CLEO TV’s New Soul Kitchen Virtual Press Conference and Cooking Demonstration hosted by acclaimed Chef Jernard and joined by culinary influencers, Chef Resha, Chef Ahki, Chef Essie Bartels, and Chef Bren Herrera.
NEW SOUL KITCHEN returns with Chef Jernard Wells preparing more down-home recipes with a healthy twist in the series’ new, 30-minute format. Each week, Chef Jernard welcomes a culinary guest – specializing in Vegan, Savory, Ghanaian, and Afro-Cuban fare – to prepare healthy menu makeovers with a taste of flavorful conversations on the side.
CHEF JERNARD AND CHEF BREN
Chef Jernard hangs out in the kitchen with Chef Bren Herrera, and gives viewers a taste of her Afro Cuban culture. Her love and passion for her roots comes out in the meals she cooks. She lays out traditional recipes that she learned in her family’s Cuban kitchen. On Bren’s menu is Red Snapper Escovitch and Arroz Congri with Kidney Beans and Coconut Milk. Chef Jernard keeps it simple and delicious while seasoning things up with bold Latin flavors. He cooks up Chimichurri Flank Steak and Cilantro Lime Black Beans.
Bren is a bilingual, award-winning celebrity chef, TV personality, spokeswoman and host, multi-media entrepreneur, actress, author and speaker with an infectious ability to curate and tell stories that matter. Born in Havana, Cuba and raised in Washington, D.C.,Bren fell in love with cooking when she was 7 years old and her Mom introduced her to the art of pressure cooking. After leaving a lofty career in law, Bren turned to cooking as her way to celebrate her Afro-Cuban roots but also to entertain through dynamic experiences.
In her very soulful kitchen, she combine’s Cuba’s vibrant plate, seeded in African, European, and Spanish culture and cuisine, with modern flavors and textures, to create memorable and smart dishes. She is the bona fide pressure-cooking Queen whose philosophy is to save time and energy so that you can spend precious time with your loved ones without sacrificing flavor and nutrition. Bren has worked with well-known and celeb chefs Rick Bayless, Emeril Lagasse, Guy Fieri, Joel Robuchon, Carla Hall and many others. As a TV contributor and host, Bren appears regularly on the TODAY Show, CNN, Telemundo, ABC, FOX, Hallmark, the Food Network, and others. In 2016, Bren published her first cookbook, ‘Modern Pressure Cooking,’ and has been featured at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture, where her recipes have been featured on the menu of the ‘Sweet Home Café’.
CHEF JERNARD AND CHEF ESSIE BARTELS
From breakfast, lunch, and dinner to parties and holiday gatherings everyone has a favorite childhood memory when it comes to food. Chef Jernard and Chef Essie Bartels take a trip down memory lane and share some of their favorite childhood food memories. Jernard takes it back to a family recipe of Shrimp and Chicken Gumbo, a recipe inspired by his father. He kicks up the flavor with a Cilantro Rice. Chef Essie takes viewers on a journey to the motherland, as we get an authentic taste of Ghana when she prepares the cultural staple Jollof Rice with a fried Kelewele.
Shrimp and Chicken Gumbo
“For one little girl, the journey started in her mother’s tiny kitchen in Ghana where her love affair with spice was ignited. Her flavorful journey continued all over the globe, spurred by her insatiable appetite for travel. She played with exotic palates; she tested cuisines, she concocted condiments.
As her experiments with spices grew, so did the demand for her homemade sauces which all boiled down to what you now find in this jar: bottled up joy handed down through three generations to spice up your life. That little girl was Essie, and this is Essiespice”
CHEF JERNARD AND AHKI TAYLOR
Ahki Taylor is known as the “Wellness Guru to the Stars”. She has worked as a celebrity chef, motivational speaker, and author of many books, including her newest publication – Super Foods For The Modern Baby. She’s also a wellness influencer, and food vlogger. You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook under the name Chef Ahki.
CHEF JERNARD AND RESHA PURVIS
One of the most important things you can do is sit down at the dinner table with your loved ones and have the ultimate family dinner. In this episode of New Soul Kitchen, Chef Jernard and Chef Resha Purvis share dinners that are a hit in their families. Chef Jernard cooks up a tender Ribeye Steak Stir Fry with hearty Teriyaki Sauce and Chef Resha makes what she calls “Million Dollar Chicken” with a Creme Fraiche Sauce. Her unique and flavorful spin on this dish has her family coming back to the table a million times.
“Million Dollar Chicken” with a Creme Fraiche Sauce.
I’m Chef Resha — a personal and private chef, home-cook, recipe developer, Youtuber, blogger, and mother to a beautiful boy. I was born in North Carolina, but I’ve lived in Northern VA most of my life. I couldn’t afford to go to culinary school, so I taught myself everything I know. Reading about the science of food is what allowed me to figure out how to avoid the many mistakes I made prior. Cooking has been the only thing that has consistently kept me fulfilled. I grew up wanting to dip my foot in many fields, but feeding people combines them all for me.
I started my food blog CarnalDish as a hobby, and it’s turned into a major centerpiece of my career. I have landed several spots on The Doctor Oz show, Butter & Brown, Good Morning Washington, and the popular podcast The Read. I’ve traveled and cooked for many celebrities, events, many DC area locals, and I’m just getting started. Sharing decadent recipes that have gotten people raises, engaged, and pregnant is best gift I could ever receive. I’ve met so many hungry fans and we continue to stay close by the power of flavor and technique. I look forward to my future in food, it’s going to be a delicious journey.
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