July is National Culinary Arts Month
By NaTyshca Pickett
July is National Culinary Arts Month, which honors the chefs and cooks who bring new and exciting dishes to our plates.
Innovative recipes and creative dishes will be honored by cooking schools, restaurants, and kitchens everywhere. Throughout the month-long celebration, the best in the industry, as well as the newest trends, will be on full display.
All month long, chefs look forward to seeing what's new and exciting in the world of food. Chefs and cooks practice their skills so they can make the best pastries, seafood dishes, and spice combinations. They do this so they can stay on the edge of culinary perfection. It's not surprising that there's a whole month to celebrate what they've done.
Since the early days of the United States, Black chefs and cooks have had a significant impact on the way Americans eat. From Africa, they imported ingredients and cooking techniques; they produced a huge repertory of recipes known as "Southern"; and in recent times, they have become acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs, mastering various cuisines, honoring the food traditions of the African diaspora, and broadening the idea of what American cookery, which has profound roots in African-American culture, can and should be.
To help celebrate, we’ve compiled a list of chefs around the country you should check out!
Chef Lynn, originally from Chicago, who has since relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. Her traveling private dining and catering company, Hint of Soul Catering LLC, was founded three years ago. To show off her quick wit and culinary prowess, she created her own YouTube and TikTok channel (cookingwithhintofsoul) to share her favorite comfort food dishes with a wider audience.
Chef Marisa Baggett, the first African American woman to graduate from the California Sushi Academy, has dedicated her life to teaching others how to make sushi. As a sushi chef at Do Sushi Bar and Lounge in Memphis, she has written two cookbooks titled "Sushi Secrets," as well as "Vegetarian Sushi Secrets." A sushi chef on the road, Baggett teaches people how to make sushi at home without the need for pricey or uncommon materials.
In the Atlanta culinary community, Todd Richards is a constant presence. Before founding The Soulful Company Restaurant Group, he worked in high-end restaurants across town, including The Four Seasons Hotel, the Ritz-Carleton Buckhead, and White Oak Kitchen & Cocktails.
In 1988, Chef Dolester Miles became the restaurant's full-time pastry chef after working there since the establishment began in 1982. A finalist for the James Beard Title for Outstanding Pastry Chef twice, she has now won the award for outstanding dessert chef at the 2018 awards. Since then, she has introduced her pastry programs to all of Frank Sitt restaurants. Writer John T. Edge dubbed her "a national standard-bearer" for her coconut-pecan cake.
Probably the most prominent Gullah-Geechee chef in the country is BJ Dennis. With years of experience gained in restaurants, Dennis now prepares traditional Gullah dishes for pop-ups and events, as well as appearing on television shows such as "Top Chef" and "Parts Unknown" to teach viewers about the history and cooking techniques of the region's food. Last year, he told The Island Packet that Gullah-Geechee food is a big part of not only South Carolina food, but also Southern food and the original food culture of the New World.
