Written by Pepper.B
My name is Christopher, a fab girl with a fab name. I'm born and raised in the Bronx, New York. Im a restaurant lover and creator of Eating Fabulously. Eating Fabulously stands for all things fabulous and I want women to know that you can soooo have it all, be educated, look amazing, feel amazing, be a boss, be a fab mom, be a woman on the go, know where your food comes from. And all the while doing it fabulously, of course.
“Don't worry about what other people think of you. Be the best man
you can be and make sure they always spell your name right”
- Unknown
Was being a chef your all time dream, ?
Yes it was. My grandfather was a chef and he used to always have me in the kitchen with him. I contemplated being a doctor and my mom and grandmother are in the fashion industry but the cooking aspect always stuck the hardest with me. I went to the Culinary Institute of America, worked in some really unconventional restaurants and achieved my goal of becoming executive chef at 24 years old.
What got you into food blogging?
I got into food blogging when I noticed there were no food blogs written by black women who also had the upper hand of being in the restaurant industry every day. I was seeing food blogs but they were always kind of the same. Really soul food focused or only covering the popular celebrity chef restaurants and I was like wait! I do this everyday and I dine out a lot, so I took that and created Eating Fabulously.
How do you decide what type of content you cover ?
In the first 5 years of starting my blog I was covering the recipes I was making in the restaurant and writing about all these small hole in the wall restaurants I was dining at. As I got older and life was happening to me, my content evolved. Now I cover content that's still food focused but also lifestyle focused as well. Still recipes, still restaurant reviews but now I have a cocktail section with drinks from mixologist in restaurants that you can make at home; I interview people I think are dope and that the public needs to know about, and I include a lot of myself now. Things I'm into, my point of view etc.
“. . .three or four ingredients, as long as they are of the highest and
freshest quality, can be combined in a straightforward way to make a
truly excellent and occasionally wondrous product.”
- Anthony Bourdain
What is your favorite dish to prepare for family and close friends?
I usually make caramel pecan bread pudding completely from scratch if we are having a big family gathering like at Christmas. It's really my favorite thing to make for us because everything is made from scratch and it silences the crowd every time.
What’s the best “I’m Sorry” Meal to prepare ?
The best "I'm sorry" meal is the meal that person loves but elevated x 10. Say the person loves steak; get the best quality steak you can afford, then elevate it with herbs, finish it with a cracked salt and a compound butter on top. These extra steps really show the person that you are sorry and you took the time to make them a great meal.
Spring is approaching and everyone will begin being more mindful of what they are eating include your recipe “Eating Fabulously Spring Salad 2017”
Spring is a great time to step your salad game up. The farmers markets are amazing for salad’s because you're getting the season’s best produce. I love experimenting with different types of lettuce (i.e. butter lettuce, raddichio, little gems, frisee, rocket) and lots of raw veggies and fruit to work with. Remember to season your salads! People never think to salt and pepper your salads before serving them but it makes a major difference
Eating Fabulously Spring Salad -Salad greens
-cucumbers
-thinly sliced red onions
-red pepper
- avocado
-eggs
-salt and pepper
Grapefruit and Rosemary Vinaigrette 1/2 fresh and ripe grapefruit
1 stalk fresh rosemary, minced
1 shallot, sliced thinly
honey
White wine vinegar
Dijon mustard, about 1 teaspoon Canola oil
Salt
In a bowl, add minced rosemary, sliced shallots, honey, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and juice from grapefruit. In slow thin streams, add canola oil, whisking until vinaigrette comes together. Taste and season with salt. Adjust to you liking, altering sweetness, grapefruit juice or acidity.
What was your favorite dish as a child?
My grandfather used to make this red snapper dish with whipped mashed potatoes and green beans with tomatoes and onions. The mashed potatoes used to remind me of ice cream they were so smooth and dense. I still replicate the green beans now.
What is one dish you hate to prepare ?
I don't hate it but I don't really know how to fry chicken so I stay away from that! I went to culinary school and ran a restaurant but frying chicken is my downfall.
Where should someone take you to win your heart on a first date & why?
Somewhere I've been talking about consistently and they have paid attention to what I was saying. Or somewhere that has a chef's counter where we can sit and eat and watch the chefs cook. I don't cook professionally anymore but I do still love to see it in action. And be open to trying new foods! That's a major key!
How do you find food and beauty relative ?
Food and beauty relate because how you feel on the inside reflects on the outside. So if you're eating horribly, it's going to come out in your mood and definitely your skin. If you're eating fabulously, lots of veggies, good protein, your beauty will be magnified and you will genuinely feel better.
What’s in your make-up bag?
I wear BareMinerals original powder foundation. Maybelline concealer, a brow pencil I love from the beauty supply store, some NYX illuminator, typically a nude lipstick and gloss and some setting spray. I usually always have on lashes when I’m not wearing glasses, which are either Royal Crown lashes, Ardel or mink lashes via Lilly Lashes.
What is your skincare routine like ?
I think I have the most simple and minimal skin care routine in the world. I wash my face with Clean & Clear brightening facial scrub and I also use Formula 10.0.6 Best Face Forward face cleanser alternatively. Once a week I go over my face with witch hazel. My mom taught me to use a moisturizer that's 10x my age. So in my 20's I was using moisturizer for 30yr old skin. Now I'm in my early 30's and I'm using L'Oreal Revitalift Double Lifting Gel. I'm totally an old soul and will still smear some good ole Vaseline on my face every now and then too. It also helps that my family has amazing skin so that's really spoiling me lol!
“I think one great tip is that you should always love yourself.
If you don't love yourself, take care of yourself, cater to yourself &
that little inner voice, you will really not be very worthy of being with
someone else, because you won't be the best version of you.”
- Kimora Lee Simmons
If you were a smoothie what would you consist of and why ?
I would be a really amazing green smoothie with spinach, kale and dates. Dates specifically because they are sweet but still give you a little bite (like me lol )
What is your favorite pastry?
I love sweets! I'm all about sweet but my favorite pastry is a simple croissant. By itself, as a sandwich, croissants for everyone!
Please leave behind a major food tip for women:
Learn and perfect the basics ! Learn how to roast a chicken, sear a piece of fish, cook at steak to temperature, cook vegetables perfectly, have a go to recipe for brunch and dinner. A lot of really amazing food begins with these basics.
Meet Her HERE:
Blog - http://www.eatingfabulously.com/
Shop - http://eatfabshopfab.bigcartel.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/eatingfabulously/