Chef Jernard‘s love for cooking was birthed from his father, when they would cook together as quality time. Little did he know that foundation would lay the groundwork for him to become one of the biggest chefs in the world. He took some time traveling the world, where he interned by learning from local chefs and local families around the world. He now is the host of “New Soul Kitchen” and is gearing up for the debut of his newest cooking show “Savor the City.” Chef Jernard stepped into the rolling out Star Studio to drop some gems for aspiring chefs, and to tell us about his new show.
What’s your favorite thing about learning from the natives?
The best way to experience it is from the natives. So, when I would go into an area, I would normally befriend a family, and that family would take me in, and they would teach me that style of cooking from the native side. A Malaysian family took me in and taught me their unique style. So, when I say I learned it, I didn’t just learn it from going to a culinary school. I learned it from their heritage. I learned to do it the way they do it, so that when I cook it, I’m really paying homage to that culture and get as true to their identity. Because, see, we as African Americans, we share our recipes all the time everywhere, but other cultures hold their recipes near and dear to their family.
So, to have that ability to step into it, to even when going to Bermuda and cooking for the Premier and First Lady of Bermuda, and working under the chefs there, and learning that Caribbean style, that flare that’s mixed with Britain influence and undertones. Even all the way to going to Greece and studying the art of feta. And I’m talking about not just tasting feta, but watching it being made, paying attention and learning the process of how they actually break down the sheep’s milk to turn it into the feta cheese that we know. So, those are the influences that that I bring to the plate whenever I’m serving something amazing for those that are at the table.
Chef Jernard turns 15 seconds into an hour
How did you become a TV chef?
I was a chef, first, then a businessman, and then from there, an entertaining chef. One of my one of my biggest goals was to be on TV, creating meals to share with the world. But what led me to this pivotal moment of TV, was I always wanted to be beyond just my restaurant walls. And I started off writing. And I love cookbooks, because my original pen name was the “Chef Of Love,” so from there that first book broke me into the entertainment industry, where people started hearing about it, a lot of big celebrities, entertainers from Food Network, chefs from Food Network, started reaching out to me, wanting me to travel with them while they’re doing tours. A very well-known chef and celebrity on Food Network at the time gave me my first opportunity to cook in front of a live audience of 15,000 people. And that opportunity, because I was always taught, if you get your 15 seconds of fame show, you turn it into an hour. And that’s what I did.
What advice do you give to aspiring chefs who want to improve their brand?
My biggest advice for any chefs, businesspeople, entrepreneurs that are looking to build the brand is endurance. Too often we see the finish line and we see a person at this certain level, and we want to fast track through the journey to that exact point. Regardless of what life throws at you, regardless of how down sometimes it may seem like you are, then sometimes it may seem like you running, you keep running. You keep the endurance. And when no one else is there to pat you on your back, you pat yourself on the back, you lift yourself up, because too often do we depend on someone else to lift us up and give us that clapping hand.
What can we expect on your new show?
“Savor The City,” my new show on TV One, is truly a labor of love. I wanted to show the world that I thank them by going out and giving the world their flowers. See, too often do we forget about those that are out here grinding that’s doing phenomenal things that no one hears about them. I’m highlighting the best in food, music, entertainment, art, all those things that are that evolve around our culture. Because we’re on the forefront of culture. And I always tell look, soul food is not a cuisine. Soul food is the feeling that you feel and that we feel when created our cuisine is American cuisine because we created it here. That’s American cuisine, and we gotta take ownership in that. So that’s one of the things that “Savor the City” is about. It’s about highlighting all these amazing things while your boys eating some great food. I’m talking about going to the Bahamas. Look, Martha’s Vineyard, Napa Valley. Hello, Miami, San Francisco. Listen, listen, the possibilities are endless. You know why? Because we everywhere, baby.
