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CHEF TIFFANY TISDALE-BRAXTON: RECIPES: SOUL FOOD & HEALTH CONSCIOUS MEALS
Name: Tiffany Tisdale-Braxton
City: Houston, TX
Speciality: Soul Food and Health cautious meals for Athletes
Name of Company: Tisdale23 Catering and Event Planning
Soul Society 101: When did you first realize that you loved to cook?
Tiffany: I first realized that I like to cook when I was a child, I thought it was a fun thing to do with my mom and grandma. I lost interest for it during middle school and high school surprisingly as I was trying to really find myself. In college I gained an interest in it again when I met my husband. I wanted to impress him and his friends and I remember always wanting their approval on my meals. I always loved event planning and the catering industry so I began to plan small events for my friends and family. The food is the center of most events so I would always want to get really into different themes and have the right food pairings. Once i graduated from college, as many other young people I still didn't really know what I wanted to do. Throughout this "down time" I would constantly be in the kitchen playing with recipes then out of nowhere it dawned on me that cooking is my passion. I would try all my new recipes that I would pick up from watching Food Network or going to new restaurants and imitating what they made. A lot of people I would cook for thought that my food was delicious and that's when I went out on a limb and tried my hand at catering. It wasnt easy initially but it has paid off and I'm glad this was the choice I made. My grandmother has done catering for her entire adult life and she was able to offer me a lot of pointers. As of 2014, I was able to launch out into the private chef world and work for some pretty popular athletes from both the NBA and NFL. It has been an amazing journey thus far.
Soul Society 101: Why is it important for everyone to know how to cook?
Tiffany: I think the most important thing that anyone should know how to cook is basic things that will get you through but doesnt cost you too much or cause you too much time. Things like basic baked chicken, eggs, rice. Things that are simple but will stick to your bones. Also, I think it's important to learn to make all homemade sauces, marinades and salad dressings. Once you do, you'll never want to buy store bought stuff when time permits.
Soul Society 101: For those looking to learn how to cook, what advice would you give them?
Tiffany: I would say its a very gradual process. ALWAYS taste your food as you cook, especially if you are going to serve it to other people. When you feel that your food is missing something like salt or pepper etc always add those things gradually. Also, Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper are the best two seasonings to add to anything. Those two alone add so much flavor.
Soul Society 101: Where do you see your catering business in 5 years?
Tiffany: In 5 years, I hope to expand outside of Houston to Dallas and possibly even to Oklahoma City. I would love to also catering for major movie sets and to gain more clients for my personal chef clientele.
Soul Society 101: What is your favorite type of food to cook?
Tiffany: My favorite type of food to cook is Southern Soul Food, Asian food and Mediterranean Food... those are also my favorite to eat.
DISH 1: ASIAN INSPIRED
Ingredients :
2 lbs raw shrimp
2 packs of udon noodles,
fresh broccoli florets
soy sauce
fresh garlic
granulated ginger
teriyaki glaze
Directions:
Follow cooking instructions on your udon noodle package,
Bring water to a rolling boil add a 1/2 of teaspoon of sea salt, dice garlic and add it to your skillet on medium heat with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
Remove tails and devein shrimp, sauté garlic and add 1/2 table spoon of ginger,
Once shrimp is clean add to your ginger and garlic mixture, make sure not to overcook your pasta, place pasta under cold water once it's become al dente to stop cooking and prevent it from over cooking.
Shrimp will cook in approx. 3-4 minutes.
Once shrimp is white it's done. Over cooking with shrimp happens quickly so pay close attention to it.
Add noodles to your skillet with your shrimp and garlic and 1/2 cup of teriyaki and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, add broccoli on low heat so it can steam and become tender.
Continue to stir for about 4 minutes, taste and add soy sauce to taste and enjoy!
DISH 2
What you'll need:
1. 2 lbs fresh Tilapia Filets
2. 1 Green bell pepper
3. 1 white onion
4. 3 Roma tomatoes
5. 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
6. 2 tea spoons of Course sea salt
7. Black table ground pepper
8. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
9. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
9. 3 tablespoons of olive oil
10. 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
Directions: slice fish in half (cut directly in the center along the vein), evenly sprinkle lemon juice and lime juice on the your fish, add cumin (evenly on front and back of fish), add salt, pepper , smoked paprika then let sit, Juliane bell pepper, thinly slice onions and dice your tomatoes, turn fire on medium heat and then add olive oil to skillet or grill pan (should be a very thin layer), allow skillet to get very hot but not burn (this will help add a nice color and crispness to outer layer of fish), add your vegetables to skillet to allow your veggies to begin to soften, once veggies are in the skillet turn heat to medium, add fish, should cook on both side for 2 minutes to get grill marks or in skillet to brown, turn the heat to low and allow fish to cook completely about 8-9 more minutes.. Remove top and viola! Bon appetite! Also, great topped with salsa verde and sour cream or in a tortilla!
Connect with Tiffany:
Website: http://tisdale23.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tis23catering
Instagram: http://instagram.com/tisdalexxiii
Interview by Banford Jones