Kenan Thompson, Charlamagne tha God visit Food Bank

Chef Lucas Sin is on a mission to make Chinese food accessible to all. Whether whipping up northern Chinese staples at his restaurants Junzi & Nice Day or leading a discussion on the connections between Chinese cuisine and other cultures, Sin is always looking for opportunities to infuse his dishes with a little perspective. For him, it's not enough to simply make Chinese food — he wants to tell a story and open people's eyes to where this rich, compelling, and often misunderstood cooking tradition actually comes from. To learn more about his takes on cooking and storytelling, check out our full interview with the chef below! What does Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month mean to you? I would like to see AAPI month as a month of celebration of culture and diversity. What’s so outstanding about a place like New York City is not only the vibrancy of each individual culture, but how they come together. How has your heritage shaped the person you are today? At both of our spots [Junzi Kitchen & Nice Day], our primary goal is a cultural one. Both of those restaurants are trying to the answer the question of why Americans think Chinese is only one thing. We're asking people to think twice about what they consider to be "Chinese American" food. I think heritage and culture is a huge part of why we open restaurants. Personally for me, going back to this idea of cultural confluence, I'm from Hong Kong, which is a classic example of cultures coming together. Popular food in Hong Kong takes a lot of influences from different cultures and perspectives. It's necessary to adopt good ideas from other cultures — that's how Hong Kong was built. What I love about where I grew up is its real sense of cultural diversity. It's a huge part of my DNA as a chef and I'm dedicated to bringing that into our restaurants. What, for you, is the magic of food? The magic of food is that it's a really accessible way to initiate deeper conversations about culture. It's a gateway to conversations about identity, culture, immigration, all of these things. Before the pandemic, we ran this program called "Chef's Table," which illustrated the connections between Chinese culture and other cultures... what's the relationship between Chinese food and food from the Dominican Republic, for example. Is there any influence from DR cooking into Chinese cuisine? Are there any similarities to how Dominican and Chinese restaurants are run? Examining the two-way influence can be really cool. How can you tell your story through food? First, you have to figure out what your story is, and that requires a lot of self-reflection. For me, that self-reflection is about thinking of the things I grew up eating, but also requires research, historical research, into these childhood memories to make sure that my own memories are substantiated by real facts. Just as you would learn about another cuisine, you have to look at the cuisine you grew up with through the lens of a professional chef. Storytelling through food also requires empathy. You have to put yourself in the shoes of your customer and think about how they'll receive the food. The importance of sharing cultural stories is all about helping people to understand that the world is a good and diverse place. What do you think people and organizations can do to combat escalating acts of racism and xenophobia against Asian Americans? Support AAPI restaurants. Also, think about your local Chinese take-out restaurants... they're facing unprecedented challenges, even before the pandemic. What we usually describe as a "Mom and Pop" shop is still very much the reality for these restaurants — mom out front and dad doing the cooking in the back. But they're getting older, and their sons and daughters are super educated and maybe don't want to take over the restaurants any more, even though their livelihoods still depend on them. Oftentimes, these families don't have an easy way out. So, you should absolutely order from those places. From a conversational perspective, we have to stop disparaging this type of Chinese cooking and cuisine. American Chinese is incredibly authentic and these restaurants have amazing efficiencies that people can learn from. It's vital to respect how these businesses are run, how lean they are, and how effective they are at doing what they do. For more stories from chefs on the ground, make sure to check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. (All photos provided by Lucas Sin, courtesy of Matt Taylor-Gross)

Though a Californian by birth, Chef Russell Jackson has been setting New York City’s culinary world on fire since 2012. A former contestant on “The Next Food Network Star” and the Head Chef of “Reverence” in Harlem, Jackson prioritizes seasonality and intimacy in everything he does. Most recently, he’s been serving as a key member of the COVID task force at the Aspen Institute, where he’s advocated for community food relief and met with the White House team. To learn more about Chef Jackson’s unique approach to cooking and service, including his thoughts on everything from spring garlic to inequality in restaurant supply chains, check out our interview with him below! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Russell Jackson (@chefrjackson) What, for you, is the magic of food? There’s something that’s so inherently wonderful about food and dining and cooking and the impact it has on people’s lives. Through the process of growing up and cooking and coming to that greater realization... it's difficult to answer because I think it’s multi-faceted, it’s hard to put it into a succinct way. But this is who I am, and this is what I do. What ingredient will always sell you on a dish? Because I’m trained as a California-style chef, I eat with the seasons and prioritize quality. Some of my favorite ingredients, like peanut butter or foie gras, I may not be able to eat all the time. I start with what we are growing, what’s in the backyard — what can we do with what we have? I love spring garlic, and I go through 10 pounds a week, but I’m not a winter garlic fan. In October it’s all about chilies, in December it’s all about citrus. It’s how I was raised. If I’m cooking it, I’m inspired by it. Do you have a favorite meal memory? The most impactful moment in my culinary career was the very first time I got to feed [my son] Kingston in the restaurant. It was an absolute full circle moment. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Russell Jackson (@chefrjackson) How can folks use food to do good? I think it’s important to consider things like the harsh realities of food sourcing and the inequality along the supply chains, and to understand the quality of those products. Responsible sourcing costs me more money, and in turn it’s going to cost my guests more money. But it's the cost needed to get quality ingredients, to pay my staff a living wage, to have room for conversations in our restaurant about savings, healthcare, and investments. We have choices to make as a public and must demand better. It’s a human right to not be abused by the systems that we create. From the investor to the management to the ownership, everyone needs to do their part. And lastly... if your bodega named a sandwich after you, what would it be called and what would it be? There’s a sandwich that I created in 2011 at my restaurant in San Francisco that I would eat every single day. It included all my favorite ingredients. It was “The Elvis” — triple-decker peanut butter and jelly, foie gras, and bacon sandwich, with homemade peanut butter that we used to grind up at the restaurant, huckleberry jelly, big slabs of foie gras, thick slabs of Iberian bacon. For more stories from chefs on the ground, make sure to check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Longtime Food Bank friend and supporter Chef JJ Johnson is a culinary force in New York City. Known for his artful blending of West African and Asian cuisines, the chef has snagged a coveted James Beard Award, written a successful cookbook, Between Harlem and Heaven, mounted a hospitality group focused on international food, and appeared in just about every magazine on the rack and cooking segment on TV. He also hosts his own show "Just Eats with Chef JJ" now in its second season on Cleo TV. But what’s perhaps most noteworthy about Chef JJ is his commitment to making New York a more equitable place for Black business owners like himself. Though his work primarily finds him at Fieldtrip (his restaurant in Harlem, and a brand new location at Rockefeller Center), his desire to use food as a bridge between different cultures extends far beyond the neighborhood he calls home. This was never more evident than it was last spring, when JJ and his team decided to keep Fieldtrip open so that they could serve free meals to healthcare workers in their community. The chef also provided resources and food to youth and families throughout the summer and into fall. Truly, he does it all, and we are beyond honored to feature him as the very first profile in our new “Food in Action” series, which will highlight the culinary activism of chefs, cooks, and restauranteurs using food to do good right here in the Big Apple. What, for you, is the magic of food? It brings people together. What ingredient will always sell you on a dish? I’m always looking for flavor. Do you have a favorite meal memory? The beef box from [Korean steakhouse] Cote was a great addition to our Fourth of July last year. Grilling their steaks in my parent’s backyard is definitely something worth remembering. How can folks use food to do good? Buy food from your local restaurant and feed somebody in need. And lastly... if your bodega named a sandwich after you, what would it be called and what would it be? The Hitter: Steak, Cheddar, Onions, and an Over Medium Egg with special sauce. For more stories from chefs on the ground, make sure to check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.