The team behind Soul Food Sessions has put together an all-female version of the popular dinner series. The event, called Soul Sisters, will take place on Dec. 12 at Loft & Cellar.

The Soul Food Sessions series started off as a group of minority chefs who wanted to increase the visibility of chefs of color. The pop-ups quickly grew to gain a dedicated following for both their mission and the incredible food, and gained national attention this year with a multi-city tour sponsored by Coke.

Several of the female chefs taking part in Soul Sisters have already cooked during a Soul Food Sessions dinner, and all come from the Carolinas. But there were usually only one or two women cooking at each of the past dinners. One of the founders of Soul Food Sessions, Subrina Collier, says that doing this dinner is especially significant.

“We thought it was important to showcase [the chefs] at an all-female, minority dinner, just because black Soul Food came from black women,” Collier says. “So I think this will bring it back full circle.”

Taking part in the dinner are chefs Naomi Knox (St. Mark’s Soup Kitchen), Whitney Thomas (5Church), Chianti Peek (The Chef Suite), Ashley Nightengale, Treasure Williams, Quientina Stewart, Elaina Ruth, and Ashley LaBelle Hardesty. Mixologists Brittany Clark and Ros Cannon will provide cocktail pairings. Pastry chef Jamie Turner, who has been a Soul Food Sessions chef since the beginning, will also cook a course for the evening’s tasting menu.

Ahead of the dinner, the women were asked to identify black female inspirations in their lives. Many of them mentioned their grandmothers; others named women such as Anita Baker and Maya Angelou. Tickets are sold out for the event, but you can keep an eye out on the group’s Facebook page in case any open up.

As restaurants struggle to find and maintain staff, the Soul Food Sessions series helps increase the visibility of chefs of color, challenging the stereotype of what a chef looks like. Increasing diversity and inclusivity will be a key part of ensuring restaurants have the workforce they need, both in making the field more attractive to minorities and creating more comfortable working environments for people of all backgrounds.

This dinner will show off the talent of some of the area’s most talented female minority chefs and mixologists. The male Soul Food Sessions chefs, including other founding members Greg Collier and Mike Bowling, will be present, but not too active.

“We want them as hands off as possible. They don’t mind helping if they ask for help, like for plating or stuff like that,” Subrina says. “I want the girls to shine, and they do too.” —Kristen Wile

 

Unpretentious People Say...

Other Articles You Might Enjoy