Tonya Hopkins: The Food Griot

The visual, digital chronicles of: an American Food History Sleuth and Raconteuse; CoFounder @JamesHemingsOrg; Wine Whisperer at @GoodWineNYC; Event Igniter; Cocktail Cognoscente; Cultural Connector; Culinary Creative; Content Creator & Consultant; Legacy Cook.

Checkout yours truly discussing @jameshemingsorg & American food history on the set of #ToniWilliams’ @brooklyn_savvy #tvshow with the #hospitality of #specialguest #celebchef @carlaphall at her fab #RedHookRestaurant, @carlahallsk, that specializes in #nashvillehotchicken ya’ll ! 🌶🐓Plus all kindsa other well-made American #Soulfood and #Southernfood specialties … #friedchicken #hootiehot #sweetpotatoes #candiedyams #cornbread #macNcheese #bbq #coleslaw #collards / #collardgreens #potlikker #potatosalad #pimentocheese #buttermilkbiscuits #chowchow #pickles #bananapudding, all around #comfortfood … you can see/hear this 27 min episode online at: https://vimeo.com/204697803 Enjoy! (#lisabing what’s your IG handle?! LOL…) (at 115 Columbia st Brooklyn)

candiedyams nashvillehotchicken bananapudding coleslaw redhookrestaurant collards buttermilkbiscuits potlikker soulfood toniwilliams pimentocheese celebchef bbq sweetpotatoes cornbread hospitality macncheese specialguest lisabing hootiehot collardgreens southernfood friedchicken pickles tvshow chowchow potatosalad comfortfood

Apr 19, 2017

#Happy101stBDay #EdnaLewis! Thru learning her life’s work, Ms. Lewis has been like a gracious guide helping me to better navigate key areas of America’s 20thC #culinaryscene(s) — Southern, Northern, Black & White. For this I’m grateful & inspired to share insights on her special day. Interesting & ironic tho that she shares her #April13thBirthday w/ another famous #VA foodie, #ThomasJefferson (1743-1826), that avid agriculturalist who’s credited for recipes & culinary accomplishments (that r in truth the achievements of his #enslaved #chef #JamesHemings, a mostly unknown & certainly unsung #foodgenius (& our raison d'être for @jameshemingsorg). James (1765-1801) originated a signature #VirginianFrench cooking style he developed while gone w/TJ to 1780’s/90’s #Paris #France + #cheffing many great meals in the US (VA, MD, PA, NY) for VIP’s incl Madison, #Hamilton! — a culinary legacy & enduring sphere of influence that Ms.Lewis, a #DescendantofSlaves, was born into in 1916, in a county near TJ’s plantation. The talent cultivated in his #MonticelloKitchen had long benefited neighboring areas by further elevating skillsets of other #enslavedcooks thruout the region. At Jefferson’s edict, JH trained his brother Peter & @ TJ’s offering, he trained others elsewhere. Miss Lewis grew up in one of those agricultural, seasonally led communities well versed for generations in this style of uniquely American cookery that she mastered. Nearly 2 centuries after JH’s indelible edible imprint was left, knowingly or not, Chef Lewis (re)introduces it to a sophisticated #celeb dining clientele via her own vibrant version aftr arriving in #NYC in the 1930’s, notably in the 40’s & 50’s as #headchef at the famed #CaféNicholson in Midtown Manhattan & later at the historic #GageandTollner #finedining establshmnt in the late 80’s/early 90’s in Bklyn (+by writing amazing #cookbooks in betw)…In a diff time/place, on the cookbook cover on the bottom rt, we’d see ChefJames vs only Jefferson’s face. #happybirthdayednalewis!@beardfoundation’s 1stEver #LivingLegendAward recipient. #happybirthdayTJ too. #famousfoodies frm VA separated by 2 centuries, 1 county… (to say the least ;) (at New York, New York)

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Apr 14, 2017

Late night “snack” turned earliest of early morn breakfasts (of champions ;) yesterday when I was in homestretch prepping for tonight’s talk I facilitated at (@schomburglive @schomburg_jsp @schomburgspecialevents …& = why y'all ain’t heard from me lately)…finishing reading @soulfoodscholar’s recently arrived new book densely packed with info and interesting stories (& stories WITHIN stories!) about American presidents and the African American people (enslaved and free) who cooked for and served POTUS #1 thru #44 well over the centuries… The image on this page is that of the handwritten inventory of kitchen utensils at @tjmonticello written circa 1796 by enslaved Chef James Hemings (namesake of @jameshemingsorg) courtesy of @librarycongress ….#shortnotice #crunchtime #chocolatecake to #stayawake! (& #staywoke) at #5thAveDiner #ParkSlope #burningthemidnightoil in #Brooklyn #24hrs #worthit #pageturner … #TheSchomburgCenter of #BlackResearchandCulture in #Harlem #USA… (at Brooklyn, New York)

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Feb 26, 2017

#GreatConversation #GreatConnections at @schomburglive @thefoodgriot w/ @soulfoodscholar after our talk onstage, now in atrium area with multitalented #chef/#caterer/all around #culinaryprofessional @blackculinary (founder of blackculinaryhistory.com) keeping the convo going! At the #langstonhughesauditorium at #NYPL’s The #Schomburg #BetweenTheLines program in #harlem USA 🇺🇸 … (at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library)

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Feb 26, 2017

#thestageisset #enterstageleft #betweenthelines @schomburgspecialevents / @schomburglive, @thefoodgriot and @soulfoodscholar about to get the #culinaryconversation going for his new book just out: “The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the #AfricanAmericans Who Have Fed Our First Families from the Washingtons to the #Obamas”…#blackhistorymonth #langstonhughesauditorium #NYPL’s #schomburgcenter #schomburg in #harlemusa #harlemnyc #harlem #alltheworldsastage (at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library)

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Feb 26, 2017

Perfect #valentinesgift for or from a #blackfoodie #likeme on #valentinesday: #handpicked #blackeyedpeas #fresh (now dried) from ma gurrl Groovy’s backyard #urbangarden in #chitown…plus a #lovely #handcrafted #heartshaped #ovenmitt / #potholder made from #natural #recycled fabrics and materials… #gogreen 💚#happyvalentines ❤️#happyvalentinesday💝 (at Brooklyn, New York)

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Feb 15, 2017

Speaking of #potatochips … in #Saratoga #NY in the mid 1800’s , chef George Crum (and/or his sister Mrs. Catherine Wicks!) created the ubiquitous #potatochip we all know and LOVE… Do u think any #AfricanAmerican descendants benefited financially from this phenomenal snack invention? … honoring unsung #culinarycontributors to #iconic #AmericanFood and #Drink…#blackhistorymonth should really be renamed #blackappreciation month for a whole host of reasons.. ….#blackinventors…(more to this story tbc) (at Brooklyn, New York)

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Feb 15, 2017

here’s what happens when your kitchen cupboard clean out session becomes a cross-cultural culinary treasure hunt!…Just found and fried up these tasty morsels: Laxmi Brand Madras Plain Pappadums and Rani Brand Madrasi Plain Pappadum … I kid you not when i tell you that munching on the crumbled up ones were like chowing down on a vegetarian version of pork rinds LOL: light as air crispy crunchy deliciousness …lightly oily, already perfectly seasoned/salted paper-thin wafers that I slip straight out the package into a small, hot, coconut oil-filled cast-iron frying pan for 10 seconds! —they cook in TEN seconds I tell u … and if you get the oil temp right you witness kitchen chemistry wizardry as they magically curl and puff up so fast right before your very eyes (i’ll have to do a video next time)… wow, i think the trusty potato chip may’ve just lost it’s preferential status at the top of my crunchy snacks tower! … The larger ones you can see in the pic are a version of what they look like after immersion in the perfect oil temp (…and no two pappadum fry up the same! :) …stay tuned to see via video “next time”…😴💤)

culinaryheritage culinary madras pappadums RaniBrand madrasi pappadum tasty morsels chowing down chowingdown vegetarian lightasair crispy crunchy deliciousness seasoned coconutoil 10seconds 10 seconds snacktime hot oil organic fried food omnivore indianfood healthyfriedfood deepfried glutenfree

Feb 07, 2017

It’s #ChineseNewYear (& #LunarNewYear / #Seollal )! 2017 begins a #YearOfTheRooster🐓: “The rooster gets up early — and fights away any evil.” It’s expected to bring good health and energy in 2017, it represents #JUSTICE and standing up for what you believe in says Junxi Su of Chinese New Year United. 1/5 of the world’s population celebrates this holiday with a buncha festivities & #feasts for days (this year 1/28-2/2). Chinese & Korean (North/South) are two of several Asian nationalities and diasporas throughout the US & worldwide celebrating in myriad ways like preparing and serving #luckyFOOD to bring #GOODLUCK for the coming year: Chinese #dumplings & #springrolls for wealth💰, fish🐡 for #prosperity, #niangao (glutinous rice cakes for career advancement, greater income) #tangyuan (sweet rice balls, represent family togetherness), noodles (happiness & longevity), fruits like tangerines and oranges 🍊 (for #goodfortune, fullness and wealth); and then there’s deliciously savory Korean #Tteokguk (rice cake soup 🍜) #kimchimandu (#kimchi dumplings) and #japchae (glass noodle stir fry)…. “Last year was the year of the monkey 🐒 , and like the animal, it was crazy and chaotic.” says #CeciliaChiang, the 97-year-old pioneering chef/restaurateur who helped revolutionize #ChineseFood in America and taught #JuliaChild about #Chinesecuisine (on @NPR’s @NPRWeekend)… I hope Chef Chiang is right — that the The Rooster will inspire people to Wake Up, #WAKEUP. 🌅🌞And that this year will somehow be better.🌜🌝🌛
#HappyLunarNewYear2017 #HappyNewYear2017
#XinnianKuaile #SpringFestival #HappyLunarNewYear #HappyRoosterYear #roosteryear

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Jan 29, 2017

#Blackcollegestudent #DorothyBell, 19, of #Birmingham, Ala., waits in a downtown Birmingham #lunchcounter for service that never came, #April4, #1963. She was arrested with 20 others in sit-in attempts. And #truthbetold, to quote #DrKing: “We #strugglin to be able to have the #money to be #ABLEtoBUY a #steak or a #hamburger once we get to the lunch counter we aim to #integrate” ~ #MartinLutherKingJR (who selflessly died for the cause and yet this quote is #sadlystilltrue). #civilrights #martinlutherking #reclaimmlkday #MLK #ReclaimMLK …

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Jan 16, 2017

In the mid #1950s, Club from Nowhere founder Georgia Gilmore used her #culinarytalents to fund and #feed the #CivilRightsMovement.
#TheClubFromNowhere was the #brainchild of #GeorgiaGilmore, a cafeteria worker who was fired for her organizing efforts. She is one of the many unsung heroes of the #CivilRightsEra. She spearheaded raising money for the movement by selling #pies and #cakes out of #beautyparlors to buy gas and station wagons to haul people to work during the 1955-56 #BusBoycott that #RosaParks triggered. (@jameshemingsorg let’s find out what #deliciousness she’s stirring up in this pot!) Thank you @thekitchensisters and producer #JamieYork for chronicling her story on @NPR back in 2005: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4509998
Photo: Courtesy SS Seay Sr. Educational Foundation #MLKDay…#NPR

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Jan 16, 2017

Wondering what to do with all those parts of the #collardgreens that dont get cooked up? They’re perfect for #juicing! Here I juiced them with #carrot #apple #sweetpotato #ginger & #tumeric root #HealthyNewYear!! #wastenotwantnot #wastenot #wastenothing #wastenofood #creativeconcoctions #juicingrecipes …

wastenofood apple creativeconcoctions wastenothing ginger healthynewyear tumeric juicing carrot juicingrecipes wastenotwantnot sweetpotato collardgreens wastenot

Jan 04, 2017

Still servin’ up #heapinghelpings of #prosperity (#collards) and #goodfortune / #goodluck (#blackeyedpeas) to get the new year off to a great start… Oh and the #friedchicken’s for lotsa #flavor and #soulfilling #satisfaction in the year ahead! (at Park Slope Historic District)

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Jan 03, 2017

#timeless #traditions #collardgreens & #blackeyedpeas on #NewYearsDay for #GoodLuck and #Prosperity throughout the #NewYear" (at Park Slope)

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Jan 02, 2017

Foodimagery is woven throughout the fabric of Kwanzaa: and shows up prominently on the Kwanzaatable: “An African basket or wooden bowl of fruits and vegetables represents the crops (first fruits) and serves as the centerpiece. Another symbol, muhundi (corn) has special relevance in many African societies as a fundamental food staple that also represents the human life cycle. During Kwanzaa, ears of corn represent the children of a household, extended family, or community. The #unitycup (Kikombe cha umoja) is used for the ancient African practice of pouring #libations for the ancestors using water, juice, or #wine. so much of Kwanzaa is about sharing #memorablemeals (#karamu) The holiday even culminates in a big #KaramuFeast that takes place on December 31st, the evening of the sixth day (Kuumba/Creativity). A time when relatives, extended family, friends, and neighbors come together for a ceremonial, communal meal ideally featuring foods /dishes from throughout the #AfricanDiaspora … Dishes with #folkloric significance are a great idea— like the #blackAmericanFoodTradition of eating #collardgreens and #blackeyedpeas or #HoppinJohn (a black-eyed pea, rice & peppers pilau) on #NewYearsDay for #goodluck and #prosperity throughout the #NewYear! (at Tustin, California)

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Jan 02, 2017