it was time to start a platform that would celebrate Black art and culture the same way.
With starting the platform, Dundas received a lot of questions about his exclusivity. “The pushback that we received about ByBlacks was really only from racist people," he says. As Dundas navigates the various barriers he encounters as a business owner, one of his biggest learnings is the importance of continuous education. From running ByBlacks and having amazing Black writers, we have focused so much on educating people and most importantly ourselves on the true history of Black Canadians." NAVIGATING COVID-19 AND CUSTOMER DEMAND Two businesses that are part of the ByBlacks network describe mixed emotions when reflecting on their experiences navigating the pandemic. The sister trio Nicole Page-Charles, Renée Charles and Donna Charles, born in Toronto but raised with Caribbean values, were inspired to open a restaurant that captured the hospitable essence of their Trinidadian and Grenadian parents. “We started cooking because of our parents. Our house was always the hub for everyone to come over and eat," shares Nicole. Initially starting a catering company called Spiked Punch in 2013, the sister entrepreneurs found joy in doing Caribbean-Canadian fusion dishes. In 2019, they opened SugarKane (@sugarkanerestaurant), a favorite neighborhood restaurant serving Caribbean fusion food and drinks.
BYBLACKS: FOR BLACK PEOPLE, BY BLACK PEOPLE In February 2013, Dundas and his wife Camille founded ByBlacks with the mission to prof ile narratives of Black Canada, which they believed has historically been left out of mainstream media.
SugarKane restaurant WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM
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In 2020 when the pandemic hit, SugarKane went from being a thriving new and exciting eatery to being forced to close its doors, not knowing if they would be able to reopen. “Everyone was rushing toward take-out models, and that just wasn't working for us, so we decided to close," says Nicole. After being closed for two months and using that time to figure out how they could keep their restaurant alive, the trio returned and reopened their establishment with a new operating model to make take-out more effective for their business. The founders encountered many of the same issues that many restaurant owners faced during this time: navigating expensive delivery fees, revamping their menu and searching for staff willing to work during that uncertain time. However, what came as a surprise to the restaurateurs was the surge in business due to the Black Lives Matter protests occurring across the globe. The restaurant owners had mixed emotions about this phenomenon. On the one hand, they were grateful for the abundance, but on the other hand, they could not supply the demand. “The Black Live Matter protests happened, and days later, we had lines down the street. We were not expecting this much of a rush and support. We had to get our bearings. It took a couple of days, but we got organized to fulf ill the lines down the street," Nicole shares. EMERGING BETTER THAN BEFORE
Roger and Camille Dundas
Selwyn Richards
For chef Selwyn Richards, who owns a catering company called the Art of Catering (@theartofcateringtoronto), pivoting his catering model at the pandemic's peak was impossible due to lockdowns and restrictions on in-person events. Richards, who was born in Jamaica and later making a life in Canada, grew up watching his mom “entertain family and friends with food." His passion for the culinary arts is evident with over 25 years in the industry. When COVID-19 occurred, Richards was pretty established in his career, yet still was in a position where he had to work extremely hard because of how cutthroat the industry is. So when the pandemic hit its peak in 2020, “We could not afford to take a hit," says the caterer, who had to pause his profession indef initely. With the pandemic's f irst lockdown, Richards began engaging with a new routine. So accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the culinary industry, he felt the desire to f ind something to occupy his newfound free time. During this period, he signed up for courses to refresh his knowledge of the industry. “I enrolled in a food and beverage management course online. I wanted to come out of this pandemic having learned new things and new skills. "We had to adapt and pivot for our businesses to survive," shares Richards, who resumed his company shortly after and pivoted to socially distanced catering operations. THE IMPORTANCE OF BLACK PLATFORMS SHOWCASING BLACK BUSINESSES Throughout their experiences, both business owners reflect on how important it was to stay rooted as a community during a pandemic. Platforms such as ByBlacks have made it possible for Black business owners to connect collectively. ByBlacks goes beyond online content, producing events such as ByBlacks Restaurant Week, which allows community members a chance to support Canada's Black restaurants. The next one is scheduled for November 15 – 21, 2021. "Platforms like ByBlacks aren't just for Black people. It is for everybody. People must know that we are capable," says Richards. Nicole adds, “During normal times, we don't get enough shine. Being featured on a Black platform that showcases Black businesses has opened a lot of people's eyes around all that Black people have to offer."
36 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
Black-Owned Lodging Options Provide
Safety and Respect to Black Travelers
PHOTOGRAPHY: NOIRBNB, WELLSPRING MANOR & SPA, ELSIE’S CARIBBEAN B&B AND FRONTIER DEVELOPMENT & HOSPITALITY GROUP, LLC
BY KALIN THOMAS
The Guesthouse at Villa Zenaida in the British Virgin Islands
S
tefan Grant has traveled the world to create and market exciting events for travelers. The native Jamaican, whose parents met while working in the tourism industry there, has stayed at his share of Airbnbs around the world. But his last experience with the alternative lodging platform was not good. “I was in Atlanta for the A3C Hip-Hop Festival and our agent had booked a property for us. The next door neighbor saw a bunch of Black people in the house and thought we were robbing the place,” shares Grant. “So they called the police on us and they had their guns drawn on us and the whole nine, so it was a pretty strenuous ordeal.” He continues, “We showed them everything was legal, and before the cops left, my marketing brain went on and I asked the cops if we could take a self ie together and they were like ‘yeah.’ So we’re all smiling ear to ear and I posted it on Twitter and it went crazy viral, and that led to Airbnb reaching out to me.” Airbnb flew Grant and his team out to their headquarters in San Francisco where they made a pitch to help address the issue of racism on the platform. “A lot of Black people experience racism when renting Airbnbs. So my concept was if Airbnb has a problem with racism and discrimination on their platform, why not create a community within your community where Black people and people of color can feel safe and connect with one another? So that’s when I came up with the concept of Noirbnb (@Noirbnb).” ADAPTING FOR CHANGES The platform off icially launched at the 2017 Essence Festival and now has nearly 5,000 hosts around the world with more being added every day. “The pandemic slowed everybody down, but it was a blessing in disguise for us,” admits Grant. “When we initially announced the company ... people already thought we were the Black Airbnb and had already been funded and had a board and an app and the whole nine. But all we had was a landing page,” he laughs.
“So we had to build the platform and everything to match the demand. And being a Black tech company, it is extremely diff icult to raise funding, so we’ve funded the business out of our own pockets, and I’ve had to start other businesses to continue to fund Noirbnb,” he admits. “But when the pandemic hit, the slowdown allowed us the time to do a total rebrand of the site with a new logo, new look, new aesthetics, but also focus on product development and speak with our users and hosts. We’ve had to learn to adapt and pivot and make things happen.” Lisa Brown Alexander and her husband, Kevin, also had to adapt and pivot during the pandemic. The two HBCU graduates (Howard and F isk) own Wellspring Manor & Spa (@wellspringmanor), a hidden gem in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, near Washington, D.C. “Having f irst opened in November of 2018, we had just over a year of operations before we had to shut down again,” laments Lisa. “We had to pay the bills and continue to invest our own funds to keep our business afloat.” Since reopening in July of this year, the Alexanders have had to make some major changes, such as requiring that guests show proof of being fully vaccinated at check-in. “And we’ve had to turn some folks away,” Lisa says. “Some people offered to [show] us a COVID test, but because we are a small facility and a key part of the guest experience is dining communally, we thought it was important to require our guests to be fully vaccinated.” She adds, “We also ask that guests wear face coverings when they’re indoors and unable to socially distance. And of course we follow all of the protocols that all quality establishments are adhering to right now.” CELEBRATING 20 YEARS Black women, who many times are caring for everyone but themselves, are desperate for self-care and are the largest demographic at Wellspring. They are also the largest demographic at Ms. Elsie’s WWW.CUISINENOIRMAG.COM
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Caribbean B&B (@Ms-Elsies-Caribbean-BB), a tropical hideaway from the hustle and bustle in Charlotte, North Carolina, owned by Cheryl Watkins. Watkins, who is originally from Aruba and named her inn after her grandmother, was all set to celebrate Ms. Elsie’s 20th anniversary in September of 2020. “It was painful to have to shut it down,” she says. Not only did Watkins suffer the cancellation of her celebration, but even more painful were the deaths of a few uncles to COVID-19. “That was devastating,” she moans. Ms. Elsie’s shut down in March 2020 but reopened on July 1 of that year. Watkins also made some changes to her usual routine. “During that time we did not commingle guests, we just hosted one couple or one person at a time,” she notes. “We are also demanding that all guests be vaccinated. Our guests must show proof of vaccination and do a temperature check, and hand sanitizers are installed all over the house.” She adds, “We are still doing six feet social distancing and minimizing how many sit at the table for brunch. And when guests leave, we sanitize and ventilate the house for two days before allowing new guests to come in. We also put air purif iers in all the rooms.” TRAILBLAZING THROUGH CHALLENGES Evens Charles is the founder and managing principal of Frontier Development & Hospitality Group, LLC in Washington, D.C. In 2009, when he bought his f irst hotel in his 30s, he was one of the youngest hotel owners in the country. Today he owns Hilton and Marriott internationally branded hotels across six states. “Everything was going great pre-pandemic,” says Charles. “But then things took a turn for the worse and it was a shock to our industry to go from 75 to 80 percent occupancy down to 10 percent.” Charles closed two hotels in the process and says to say the experience was stressful would be an understatement. “We hire third-party operators to manage our hotels, we don’t run them ourselves, so we have to rely on them to start reducing staff quickly and that’s not a great situation to have 38 CUISINE NOIR | SPECIAL EDITION 2021
Stefan Grant
Kevin and Lisa Alexander
Cheryl Watkins
Evens Charles
to lay people off. But we had to cut expenses as fast as possible because we still have to pay the mortgage whether we have guests or not,” he states. Thankfully the closings were only temporary. One of those hotels was leased by a government agency to house f irst responders for 90 days. Once the hotels were reopened to the public, protocols were in place for the “new normal.” Charles explains, “We had to go through a retraining of our housekeepers to sterilize a room and hand sanitizers were placed everywhere, there were decals placed everywhere on the floors to create the six feet separation, there was plexiglass put up at our front desk.” He continues, “We had to start cleaning the TV remote controls and putting them in a plastic covering so that when you walked into your room you knew that that remote control had been sanitized. And we would put stickers on the door so that when you opened the door it would break the seal to let you know the room had been completely disinfected. We wanted people to feel safe and have peace of mind.” SUPPORTING EACH OTHER Charles notes that African Americans are huge consumers in the hospitality industry but barely there as owners. He adds, “Some of us who are on the capital market side are making a conscious effort to provide access to capital to other Black folks. And there needs to be more of us in that position.” Black businesses helping other Black businesses is what all of the aforementioned businesses are about. Watkins of Ms. Elsie's says, “Back in the day we provided the only way for Blacks to travel, because we weren’t allowed in the segregated hotels. And we found out by word of mouth or the Green Book of where it was safe to stay. And that was Black entrepreneurship.” Grant of Noirbnb closes, saying, “Somebody told me Noirbnb is like the modern version of the Green Book. And I thought, ‘Wow, we’re carrying on a tradition!’ We’re about providing a safe, peaceful, enjoyable and, most importantly, a dignif ied experience.”
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SAVOR A WEEKEND IN BOURBON CITY
Angel’s Envy Distillery
Escape to small batch distillery tours, single barrel picks and elevated culinary experiences – all within a day’s drive of over 2/3 of the U.S. population. It’s time to get a taste of Bourbon culture. Find out more at GoToLouisville.com.
