If Chef McAlex can thank one person for the fact that he’s a successful chef today, it should be his aunt Anise. Growing up in Haiti, her dishes stroked his palate and made him realize how much care and patience goes into making a great dish. Now the owner of his own catering company, Kassav Catering in Tampa, Florida, the caterer-chef applies the same passion when he’s seasoning and flavoring his dishes. “I feel at peace and centered in the kitchen,” he explains. “There’s no other room in the house that speaks to me than that particular room. Some regard food as a source of nutrition but to me food is an art, an expression of culture, a creation born of labor and love.”

Love. Now, that’s something that goes into everything Chef McAlex creates for his clients in the Tampa Bay area. Whether it’s barbecued chicken for a backyard affair, or a fancy seafood dinner for a special occasion, the chef makes certain that he serves food that will be talked about long after it’s been digested.

Kreyolicious: You own your own company Kassav Catering? Walk me through your busiest weekends.
I am the sole proprietor of Kassav Catering. Kassav is an up-and-coming business. I started Kassav a few years ago, but put the business on deferment as I pursued another venture out of state. I’ve catered for birthday parties, weddings, graduations and various other celebratory events. My primary focus at this time is debuting Kassav Catering to the Tampa Bay and surrounding areas; I’ve focused most of my marketing efforts via Social Media. Kassav is a Haitian-American fusion cuisine that appeals to all palates. Kassav is equipped to cater events of all sizes. Kassav also provides cooking courses for singles and couples for a nominal fee.

Kreyolicious: Does everyone have what it takes to be a professional chef?
I prescribe to the notion that everyone can be and do whatever they put their minds to. If one desires to be a professional chef and has the motivation and gumption to obtain the education and training required then by all means they can be a professional chef. It’s important to understand in all things the difference between enjoying and being passionate about something. A chef should be passionate about the foods he/she creates and serves.

Kreyolicious: What dishes do you enjoy preparing the most?
I enjoy the challenge of creating new dishes; you’ll find me in the kitchen early in the morning, mid afternoon or late night experimenting with different ingredients, I love to push boundaries and mix flavors. Haitian blood courses through my veins, therefore Haitian dishes are my favorite to prepare, banan peze, diri kole, diri djondjon, legume, fritay to name a few.

Kreyolicious: What would you like to say to an ordinary cook, who’d like to take things to a professional level?

If you’re passionate about food and cooking exceptional dishes, follow your heart. Seek out culinary schools in your area; pinpoint what you want to do (open a food truck business or a restaurant, teach culinary classes, etc.) Speak to professionals in the food industry who can instruct you on what to do and what to avoid (get a mentor in the field.) Lastly but most importantly, do not allow anyone to tell you that you cannot make it as a chef, passion without drive/action is futile; believe in yourself and run towards your dreams with blinders on.

KASSAV CATERING ON FACEBOOK | KASSAV CATERING ON INSTAGRAM

Fritai is one of the hottest restaurant spots in New Orleans, and it’s serving Haitian food, a cuisine that some would say is a close cousin to Louisiana’s national cuisine. Founded by Boston-born and raised entrepreneur Charly Pierre and his soulmate Eva, Fritai sits inside New Orleans’ St. Roch market. The way the foodie enterprise has caught on, it’s a matter of time before there’s a Fritai every twelve miles radius of New Orleans, and all over the 50 United States.

While some have debated as to whether Haitian food needs to be modified to attain wider appeal, Fritai has not downgraded its quality for palates…thank you very much! Now, let’s get to know more about the Fritai movement and its founder.

Above: Eva and Charly cooking up something good for Fritai regulars and new customers.

Kreyolicious: How did you learn how to cook?
I have been burning things before I could remember. Cooking was a very natural love. Alongside my mother, I would watch her techniques and apply it to mine once she wasn’t home. As a teen, I would constantly be cooking for myself. At age fifteen, I started at The East Side Bar and Grille at the salad station and prep. From there, I moved up the line to lead, until I graduated and received a second-place culinary scholarship to Southern New Hampshire University.

There I received my associates in Culinary Arts and bachelors in Restaurant Management. While in school, I worked as a line cook at the Bedford Villagr Inn, which is a resort with three fine dining restaurants under one roof. I would honestly say I learned more of my basic skills at the BVI than anywhere else. I was immerrsed in the fire and I was enjoying it. From there, I moved back to Boston after graduation to learn the front of the house.

Ah, some Haitian food by Fritai.

Kreyolicious: Being from Boston, moving to New Orleans was taking a leap somehow?
It was definitely a leap! A semi-well planned leap. I first decided I want to move in 2009, but didn’t actually go forth with it until sept 2015 with Eva. My first trip was for a women chef’s conference which the student leadership group—-[for which] I was Vice President accompanied my school’s female chefs. Between these times, I was back and forth nearly every year taking in the culture and people. I primarily fell in love with the food, then the unique brass music.

Kreyolicious: When did it first occur to you that opening a restaurant would be a good idea?
It was always a focus to open my own place, but with good resources and Eva by my side, it all seemed possible now more than ever. We didn’t have much money, but we were smart, savvy and had a vision. We were looking for a local place in our neighborhood until we contacted the market and came for a meeting.

Kreyolicious: By all accounts, Fritai is a hit in New Orleans.
Haha. We are doing pretty well considering we are heading into the cities slow summer season. Our regulars are the ones who really support us the most.

Above: Griyo and bannan peze dish prepared for a Fritai fanatic. Photo: Fritai.

Kreyolicious: What sort of feedback have you been getting from customers and patrons? When did you realize you were getting somewhere?
Dishes like our smothered greens—legim—our griyo plate and the Fritai Sandwich keep people coming back! And [on] Yelp, 5 out of 5 to this date is a good sign!

Kreyolicious: How did you initially get word out about the restaurant?
The market has a great marketing team along with the word of mouth to our industry friends.

Kreyolicious: Do you see yourself writing a cookbook at one point?
Sure. Never thought of that, but if it means I can make more money to buy more cars I’m with it!

Kreyolicious: What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a restaurant or a food business?
Not many are built for this. If you really want to open a business, I say get the most experience you can get. Take your time and work up the line to learn every aspect. Also, be patient. You’re not always gonna be winning, but you reward is working for yourself with your ideas.

Kreyolicious: Where do you see Fritai a decade from now?
A hole in the wall restaurant…still doing our simple but creative dishes. I want to keep Fritai’s food cheap and accessible.

[Main photo credit: Molly Friedman]

Special thanks to Todd P over at TTP, and Molly at St. Roch Market.

Haitian food is having its day on Youtube, thanks to Lamise Oyugi, a Haitian-American food vlogger on Youtube. Based in North Dakota, the zealous foodie breaks down the intricate steps of Haitian cooking down to well-constructed videos on the platform. She also features the cuisines of other Caribbean countries, as well as some parts of Africa.

Kreyolicious: Tell us about how cooking came to be such a big part of your world?
I started cooking at the age of ten. My mother would have me sit next to her while she’s cooking dinner and I would imitate her cooking but using a can. That’s how my passion for cooking started. I learned to cook watching my mom and aunt. They loved to cook, and for the most part, we prepared meals at home instead of going out to eat.

Above: A griyo dish prepared by the Haitian-American foodie for her Youtube channel. [Photo Credit: Lamise Oyugi]

Kreyolicious: You moved from Haiti to the USA when you were little. And moved to Fargo, North Dakota as opposed to a U.S city like Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Newark, Miami where there is a much bigger Haitian population. Do you think you had a different acculturation experience then peers who moved there?
My parents made that decision to move to North Dakota when I was a young girl, so I didn’t have much input into it. But that decision turned out to be a good one, since I have enjoyed my life here while keeping my culture in tact.

Kreyolicious: What was it really like growing up in Fargo?
Fargo is a pretty lively place to grow up in and it is one of those cities that you have to visit to see first hand. There is a mix of cultures and among them is a nice size Haitian community.

A Lamise Oyugi creation! Photo Credit: Lamise Oyugi

Kreyolicious: What made you start your Youtube channel?
I wanted to teach people about Haitian cuisine because I felt that Haitian cuisine is not well represented.

Kreyolicious: When did you realize you were getting somewhere with all the hours and effort, time and money that you were putting in your channel?
I started realizing this is getting somewhere when the subscriber list started getting bigger and bigger and people began leaving positive comments. This fueled my passion to continue.

Above: Okra stew prepared by Haitian-American food vlogger Lamise Oyugi! Photo Credit: Lamise Oyugi.

Kreyolicious: What are the challenges that come with being a food vlogger?
Making sure you deliver what your audience want can sometimes be challenging. This is because some ingredients can be hard to find in my area.

Photography Credit: Lamise Oyugi

CLICK HERE to watch Lamise Oyugi cook her Haitian, Caribbean and African dishes! CHECK OUT this fabulous foodie on her Instagram channel as well by CLICKING HERE!

Haitian food vlogger Lamise Oyugi is putting Haiti’s cuisine right where it belongs on Youtube—right alongside the other international cuisines that cooking enthusiasts salivate over. What started as a hobby of sorts has turned into a full-pledged business, as the Haitian-American foodie is being approached by brands, winning fans and subscribers for her channel, and not to mention expanding her brand off-line.

Since Haitian cuisine has much in common with other cuisines from parts of Africa, and the Caribbean, as well as the USA, the food entrepreneur now offers a variety of recipes and tutorials on her channel.

If you missed part one of our interview, CLICK HERE!

Kreyolicious: The African dishes you prepare are mostly from Uganda. How did you learn to prepare those dishes?
My husband is from Uganda, a country I visited a couple of times recently. While I was there, I learned to cook local dishes such as pilau food because I enjoyed it. I cooked that over and over for my family when I returned to North Dakota, and I have made that part of my YouTube videos.

Kreyolicious: What’s the best compliment you’ve gotten from a viewer?
A subscriber, who is not Haitian, told me that she made a fathers dinner day for her Haitian husband, after watching my video and she said that her husband said that was one of the best meals he has had thus far. That made feel good.

Another scrumptious dish from Haitian-American foodie Lamise Oyugi. Diri kole!

Kreyolicious: That’s awesome…If there was a food ration, and you were given the choice of choosing only one of these spices for a year and no other…which would you choose…Garlic…bell pepper and black pepper.
I would choose garlic, because you can crush it to infuse more flavor or you can chop for less.

Spaghetti cooked Haitian style by foodie extraordinaire Lamise Oyugi. Photo Credit: Lamise Oyugi

Kreyolicious: Have you ever thought of creating a cookbook to go with your channel?
I have thought about. I am working on it and will unveil it in the future.

Kreyolicious: What else is next for you?
Currently doing cooking classes. I also want to continue to produce more videos for my YouTube channel.

Photography Credit: Lamise Oyugi

CLICK HERE to watch Haitian food vlogger Lamise Oyugi cook her Haitian, Caribbean and African dishes! CHECK this fabulous foodie on her Instagram channel as well by CLICKING HERE!

Haitian cooking and Haitian food in general is getting its property due, thanks to bloggers like Natacha Josselin who’s behind the Taicha’s Cuisine blog. Her simple-to-follow video uploads on the Youtube channel has earned her many followers. The mommy of three, who’s also the founder of a gospel ministry, emphasizes healthy cooking in all her recipes.

Kreyolicious: What was your relationship with Haitian food like growing up?
Growing up in Haiti in a house full of aunties, grandmas, and cousins. Someone was always dishing something. I was the youngest little girl in the house and the pickiest eater, I didn’t have a big appetite. I remember saying to myself I can’t wait till I get older so I can eat all the Fritay(fried food) that want! I was just thinking like a child but eventually, I grew up liking all the healthiest Haitian food such as Legumes and Bouillon.

Kreyolicious: Who do you credit with showing you your way around a kitchen?
I credit my Nininne (my godmother), Mimose Lyncee and my Auntie Mirelle Emile who took good care of me after my mother passed away at the age of seven months. these two ladies did an awesome job teaching me my way around the kitchen and also how to take care of a household like a strong Haitian woman. I am grateful to have them in my life.

Kreyolicious: How did the idea for creating Taicha’s Cuisine come about?
Cooking comes so naturally to me. I never really see the good that could come out of it until my husband Kenny gave me the creative idea to become a food blogger because he believes that I can make a significant difference in other people’s lives by sharing my delicious healthy recipes. I am glad I took his advice. I am new to Youtube, and so far my channel is doing well. I thank all my viewers, subscribers who continue to encourage me to make more videos because they find my recipes really helpful. My fan[base] support is part of the fuel that keeps me going.

Kreyolicious: What’s it like doing ingredient shopping and budgeting for your channel?
I cook on a daily basis so budgeting my channel is not really that difficult for me, but finding the time to record and editing my videos while my twins toddlers are running around the house and my four-month-old daughter who also needs my attention is very challenging. but so far I am trying the best I can to upload at least a video once a week.

Kreyolicious: What do you wish you had known starting out?
I wish I knew that I needed to be consistent with uploading videos. When I first started, I would spend a whole month without uploading a video. Now I know that I need to keep my viewers engaged in order to run a Youtube channel. The best pieces of advice I would give to someone starting their own channel are: love what you do, be consistent and make sure you’re having fun.

Kreyolicious: When did you realize you were getting somewhere?
I spent a whole month I didn’t even check my channel, one day I decided to check on it I noticed one of my videos had one-thousand views! That was really encouraging. From that point on, I decided to keep going. In addition, one day I received an email from you Kreyolicious requesting an interview for my channel. I was beyond excited then I realized that my channel is really getting somewhere. I hope in less than three years, my brand will make a difference in the Haitian Community.

Kreyolicious: What’s it like being part of the Haitian American food bloggers community?
I really embrace the opportunity of being part of the Haitian-American food bloggers community that is making a tremendous difference in bringing more exposure to our culture for the world to see despite everything Haiti is going through it still remains La Perle des Antilles.

This interview is part of a series by your fave chick Kreyolicious to help promote Haitian/Haitian-American food bloggers/Haitian food vloggers! CLICK HERE to read about other Haitian American food bloggers!

Check out this video from Taicha’s Cuisine below!

CLICK HERE to go on the Taicha’s Cuisine channel to view more Haitian food photos and Haitian cooking tutorials!

Haitian cuisine would have made it to California, but it wouldn’t have made as big of a splash had it not been for Georges Laguerre, better known as Tigeorges. Laguerre is the owner of TiGeorges Restaurant, one of the few Haitian restaurants in California, and one of the most celebrated restaurants serving international cuisine in California. After decades of owning the landmark restaurant, running his own non-profit organization and selling his branded Haitian coffee, Tigeorges is telling his story in No Man Is An Island: A Memoir of Family and Haitian Cuisine, co-written with Jeremy Rosenberg.

Above: Chef Tigeorges! Photo Credit: Tor Johansen/TorPhoto

TiGeorges nearly died at birth and had to be revived. His restaurant got burned down at the height of success, only to be moved elsewhere and be more popular than ever. Can this book be categorized? No Man Is An Island is a foodie memoir, it’s an autobiography, and it’s a cookbook. It’s a love letter from a man who loves Haiti, Haitian cuisine, and the kitchen.

Above: Chef Tigeorges and co-writer Jeremy Rosenberg inside Tigeorges Chicken in California. Photo Credit: Fabrice Cazeau.

Kreyolicious: When you were little, did you ever imagine you’d get this far in life?
Yes…My dream was to become a camera man in Hollywood…So far, that dream has not been materialized.
[But] for sure I knew from the education that I had received from my parents I will play a very important role in society.

Kreyolicious: No Man Is An Island. I think this title is so appropriate for your book. So many ways you could interpret it. Did you consider other titles?
Tigeorges in the kitchen…Because cooking was always my passion.

Kreyolicious: So you worked with Professor Jeremy Rosenberg on the book. What was the collaboration process like?
It took us seven years to make this book. Always have been fun to work with Jeremy.

Kreyolicious: How did you ever get the courage to make the move to California, when you had been living in New York for so long?
Never did like the cold…I remember during winter time, I always had the blues. Could not see myself back in NewYork again—although my entire family is in New York.

Kreyolicious: Do you see yourself writing another book after this one?
The answer is yes…Because I have so much more to say about my life experience in Los Angeles.

Above: Tigeorges Laguerre (left) and co-author Jeremy Rosenberg at an event promoting the book No Man Is An Island. Photo Credit: Gary Leonard.

Kreyolicious: At one point, you were really into filmmaking. Do you ever think about having a cooking TV show about Haitian cuisine?
A TV show is a great idea. That will give me a chance to show to the youth interested in Haitian cuisine how much
passion exists in the Haitian culinary [arts].

Kreyolicious: I have heard that some Walmarts around the country are selling “griyo” in their deli. Only, they don’t call it griyo. Do you think that as the decades go by, Haitian cooking will become more mainstream…like griyo will become the new taco, and diri sòs pwa will become the new chow mein?
Anything coming out of Haiti is hard to sell. Somehow, the rest of the world feel the originality of our cuisine should change so that Haitianty can be accepted and I refuse to sell Haiti on that level. No deformation if you come to patronage my business. I am going to say that Haiti[‘s] cuisine is among the ten best cuisines on this planet. And us Haitian restaurateurs have great responsibility not to combine the name of our restaurant with the name of other countries—that is Caribbean Haitian, French Kreyol etc.

Kreyolicious: What else can we look forward to from you?
Soon to open up a TiGeorges Kafe in my home town Port-De-Paix.

CLICK HERE to purchase his book on Amazon.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE TIGEORGES RESTAURANT WEBSITE.

The next time you’re in Texas, and feel like having some Haitian food, your intestines won’t have to suffer much. Gou Lakay, located in the heart of Killeen, Texas and its wonderful staff—which includes co-owner Mario Sense—will be more than happy to cater to your Haitian cuisine cravings. Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sense moved to the Lone Star State a few years ago. Be attentive, dear readers, as he tells the story of how he brought Haitian food to Haitian-Americans and other Texans.

Kreyolicious: How did you come to be involved in the food business?
I moved to Killeen, Texas in 2013. The cost of living here had opened my eyes on starting a few businesses. A year later, May 2014, I met Yann and Laura, my two business partners and co-owners of the restaurant. We became close friends, and one night out in early 2016, we were talking about different businesses in the community and the ideal of Haitian restaurant came up. We were so excited about it that we jumped on the idea and worked tirelessly, and opened our doors on January 6, 2017.

Kreyolicious: How did you settle on the name Gou Lakay?
It wasn’t that difficult. We had several names with Gou and several names with Lakay and one day we just combined Gou and Lakay. Voila…Gou Lakay.

Kreyolicious: What is the Haitian-American community like in Texas?
Base on the nonprofit Facebook page Laura already had, we figured with a little over a hundred people on the page and being that it’s a military town, we would create an atmosphere where everyone would feel welcomed. Little did we know, the Haitian-American community here is a lot larger than we could have imagined. Some people have been in this area for over 30 years and never knew there were five [other] Haitians here, let alone the [number] they saw on grand opening night.

Military patrons enjoy a meal at Gou Lakay in Texas.

Kreyolicious: When did it occur to you that starting a restaurant in the area would be a good idea?
I’m all about business, so the idea was always there. But, it was set a few months after I met Yann and Laura. They are very business-minded people. So the feeling of having the right partners made starting any business with them the right time.

Kreyolicious: From what you have observed, what’s the most popular dish with your clients?
I’m not sure if it’s because people miss their home cooked meal so much that surprisingly this is a deadlock between griot, diri djo ndjon [fried pork with black mushroom rice] and tasso kabrit [fried goat], diri djon djon [rice with mushrooms].

A Gou Lakay dish!

Kreyolicious: Do you find that you have to make certain adjustments to the cuisine to make it appeal to some of your patrons?
Definitely. Every month we make adjustments to appeal to our patrons…whether it’s on the menu or our hours of operations.

Kreyolicious: What’s it like running Gou Lakay day-to day?
It’s definitely a challenge. We are all still fully-employed. So, we definitely thank God for the smoothness of the day-to-day operation, and it has a lot to do with our amazing cook/chef Eugenie Chery. Without her, we don’t know how successful Gou Lakay would have been.

Kreyolicious: Hindsight…hindsight! What do you wish you had known before starting out?
Had we known there were that many Haitians around, we would have pulled the trigger sooner. [smiles widely]

Kreyolicious: Is Haiti a place you travel to often?
Since 2003, I’ve only been back twice and unfortunately. It’s been for my grandfather’s then my father’s funeral. However, we all have upcoming travel plan to the motherland within the next year.

Kreyolicious: Where do you see Gou Lakay going? A franchise perhaps?
Not to brag, we have already received several inquiries to open Gou Lakay in different States…Some from people who’ve never even been to the restaurant, just based on what they’ve seen on social media.

CLICK HERE to visit the Gou Lakay restaurant website! CLICK HERE to visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Meet Mitzi Coaker, the recipe developer and licensed caterer behind MCatering LLC, a Chicago-based food service company. But it’s not just any catering company. Coaker serves up ethnic foods in general, but the Haitian-American entrepreneur’s specialty is, well…Haitian cuisine! Read on to find out how she’s bringing Haitian-American cuisine to Chicago and surrounding areas.

Kreyolicious: How did your passion for cooking begin?
Mitzi Coaker: My passion for cooking begin in Haiti when I tasted a pate. The flavors exploded in my mouth and to this day I’ve been trying to recreate that taste.

Kreyolicious: What made you start your catering business?
Mitzi Coaker: I started my catering business because it gave me the opportunity and luxury to serve great food and not feel pressured to perform every day if I own a restaurant right now. Also as a caterer, my events will be a showcase in itself especially since I’m introducing an unknown cuisine (Haitian) to the Chicagoland area.

Kreyolicious: What’s the best meal you had growing up?
Mitzi Coaker: The best meal I had growing up was sauce poi rouge avec du riz blanc [rice and beans with white bean dip] and of course Haitian chicken and sauce.

Kreyolicious: Any ideas on how great cooks can take their cooking to the next level?
Mitzi Coaker: Never stop learning. Do your research on your cuisine. Watch great chefs learn from their techniques. Take advice you don’t know it all. Do a survey on your market audience.

Kreyolicious: How do you stay on top of your game?
Mitzi Coaker: Keep your business relevant. Broaden your horizons. Try a new venue. Reach a new market. Best of all practice on making your dishes the best it can be.

Kreyolicious: What’s the Haitian-American community like in Chicago?
Mitzi Coaker: The Haitian-American community is pretty segregated. It’s mostly on the east side of Chicago and far north almost Evanston. Nothing in the Metropolitan Chicago Area, that’s where my passion is.

Kreyolicious: Some people are probably thinking…a Haitian dude Jean-Baptiste du Sable founded Chicago and all. That city should be receptive to a little Haitian food. What are your thoughts?
Mitzi Coaker: Most people have not had Haitian food. They compare it to Jamaican food, don’t like that. We don’t even have a Haitian restaurant in Chicago. The only one is in Evanston.

Kreyolicious: In your food adventures in Chicago, what do you note about other people of African descent….are they embracing Haitian cuisine…what do they think of the dishes…
Mitzi Coaker: I’m known for my rice, so my immediate circle is aware of it. On a larger scale, choices are so many that it would take much capital to be on the map.

Kreyolicious: What challenges do you come across with your clientele?
Mitzi Coaker: Challenges with my clienteles. Consistency…Money.

Kreyolicious: Do you go to Haiti often?
Mitzi Coaker: I’ve been to Haiti seven times in six years with my church on missions trip. I’ve been inspired each time to showcase Haitian cuisine to the Chicagoland area. I would bring spices, bread, essence and coffee. I would share them with my friends and families. Unfortunately the best thing Haiti has that I can’t bring are the mangoes. Last time I was there I bought three of the pots that you would see the ladies cooking on the streets.

Kreyolicious: Looking back at your career and business…who gave you the best advice ever?
Mitzi Coaker: The best advice that I’ve gotten was from my mom. She said she used to cook for free. but I’m cooking and getting paid for it. I see it as each generation is breaking a barrier. Also clean up as you cook.

Kreyolicious: What’s next for you?
Mitzi Coaker: What’s next for me? In five years I plan on having at least one paid employee and a small i

CLICK HERE to visit the M Catering LLC website and to learn more about Haitian American cuisine fusion!