- Hold on, - Hey!
I ain't even cut it!
- Come on, man. - Look, look, look.
First, let's just, just get
- There's shrimp in that right there, man?
- Just, just smell it real quick.
- Look at that.
- Welcome to "InstaChef,"
where we profile chefs that are creating
a new tradition in the food world
by using Instagram to showcase their culinary skills
and get their food out to the world.
I'm your host, Cliff Skighwalker.
I'll be joined along the way
by some of my friends and celebrities.
Some you know, and some you're gonna wanna get to know.
Let's go!
Look, I'm finally back in Detroit
and I can't even front.
With all the traveling we've been doing
these last few weeks, it feels great to be home.
And when I say home, I literally have y'all
in my home in Pontiac, in the kitchen,
and we're making pizza.
Now, let me be honest with you,
I'm from the west side of Pontiac,
but spent my early years in Detroit,
and I'm there whenever I'm back in town.
This is where I'm comfortable,
this blue-collar environment where a hustler
spirit and mentality is key to survival.
With the whole world calling the city out at one point
with situations such as the recession,
the automotive industry crisis, the city going bankrupt,
its residents and chefs remained strong,
never gave up and, most importantly, kept faith.
And look how far we've come.
Detroit is currently in a new renaissance
and it feels so good saying that.
And the food?
Man, listen.
A melting pot of cultures paired with rich soul and history
come together and make this one of the most
slept-on food cities in the country.
With all that being said, I think it's only right
that I show you my point of view for food in the city,
and chefs and cooks who've gone into business
for themselves, overcame adversity,
and make it a point to serve their creations here first.
We're in Detroit.
Let's eat.
I think my special guest
is coming up the driveway right now.
This man is from the west side of Chicago.
He took the internet by storm
with his Thank You Obama collection
along with various drops.
No matter where he's gone in the world,
he always reps Chicago to the fullest.
Without further ado, Joe Freshgoods.
- Yo Cliff! - What up, dawg?
- What's good? I told you I was coming.
- Man.
- How you feeling?
- Gotchu all the way in Pontiac.
- Let's get it. - Come on!
This is Detroit-style pizza. - OK.
- Still deep-dish, blue steel pan,
but first, we gotta talk about you!
- Yeah, let's go.
- What's been going on with you, man?
- My man, it's been like collab year, you know,
I've been working with a lotta different companies, you know,
putting all for my city of Chicago,
really just, kinda just trying to take over, you know?
- One thing that I wanted to talk
specifically with you about is
how no matter what you do, no matter where you go,
it's always, "Look, I'm from Chicago."
- Number one.
- "I'm a 290 guy." - Yeah.
You know I feel like the Midwest,
we've always been left out of certain conversations,
so it's just like, you have to just
learn how to just do it yourself.
- I'm using ingredients from the Midwest.
This is called brick cheese.
Give it a try, tell me what you think.
- OK, let me get it, man.
- Yeah and they make that,
they make that in Wisconsin.
- Yeah, that's pretty good.
I mean, I been seeing you doing your thing
on Instagram the past year.
- You wrote on Instagram,
you said, "If I don't see you in 30 days,
I'm reporting you for spam."
- Yes.
- We finally
got you here. - Yes.
- I feel like
that's so important. - I've come to you.
- Can you talk
a little about the beginnings?
- I think when I realized
I wanted to get into fashion, I wanted to initially
move to New York or LA to make it, you know?
- Mhm.
- And I think that's a big misconception with
a lot of creatives is that you gotta move
to get where you wanna be in life.
With me it just when... oh wow, yeah.
- I didn't mean to interrupt you,
but I'm growing my own basil.
- OK, you in it.
- I, and again, didn't mean
to interrupt you. - No.
- Just smell it.
- Oh yeah, wow.
- It makes such a difference growing it
instead of buying it. - Do you actually water that
and all that stuff? - Bro.
I water that thing every day. - Oh my god, OK.
- So yeah, keep talking though
I didn't mean to interrupt you.
- You know, I mean, just like, it's just
you never really see Chicago pride T-shirts
or whatever like that, so I just figured I have my lane,
you know and it worked for me.
I went from being an intern at a store
to working at a store, now I own my own store,
so I think people like success stories of just like
seeing a person make it.
- If it's cool, do you mind
if I put this in the oven?
- Yeah, do your thing!
- Aight, bet.
- Come on let's get it.
- Oh! Joe.
- Oh my God. Let's get it.
- Joe come on, dawg. Look at that.
- You do your thing.
- I'm not playing with y'all, man.
- You did that.
- I'm dead serious for it.
- That looks good.
Is that shrimp?
What is that over there?
- I added some shrimp,
a little bit more basil.
- OK.
- Watch this, you ready?
- All right, look at them edges.
Oh yeah, sign me up.
- Come on, dawg.
- I'd damn about to eat this whole thing.
- Hold on. - Hey!
- I ain't even cut it!
- Come on, man. - Look, look, look.
First, let's just, just get
- There's shrimp in that right there, man?
- Just, just smell it real quick.
- Look at that.
Oh yeah.
- You heard the crunch, right?
- I heard it.
- OK, I'm just making sure
we're on the same page. - Heard that,
I heard that.
- Oh, come on, Joe.
- I damn about to steal that from you.
(Bleep) it, I'm sorry.
- This is your first piece
of Cliff's Detroit-style pizza.
- That's a good weight.
- Let's take a little toast.
- That's what I'm talkin' about.
- It's hot!
- Ready?
- Let me say this,
I'm really proud of you, bro.
I'm trying to find words to describe the beautiful taste.
This is just like really, really good pizza.
And you know what's crazy?
I'm not really a big crust guy, but this is just like,
it blends right into the pizza, it's good.
- Not to toot my own horn, but beep beep, mother (bleep).
- You said beep...
- I did that.
- I didn't even catch that.
- Look, I did it, man.
I'm glad you enjoyed it,
but we have some chefs to check out.
You wanna roll with me?
- Let's do it.
- Let's go.
My dawg.
Man, we are on our way.
You really brought a slice of pizza?
- I pulled this right out
my pocket, man.
'Boutta kill it here.
- Listen, I'm with it.
Basically, Joe, I wanna start from the beginning
with your story, and I wanna rewind the clock all the way
back to high school, I believe,
when you were selling the T-shirts?
- I think I was 16 and I made my first T-shirt.
I printed out images of all
the NBA players getting arrested.
I like ironed on all those mugshots on a shirt.
Wore it to school the next day and everybody went crazy,
and I was like, "Oh."
This is that moment I realized, oh I'm good at this.
- What was that feeling when you got
that first cease and desist.
- Man, got my first cease and desist from Rihanna.
It was like a damn, y'all know who I am?
You know? - Yeah, yeah.
- I did these hats, I wanna (bleep) Rihanna.
That's what the beanie said.
You know? - Yeah.
- It's kinda, you know,
it's hard to put that out now.
Celebrities wearing the hats, everybody wearing the hat.
Booming.
And then I got an email one day from her team
that said, "Hey, you gotta stop making these hats."
And I was like, "Holy (bleep) I made it!
Rihanna know about me!"
I was excited that somebody recognized me,
you know what I mean?
I just took them hats offline and the rest was history.
- What currently is inspiring you?
- I'm inspired by newness.
I like people that out here really creating.
I'm inspired by the youth.
The older I get, the younger
a lot of this stuff getting around me.
So, my biggest goal now is when I work with companies,
I try to tell them, "Hey how can we empower Chicago?
How can we do things to inspire the youth?"
You know, my whole thing right now is give back.
- Mhm.
- So like, there's not one person
that inspires me, it's like actions.
- Just talk about the importance of food to you.
- Aw man.
- Because it's important to me.
- I already know, it's important to us.
That's our relationship.
Like, food!
Man, you know food is a art.
I love food, I think Chicago, at least where I'm from,
we're one of the best food cities.
- I look at Chicago as one of the best food cities,
but at the same time, sometimes people sleep
when it comes to recognition. - Yeah, yeah.
- And that's why I say, Detroit is one of the most
slept-on food cities in the country.
But what are your favorite foods at the moment?
- I've been in a weird jerk chicken wave.
Like I've been going to different spots trying that dish.
- What do you know about this
underground cooking scene?
- One of my partners at the shop, Terrell,
he has a big thing where he tried to find
the Instagram chefs in each city.
'Cause it's a big thing.
You know, I don't really know too much about it like that,
but them places be looking good
when I go on my explore page!
- Let me break it down.
There are chefs across the country.
- OK.
- Who are going into business for themselves.
They're going on Instagram, showcasing what's on the menu
for either today or the next day, giving the price,
giving where you can pick it up and the number to call.
You call that number, you pull up,
you pay them for the food.
- Yeah. - You get a quality meal.
- Wow.
- So we're on out way to meet chef Tiffiany.
She had a job in the automotive industry.
- OK.
- And she was doing this food
on the side.
The business for her food picked up so much
that she left that automotive industry job
and started doing this food full-time.
- I love stuff like that. - And she's making some of
the best soul food-inspired dishes that I think I've seen.
Bro, check out her food.
- Let's see this.
I love wings that look like that.
You know that type of crisp?
- Bro, I think she has
some jerk chicken for us.
- Aw yeah.
- And from what I heard,
this is some of the best jerk chicken in the city.
Matter of fact, I think we just
pulled up to chef Tiffiany's place.
- All right.
- Well hello there!
How are you?
- I'm doing well, you?
- I can't complain, come on in.
- Thank you so much.
- Not a problem.
- You know how right before a wedding?
- Yeah. - You know, the groom is
not supposed to see the bride?
- Yeah.
- I feel like I took a peek. - Right.
- So to maintain
trying to avoid bad luck, I don't want to see anything
until the full plate gets on. - Hundred percent.
- You know what I'm saying?
What are you seeing?
What are you smelling, Joe?
Talk to me.
- I love the colors.
This smells like this is gonna be good already.
- Yeah.
- I'm just kinda ready to eat, you know?
- Yeah, I'm done talking your head off.
Is it cool?
- Yeah, I'm chill, you know.
- Let's partake.
- Aw yeah.
- You know the macaroni and cheese is so important.
This macaroni is so delicious.
Oh my goodness.
- What's that glaze?
'Cause that's like. - Yeah!
- The glaze... it's like...
- I know you not giving away secrets,
but can you entertain our guesses?
- I'll just tell you there's three ingredients in there.
Three simple ingredients, but I can't tell you what three.
- Aw! You gon' lead us on like that?
- You just gotta come back to me.
I'll make it for ya!
- Hit the jerk chicken.
We gotta do this together, man, we are a team.
- Mind you, that is all seasonings.
- Oh wow.
- There's no sauce on there.
That is a recipe I created on my own.
- Yo, let's go in on this chicken
real quick. - Yeah, yeah.
Let's do it, let's do it.
- See, it's the sweetness that gets ya.
Then the spicy come right behind it.
Can't you tell I love what I do?
I love what I do.
- Oh my goodness.
- There's a lot of love on that plate.
- Bro.
- I wanna get up and hug you.
- I know right? I'll take all hugs.
- Just give her a hug, dawg.
- I'm sorry. - I'll take all hugs!
- I'm getting all emotional now.
- I'm glad you enjoyed it!
You all right over there?
- Hey, drink some water.
- No, no...
- No sauce.
All seasonings.
All dry seasonings.
And that is baked, not grilled.
- Mhm.
- That's baked.
- Give me a description
on the jerk chicken.
- I mean, it's like an aftertaste.
I love when you taste something and then you taste
another part of it after you keep eating it.
- 'Cause you get, so with your chicken you get that sweet,
but then the heat on the back, but then there's a taste!
- That's love.
That's what that is, that's just love.
- Chef, you are diabolical.
- Falls off the bone.
- It falls off the bone.
- Those things that are on your plate
are actually my biggest sellers.
- You know you had an automotive industry job
and decided to go full-time with cooking.
- I've always loved to cook.
I've always loved to feed people.
You know what I'm saying, to see anybody just keep digging
and digging in they plate like that, that warms my heart.
I originally started cooking when I was like 9.
Peeling potatoes, cutting peppers for my grandma.
And then as I became a young lady,
my homegirls would come over so we'd have a big dinner.
So one of my homegirls suggested you should really,
you know, take off with the cooking thing.
And I was like, you think I cook that good?
I took a leave of absence from work
to see if me cooking full-time could cover my bills
and it worked for me.
So now I'm about to open up
a carryout restaurant really, really soon.
- This is amazing, chef.
- Yeah. - Thank you.
- And it's a blessing to even be
in your presence having food like this.
- Thank you so much.
You're gonna make me cry!
- I really mean it!
How have you used social media to your advantage
when it comes to promoting and pushing what you're creating?
- A lot of people find me through social media.
They definitely do.
Like I said, I think I have like 25K followers
or something like that, I don't know, I haven't checked.
- Ooh! - Oh, you lit.
- I haven't checked in quite some time.
- I haven't checked in some time.
- Well not to have a big head about it,
but yeah I have quite a good following.
I have people that, from the airport,
they come in flying here from Atlanta
coming to visit their family here,
and, "Oh I just wanna know what you're cooking today,
can I please try your food today?"
So it warms my heart.
Social media definitely plays a huge role in it.
- So speaking of, you know,
the role that social media plays.
Chef Cherelle.
- Yes.
- That's another chef.
I heard that that's a friend of yours.
- Yes. - And that's the chef
that we're going to see next.
- She is a sweetheart.
I love love love her.
And actually how we met is through social media.
She ordered some jerk wings from me.
Everybody talks about these jerk wings, so she's like,
"I'm gonna try 'em, let me try 'em."
So I bumped into her, gave her the jerk wings,
and she gave me some cupcakes.
Oh my God!
- Cheesecake cupcakes?
- Yes, they were to die for.
Did y'all try 'em yet?
- We're going to try it.
I think we're going to try her cheesecake for sure.
- Yeah, you're gonna love her.
She is the best, hands down, with the desserts.
- We're going to see Chef Cherelle.
Do you wanna join us?
- Of course I will!
You think I'm gonna miss that?
- Let's check out Chef Cherelle.
- Let's get it. - Alrighty.
- Is it cool if I could have a to-go box please?
- Yeah, please. - Yes, you can.
- Now chef, I wanna talk a little bit
just about the city and it's influence to how you cook
and that hustler spirit, the hustler's mentality, that
intangible trait that makes people go out there and get it.
- It seem like it's almost in the air.
It's a lot of entrepreneurs around here,
whether you're selling food, T-shirts, gym shoes.
It's deeper than just Detroit,
you know what I'm saying? - Yeah, yeah.
- It's Michigan.
We are true hustlers.
- Now how does that hustler's mentality
factor into your food?
- Everybody loves good food.
My product sells itself.
- It really...
After tasting it?
- Yeah.
- Come on now.
- You don't gotta do nothing.
What else you gotta do?
- It speaks for itself, you know.
- I feel like when you put something out,
it sells itself as well.
- Yeah, but food is different.
- Yeah.
- You can see my T-shirt and copy it,
and make it, and bootleg it.
You can't bootleg good food.
You could try.
- You could try!
- But like, even her corned beef was just like (bleep).
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Where'd you get this from?
- I feel like if somebody tried to emulate her corned beef,
definitely if somebody tried to emulate those jerk wings,
I'd be like, "Nah."
- They can try, but it would just...
- I'd be like, "This ain't it, chief."
People don't know how to do that.
- Thank you!
- People don't know how to get that done.
- I love love love what I do.
I really, really do.
- When you have adversity, and when you have roadblocks,
and when you have, you know, the hater,
how do you both overcome those adversities?
- Haters and naysayers, that used to bother me
when I was younger, because the internet was just like
you can, you know, people could type anything
and just put it online.
So just like, you gotta look at your life, man.
I have a beautiful family.
I wake up every day loving what I do, that's the key thing.
- I don't know what those are.
I don't think I have any haters, everybody loves me!
- We're headed to see Chef Cherelle.
Now, she has amassed over 100,000 followers.
I've seen her sell out of cheesecake
in mere hours to minutes.
I mean she sells this cheesecake and it flies
off the shelves to the point where
she's going out of town to Ohio, Atlanta.
But thankfully she is here in Detroit,
and if I'm not mistaken,
we're about to pull up on her right now.
- Let's do it. - I can't wait!
Yummy.
- Ooh!
- Did you bring me some of them wings?
- I did not.
Blame them. - Yeah, yeah.
- Yeah, I'm sorry.
- Who ate your wings?
- Look, look, me!
- It was both of 'em.
- I did it.
Chef Cherelle, thank you so much
for allowing us to come here.
- You're welcome.
- Creative Cheesecake Collection.
You have to tell us, why cheesecake?
- It's a fan favorite.
I mean, everyone loves cheesecake.
- Listen, this is me not disagreeing with you at all.
- Thank you, thank you.
I mean I have 76 people who do not like cheesecake
and they only eat mine.
So, cheesecake.
- That's a testament to how what you're making is so good.
Can you tell us a little bit about how social media
has impacted the way that you sell
your product and your company.
- I actually used to be the person
that didn't like social media.
So when I actually started using it,
I was creating all types of different cheesecakes.
So deep-fried cheesecake wraps, and cheesecake cupcakes.
And people were kind of like... - "Look at me."
"We don't see that often," so it led me to here.
- Let's cut right to the chase.
Chef, tell us what's on the menu.
- All right, so today we have stuffed cheesecake strawberries.
- Hold on, these are different flavors
right now. - Yes, yes.
So we have the classic graham cracker crust, of course.
But we also have Fruity Pebbles, which is a fan favorite.
- OK.
- And then we have Oreo here
for you to try.
Oh look he started already.
- My bad, I'm like damn.
- Let's do a toast real quick.
- Little toast.
- Know what I'm saying, get it.
Oh, oh, oh.
- Ah! - OK.
- All right. - All right,
a little bite.
- Mmm.
- And we got napkins here.
- Mmm.
- Girl.
- Girl.
Ooh.
Ooh!
- Mmm!
- I don't even care that we're on camera, I gotta eat the whole thing.
- Yeah, yeah.
Joe, so whatchu taste, tell me what you think, man.
- I'm at a loss for words, man.
I've never tasted nothing like that before.
- Thank you.
- I'm really looking at
these Fruity Pebble ones.
- Mhm.
- One, two.
- C'mon man.
- Girl.
Mmm.
Girl.
You need a whoopin'.
You can taste all them ingredients, too.
- Chef, what?!
- Ain't nothing instant about this.
- Bro, I don't like Fruity Pebbles.
- I'm about to go bye bye.
- Oh you about to take that?
You better set that down.
- I'm about to go.
- Chef, what?
OK, we have some more we have to get into.
Tell us, tell us about these, so.
- All right so.
- What's next, chef?
- This is what I call a
large cheesecake pan.
You gotta get it with the cookie.
- Mmm.
Oh, I'mma eat this on my own.
- Right?
What's up, Cliff?
You gotta dance with it a little bit?
You know, you gotta dance, right?
- But chef, can you talk a little bit just about
what inspires you at this point?
- My children.
I actually wouldn't have even started my business
if it wasn't for my daughter, actually.
So, the world should all thank.
- OK.
- All should all thank my daughter.
- Thank you.
Look, we are talking to you.
Thank you.
You know I think that, people being able to see
somebody doing it, they can get inspired.
Whether it's the youth, whether it's somebody older than us,
younger than us, and the fact that on this episode,
we're featuring two strong, talented, black women,
I think that's a testament to...
- Oh, really. - That's true.
I don't mean the skills, but the techniques
that you've cultivated and I think that there's inspiration
to gain from whoever watches this.
Everything that y'all are doing is a testament
to the American Dream.
- Detroit has some of the most strong women entrepreneurs.
Everybody say it's a man's world, but I'm sorry.
- It's taken over.
- Detroit, it's all women. - All hustle.
- It's a women's world over here.
- You gotta understand, I love that energy,
'cause it's so needed.
Now, Joe. - You know.
- You started literally
from high school to selling T-shirts out of your garage
and now you're selling pieces all over the world.
Can you give advice for anybody that just
wants to go out there and get it.
- Just trust your heart.
When you're doing something that's so, you know,
not the norm from your community,
it's just like, you gotta know that you gonna have a lot
of naysayers saying that you, you know what I'm saying?
So, I think you gotta just stay grounded
and just kinda stay on the right path.
If this was easy, a lot of people would be doing
what we doing, you know?
So the fact that we made it this far, kinda shows that,
you know, we got the strength to keep going.
Know yourself, trust yourself, you'll be good.
- I love you.
- I love you too.
- I love him already.
- Chef, before we go.
A little birdy told me that
there's some Mason jars in there.
- Let me see.
- Yeah, yeah, there's some right here.
- Don't play with me.
- Oh! That's a lot in there! - Oh!
- You see that? - Come on. Aw yeah.
- Oh my goodness.
- Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Let me get my Price Is Right on real quick.
You brought out these Mason jars.
As we try them, I wanna ask you, chef, and you, chef,
on what advice do both of you have for anybody?
- If don't nobody else believe in you,
believe in yourself.
- Watch everyone, too, that you come in contact with.
One of my good customers, Keisha, turned into a great friend
who has done nothing but been a blessing in my life.
- I have to agree 110% but I can't get it out
'cause the cheesecake's so good!
- Yo!
Since we're all here,
is it cool that we all get a selfie together?
- Yeah, let's get a selfie!
- Please!
- I think we can do it in this corner.
Joe I think you might wanna take it from the angle.
- We all know what I'm talking about.
Got it.
Aye, look, look. - Super cute.
- Aye, that was cute.
- Thank y'all so much.
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