Springfield native Damar Wilson may not necessarily share his skills as a professional chef beyond his flavor profile, but on Saturdays from his kitchen table, he’s sharing his culture for a good cause.
The occasion is also a chance for Wilson, known as Chef D, to collaborate with his daughter Haley Wilson on an episode of Soul Food Saturday, a three-part cooking series pre-recorded during Black History Month. This series features comforting recipes that celebrate Black and other cultures of color.
The idea for Soul Food Saturday comes from Culture Experiences, founded by Hayley Wilson, which focuses on bringing cultures together through unique events.
The series will air on The Culture Experience’s social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and theculture experience.com) at noon the first three Saturdays in February.
Wilson, who is also director of communications for Springfield Mayor Misty Buescher’s office, said Cultural Experiences grew out of the city’s racist history, which has traditionally been divided between east and west Ninth Streets.
“The whole reason The Cultural Experience started was because a study showed that Springfield was one of the most segregated cities in the United States,” Wilson said. “So we started to break down the boundaries between the east and west sides of town to really create unity…Hopefully (the series) will help break that divide in the long run. I guess.”
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According to Census.gov, Springfield’s racial makeup is 70.9% White (non-Hispanic), 20.3% Black or African American, 3.1% Asian, and 6.7% Other.
“We all know where the red line is in Springfield, so we need representation in restaurants and businesses on the west side of town, and we need more black representation politically,” Wilson said. Ta. more. “
Throughout the cooking series, chefs from around the state will greet viewers and share beloved soul food recipes from Puerto Rican, Creole, West African and African American cultures. It aims to highlight the importance of soul food.
In the first installment, Chef D, the resident chef at Friends That Cook Chef Service in St. Louis and who has been in the culinary industry since 2010, prepares pollo guisado, a Puerto Rican chicken stew made with chicken, potatoes, and braised potatoes. Masu. Carrots, olives, and tomatoes simmered in a flavorful sauce. This dish is the chef’s favorite winter dish.
“When it comes to soul food, I’ve been a private chef for four years now, and every time Black History Month approaches, all my clients ask for a soul food series,” said the L’Ecole Culinaire graduate in St. Louis. Ta. “Soul food to me is more than just black food, you know what I mean? Black and brown people of color all have their own kind of soul food from different countries. Masu.”
Haley Wilson hopes the series will reach a broader audience from other Springfield communities, not just her Facebook followers.
“I really want to make sure that a lot of people of color know about soul food and that non-people of color see this and go, ‘Wow,’” Wilson said. “There’s a lot of flavors and interesting techniques that we don’t normally use, and it really shows people who aren’t people of color what our heritage is.”
The second show in the series, airing on February 10th, will feature a modern fusion of West African and African American cuisine called gumbo greens. Episode 3, which will air on February 17th, will feature a Creole dish of red beans and rice.
Claire Grant reports transactions with the State Journal – Register: [email protected], X (formerly Twitter): @Claire_Granted