master chef {adaiah}

do you watch 'master chef junior?'  well, i must admit, i'm addicted to the show.  youngsters from ages 8-12 compete in various cooking competitions until one is crowned the winner.  don't let the age of the contestants fool you.  these kiddies are cooking at professional capacity.  one top chef was adaiah.  this girl can seriously throw down in the kitchen.  her meals were not only delicious but pretty as well.  adaiah made it to the top ten against thousands of others and placed third in the competition.  because of her talent, skill and discipline,  we felt the need to shine the spotlight on ms. adaiah and congratulate her on her accomplishments.  looking forward to eating at one of her restaurants in the near future.  

mrs. juju harris {garden godmother}

many believe that how much money and fame you've accumulated are what matters most in life.  they are wrong.  what you've done to impact others positively is what truly counts.  that is why juju harris (and others like her) are the real heroes of our time.  

juju's dream was to become a national park ranger.  unfortunately, life got in the way and that dream was deferred.  however, juju did seize the opportunity to join the peace corps at the age of 32.  in paraguay, juju's mission was to help local farmers with their crops.  in addition, she found herself arming the women and children with her knowledge of nutrition, business and education.  

there would be more bumps in the road for juju when she returned home.  postpartum depression, lack of money and a growing young family forced her to sign up for the government WIC program.  but to improve her and her family's physical and mental well-being, harris began supplementing the food provided with her own healthy additions.  she began baking bread and tending a garden that would 'provide' vegetables and fruits not available to her otherwise.  neighbors would come by and juju taught them how to cook healthy meals.  this eventually led to harris teaming up with the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, a D.C non-profit organization.  with their help, she created the Mobile Market, a bus that takes healthy produce right to the doors of the poor.  she provides them with the greens and the information they need on how to cook them as well as their nutritious value.  she also created a healthy cookbook that is given out free of charge to those who visit the mobile market regularly.  the cookbook provides shopping lists and recipes that pair well with the staples provided by the government.  mrs. harris is now working on getting the book translated into spanish since many of the visitors are spanish speaking.  she also plans on focusing her attention on seniors who face challenges such as dietary restriction or inability to chew food well.  

juju harris has found a way to not only help herself but so many others who would normally be ignored.  for that, we are extremely grateful.

domestic goddess {b. smith}

b. smith has often been called the 'black martha stewart.'  and although she seems to have just as much talent, that is still selling b. short.  besides her obvious creativity and skills, what helps mrs. smith get by is her beauty, charm and charisma.  b. smith actually began her career as a model, gracing the covers of fifteen different magazines.  in fact, she was the first black model on the cover of  'mademoiselle.'  eventually, barbara smith ventured over into the food and service industry.  soon, she would open three namesake restaurants in the heart of nyc, d.c and sag harbor, long island she specialized in high end southern cuisine.  this opportunity would help to launch many of her successful future projects.  one of those successes was her syndicated television show 'b. smith with style.'  the b. smith brand would extend to numerous products such as her home decor line with bed bath and beyond, a furniture collection with la-z boy, and an olive oil company.  she is also a spokeswoman for quite a few companies (betty crocker, palmolive...).  her three books have all been very well received and quite helpful to many.  very recently, smith revealed that she is battling alzheimer's disease.  by sharing her story, she is hoping to assist others and remove some of the shame and stigma often associated with the sickness.  we wish her well in her fight and all her future endeavors.  

princess of pastry {taylor moxey}

taylor moxey is a special kind of kid. besides living her regular eight year old life, she has become a pastry chef and an entrepreneur. by selling her handcrafted specialty cupcakes, taylor has already netted thousands of dollars.  after taking home first place at the KISS Country Conrnbread Competition, demand for her desserts dramatically increased.  taylor actually won against professional adult chefs.  with a little help from her parents, she was able to create a thriving business with clients that include Citibank and even HGTV's Bobby Berk.  to keep up to date with her craft, taylor likes to watch a lot of food network television. she also donates a portion of her profits to organizations supporting dyslexia awareness.  i think her last name is no coincidence; taylor is certainly full of moxie.  

the guru {chef ahki}

photography courtesy of j. quasi king

chef ahki, short for sepsenahki, is on a crusade...and on our behalf, too.  she has dedicated her life to healing our bodies as a chef, natural food activist, writer and teacher.  while we often tire of so-called experts instructing us on what we should or should not be eating, ahki, a native okie raised by generations of medicine women, teaches with a no holds barred, science based conversation with a twist of hip-hop and humor. after receiving a degree in naturopathic science and holistic theology, chef ahki's fascination with the healing power of herbs and helping others led her to the epic task of empowering others to understand what their body really needs nutrition wise.  well, her followers certainly do attest to how much her knowledge has helped them.  and honestly, who wouldn't want to feel as healthy and vibrant as chef ahki looks?!