Soul by Chef Todd Richards Heritage Radio Network

Atlanta native Chef Christan Willis started her culinary career at age 15 working in a fine dining restaurant. Since then she has drawn upon her African American, Southeast Asian, and Pacific Islander roots to craft fine cuisine which has propelled her to the status of celebrity chef. Beyond the several acclaimed restaurants she has worked with, she has also appeared on the Today Show, Cooks vs. Cons, Raid the Fridge, Hallmark Home and Family, HLN, and Netflix’s newly released show Pressure Cooker.

We've got a special holiday treat for Soul listeners. This is one of 4 episodes we recorded earlier in the year. Together they cover a wide range of topics celebrating the rich history of Afro-Cuisine, and tell the story of this cuisine through the eyes of diverse food culture.

Chef Stephan Durand has known food was his calling since High School, and has had passion for Haitian food, along with other Caribbean and Latin flavors, since even before then. He is the president and founder of the Haitian Cultural Alliance, and co-captain of Haiti’s National Culinary Team. He also has owned and operated his own food service, personal chef, and instructional business, Culinary by Design, since 2007. Recently, he has helped to produce Haiti’s Food & Spirits Festival: Gout et Saveurs Lakay.

We've got a special holiday treat for Soul listeners. This is one of 4 episodes we recorded earlier in the year. Together they cover a wide range of topics celebrating the rich history of Afro-Cuisine, and tell the story of this cuisine through the eyes of diverse food culture.

In the past 15 years, photographer Clay Williams has documented everything from kitchens helmed by Michelin-starred chefs to the fields where the animals we eat graze. His images have transported us to Argentina, South Louisiana, Paris, the Bronx, and beyond. This year Clay photographed the food and stories of Chef Kwame Onwuachi and Ms. Emily Meggett.

We've got a special holiday treat for Soul listeners. This is one of 4 episodes we recorded earlier in the year. Together they cover a wide range of topics celebrating the rich history of Afro-Cuisine, and tell the story of this cuisine through the eyes of diverse food culture.

Chef Daryl Shular, CMC, has had a rich career in the culinary industry. He is the founder of Shular Hospitality Group, and owner of Shular Institue, PlateED Cooking School, and Farmed Kitchen + Bar in Georgia.

Chef Deborah VanTrece is known for her elevated Soul Food as an owner of Twisted Soul. Chef VanTrece's Cookbook, Twisted Soul, has garnished many awards and serves as an inspiration to novice cooks as well as Chefs from all backgrounds. In this episode, we talk about her history in food, her cookbook, as well as pathways for minorities into the food business.

Chef Kevin Mitchell of the Culinary Institute of Charleston in Charleston, SC, has professional interests that far exceed the confines of the kitchen. Disciplined and driven, he earned two degrees from the Culinary Institute of America and went on to hone his craft with hands-on experience at restaurants including Sun Dial in Atlanta, Seldom Blues Supper Club in Detroit, and the MGM Grand Detroit Hotel. In 2008, he joined the faculty in Charleston as its first African-American chef, where he still teaches. Beyond the classroom, throughout the years, he’s created special events that honor black culinary ancestors, been an SC Chef Ambassador, and now, along with Episode 65’s Dr. David Shields, has co-authored Taste the State: South Carolina's Signature Foods, Recipes, and Their Stories. At 51, Kevin is as passionate as ever about scholarship, inspiration for the next generation, and the perfect way to debone a fish.