“That’s just my way of showing love. I love that feeling of just being together with people and feeding them.” — Chef Lisa Brooks
A Full Plate
Chef Lisa Brooks Cooks Up Faith By Sasha Manley
C
hef Lisa Brooks, a Charlotte native, is an example of what it means to step out on faith and bet on yourself. Brooks decided to leave corporate life at the age of 40 and get back to doing what she ultimately loved. Now she is building a successful empire with personal chef services, a cookbook, mentorship, cooking classes and more. Growing up in the kitchen with her great grandmother played an instrumental part in Brook’s culinary career. It was her classroom. When she was 3 years old, Brooks recalls learning everything there was to know about making delicious meals. Along with cooking came family gatherings of 60 family members every Sunday. She thought cooking was something everyone did. Looking back, she realizes this was her foundation. This future chef carried the love of cooking for others to college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, making breakfast for her college friends. After she graduated and started her corporate career, this trend continued with one-of-a-kind dishes for social gatherings. “I always was cooking for people. That’s just my way of showing love. I love that feeling of just being together with people and feeding them,” she said. People often asked one common question: “Why don’t you do this professionally?” Although she said it never really crossed her mind to cook for a living, “God speaks to us through other people. It was a recurring theme. So, I had to listen.”
A new plate
After four years of insomnia and panic attacks, Brooks realized the stress from her 17-year corporate job was taking a toll on her, and at 39 she got the itch. Reflecting on those times, she said, “I asked God, I said, ‘Look, you gotta get me out of here.’ So, I
Photos courtesy of Facebook @cheflisabrooks
The main ingredient
ABOVE: Charlotte Chef Lisa Brooks appeared on the Food Network’s show “Chopped” in February 2022. LEFT: Chef Lisa Brooks’ book published in 2021, “The Joy of the Feast,” shares a journey through Black Southern food with storytelling and delicious recipes.
May-June 2022 | Pride Magazine
35
