It seems like yesterday that I was in Palm Springs, Calif. listening to Kelis’ first album “Kaleidoscope” released in 1999. I instantly become a fan and have been ever since. Through the years, I have followed her musical career and the creative twists and turns she loves to take digging some songs more than others. Like many artists, there are so many layers of creativity that inspire their music and for Kelis, being a chef is definitely one.
Growing up in New York, Kelis watched her mom, who was a chef, run her catering business out of their home. The speed and intensity witnessed in the kitchen inspired her to join the action which laid the foundation for her own culinary path.
Following her passion for music, she signed her first recording contract at age 17 and after 10 years of being in the business, decided to take another creative turn by attending the Le Cordon Bleu. Since then, she has appeared as a guest judge on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters”, starred in her own shows on the Food Network and Cooking Channel and this year released her first cookbook, “My Life on a Plate: Recipes From Around the World.” She also launched a full organic sauce line, Bounty & Full.
“My Life on a Plate is my first cookbook and like the title says, it really is a reflection of my life through food. It includes my version of recipes I grew up eating and things I’ve picked up that have inspired me along the way,” says Kelis who dedicates the book to mom and son Knight.
Proudly wearing the title of chef, her cookbook is a wonderful mix of foods from her travels as well as her black and Puerto Rican heritage. Similar to her music, foodies can expect some exciting intersections of ingredients and flavors. Narrated throughout, each recipe has a backstory that allows readers to get a little deeper into Kelis’s world of food. “It’s an exploration of tastes and cultures and my experience as a chef, musician, mother, and wife,” says Kelis who is remarried and expecting her second child.
The book is divided up into five sections: Party Starters, Soups & Stews, Sides & Salads, Main Dishes and Sweet Treats. Each is visualized with beautiful food shots by David Loftus and illustrations by Hannah Morrison. Recipes making my top five list to try include the Shredded Beef Sliders with Root Beer Espresso BBQ Sauce (page 30), Chinese Short Ribs Soup (page 49), Sofrito (page 75), Mango Chutney (page 138) and Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt Potato Chips (page 155). There are more recipes worth mentioning but you are going to have to grab your own book to see for yourself.
“My Life on a Plate: Recipes from Around the World,” is just another deliciously written book that will capture the stomachs of both foodies and music lovers who follow Kelis. Purchase your copy on Amazon and stop by www.bountyandfull.com for her gourmet sauces.
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