

These 5 Male Chefs Are Sharing Dishes Guaranteed To Elevate Our Kitchen Game
OK, so if you're like me, you have been taking full advantage of this never-ending quarantine, by exploring new hobbies, skills, and items to add to the menu. It's gotten so bad, that I find myself up on Al Gore's internet at 5:00am, aimlessly seeking new and adventurous ways to take advantage of our newfound free time—with experimenting with new recipes quickly becoming a fave.
And listen, I know we all have our favorite fabulous ladies (Divas Can Cook, Stove Top Kisses, Chef Ahki, Chef Danie, Chef Bae etc.) bookmarked as our current go-to recipe guides, but this time, I decided it was time to highlight the fellas—who are also quite literally making major moves in all facets of the plate.
So, ladies, grab your wine glass, kick your feet up, and enjoy the smells. The fellas are cooking tonight.
Chef Lamar J. Moore | Three-Cheese Mac & Cheese
Courtesy of Chef Lamar J. Moore
Career Highlight:
"I've had so many but as of recent, my career highlight would be winning the Food Network's Vegas Chef Prizefight!"
Length of Time as a Chef:
"20 years."
Favorite Dish to Cook:
"An elevated Three-Cheese Mac & Cheese."
Courtesy of Chef Lamar J. Moore
Encouraged to cook by his family, Chef Lamar J. Moore is a veteran that knows his way around Southern and French Cuisines. "My grandmother was an excellent cook, my Mom cooked all the time for us. I saw how it brought all of us to the table, as one, [for] one moment each day, no interruptions."
And from there, his influence would blossom into a lengthy list of accolades, including winning the executive chef's job at the upcoming Bugsy & Meyer's Steakhouse inside the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. But don't expect his newfound fame to get to his head. As for what's next for Chef Lamar, "[I plan to] continue to teach, mentor, support our restaurants, and peers, and most of all, enrich our communities."
You can also expect to see Chef Lamar on more television shows, opening restaurants, and releasing a cookbook.
Yessss, king!
To keep up with Chef Lamar's journey, you can follow him on Instagram @chef_ljm.
Chef Antonio J. Reed | Soy Ginger Lamb Chops
Courtesy of Chef Antonio J. Reed
Career Highlight:
"The most memorable moment in my career was the grand opening of my food truck, Fat Tony's. The support that I received from my friends and the community was nothing short of amazing!"
Length of Time as a Chef:
"9 years."
Favorite Dish to Cook:
"Soy Ginger Lamb Chops."
Courtesy of Chef Antonio J. Reed
Chef Antonio Reed, affectionately known as Chef Tone, specializes in Southern Comfort food and dishes that he has coined as Alabama Cajun. "My signature style is a combination of the boisterous flavors of the Caribbean, the heat of Cajun cuisine, with an undeniably southern flare."
As a chef with a budding 9+ year career that originally began as a need for employment, his passion quickly grew into something more meaningful. In a short time, Chef Antonio has managed to build a fanbase of supporters that includes the southern region's most impressive clientele. "Once I noticed a growing joy for creating delicious food, I realized that my passion was in making others happy through food. That's all it took for cooking to become my first love and my career took off."
Chef Antonio plans to release a much anticipated cookbook, which will be available for pre-order soon.
*has finger READY to order*
Follow or contact him on Instagram @Tone_Appetit to get a taste!
Chef Teren Green | Lobster Fettuccine w/ Sauteed Asparagus
Courtesy of Chef Teren Green
Career Highlight:
"The highlight of my career would 100% be my trip to France with the 2019 U.S. Women's Soccer Team to serve as Executive Chef during their World Cup win. Greatest two months of my life."
Length of Time as a Chef:
"10 years."
Favorite Dish to Cook:
'Any pasta dish. In this case, Lobster Fettuccine w/ Sauteed Asparagus."
Courtesy of Chef Teren Green
Chef Teren is the culinary powerhouse that you've never heard of, and his resume, which expands over 10 years, is quite literally—and impressively—one of a kind. Specializing in the sports and entertainment industry, Chef T (as Megan Rapinoe and Derrick Rose call him), is a day chef for the Detroit Pistons by day, and a highly sought-after chef by, well...any other time.
"My style is modern, I would say. I never try to place myself in a box, or do things a technical way. I respect the art but I'm OK with changing things up to fit the time."
Chef Teren plans to purchase a space to complete production of a few projects he has planned, as well as maintaining his impact of "giving back and teaching others in a way that will be unmatched."
Hashtag, MOVES.
You can also catch him on Instagram at @chef_teren.
Chef Darren Robinson | Flambéd Fresh Crack Pepper Steak
Courtesy of Chef Darren Robinson
Career Highlight:
"My career highlight came in the form of my biggest challenge: my first travel gig. I catered over 200 people for a three-series event: happy hour, dinner, and afterparty. It was challenging but rewarding. A great learning experience."
Length of Time as a Chef:
"6 years."
Favorite Dish to Cook:
"Flambé Fresh Crack Pepper Steak."
Courtesy of Chef Darren Robinson
Chef Darren may be a newbie to the game, but he is making his mark through creating his own waves in the industry. This versatile, all-around chef isn't looking for the flashing lights, but instead moments that make his clients happy, no matter who they are. "I grew up watching the food channel and watched both of my grandmothers in the kitchen. I actually didn't take culinary arts seriously until my late 20's, which is when I decided to pursue it professionally. But now, I truly enjoy when people are impacted by my food. I enjoy making people smile."
Doesn't matter if it's homemade pasta, baking, or meal prepping, Chef Darren does it all.
You can find him making bomb meals—whether one plate or five hundred—and continuing to build his business one mouth at a time.
Show out, king!
To follow his journey, you can find him on Instagram @d_rob501.
Patrick A Glanville | Jerk Chocolate Crunch Bars
Courtesy of Patrick A Glanville
Career Highlight:
"Becoming a Certified Belgium Chocolatier by training in Belgium with the world's largest Chocolate Academy, Callebaut. We've also been featured and/or mentioned in many news outlets like Black Enterprise, Good Day New York, ABC, CTStyle, Newsday, News8th wnht.com, Shoppeblackus, and many more."
Length of Time as a chef Chocolatier:
"Since the age of 10, but technically 4 years."
Favorite Dish to Cook:
"My grandmother's Jerk Chocolate Crunch Bars."
Courtesy of Patrick A Glanville
So, Patrick may not be a classic chef (at least in this instance), but he is certainly cooking up something worth discussing. His specialty is confectionery chocolates, as the founder of 3Some Chocolates. He is highly trained in the art of delicacies and alongside his wife, trailblazing a lane not often driven by...us.
"From a young age, my grandmother taught me how to temper and create a variety of chocolate treats with her special recipe, which is now our trademark recipe, Jerk Chocolate."
Although Patrick cannot quite disclose the full recipe for his jerk chocolate (it's a well-guarded, patented family recipe), he welcomes us to fall in love with them just as he did.
Add his signature jerk chocolate on top of your favorites cupcake recipe, bomb chocolate liquor cocktail, or pair with an amazing wine—and sit back as you impress your friends with this conversation starter.
Thank you, granny!
You may also find Chef Patrick on Instagram @patrickanvil.
Featured image via Patrick A Glanville
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
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Issa Rae Was Worried Her Body Wouldn’t Be 'Barbie-Ready' Ahead Of The 'Barbie' Movie
If there’s a President Barbie world, run by actress Issa Rae, then I absolutely want to live in it. The Insecure creator has had a fairytail trajectory from shooting her own YouTube series, Awkward Black Girl to becoming thatgirl on the big screen in this summer’s box office smash, Barbie. And while she easily has the most epic glow-up of our generation, the 38-year-old isn’t afraid to speak on the pressure she felt to be “Barbie-ready.”
In a recent interview with Glamour, Issa Rae opened up about her challenges with body image taking a toll on her preparation to play President Barbie following the end of her hit HBO series, Insecure.
“Right before [the role came to me], I was post-Insecure, post–Rap Sh!t, and post-the-final-season-of-Insecure-press-tour,” she recalls to the publication. “I was like, ‘Well, I'm going to let myself go. I'm eating everything.’ And then I got the call to do Barbie and was like, ‘Oh, no, I am not Barbie-shape ready.’”
Thankfully, Rae realized that the reimagined Barbie world that director Greta Gerwig was creating, reflected bodies of all shapes and sizes. “So, while I was still on my fitness journey, I felt less insecure about my Barbie body or lack thereof,” she says.
Rae’s “youthful, fun” and fresh take on the president is one that is inspired by the childhood version that she always envisioned. Growing up, she remembers how her mother and aunties making a point to give her Black Barbies made her “hyperaware” of her Blackness from an early age, which served as a gift in representation that she understood as she came of age.
“In some ways, I was made hyperaware of my Blackness because of how intense my mom and aunt were about, ‘We're giving you Black Barbies,” she shares. “They said, ‘It's important for you to play with dolls that look like you,’ which I didn't really understand. I was like, ‘Okay, more toys, thank you.’”
She continues, “I never played with Christie. I don't think I knew about Christie until later. It was just Barbie with blackface kind of, and it didn't necessarily have Black features. It didn't really mean anything to me until I got older and understood why it was so important for my mom and aunt for me to have this.”
What is expected to be a “self-aware” take on Barbie’s existential experience, the new Barbie movie imitates life in a way that represents the full spectrum of what Barbies of today would look like. With actresses like America Ferrera, Margot Robbie, and Alexandra Shipp all starting in the film, Rae emphasizes that no matter her shade or background there’s a Barbie in this Barbie world for you.
“Everyone in Barbie Land is a perfect Barbie. I found that so beautiful,” she says. “Almost everyone in the world is represented in some way here. That's not an easy piece. I'm sure someone might be like, ‘Where am I?’ But know that there was such an effort made to have Barbie Land be inclusive.”
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Featured image by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Shipt