GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Soul food is an ethnic, southern style of cooking that may have different definitions that vary from cook to cook. For culinary artist Mechelle Johnson, the business owner behind Soul Food Chef, soul food represents Black culture.
“Everybody can cook it but everybody can’t cook it," Johnson said. "You have to really have that passion and drive in you in order to be able to cook good soul food.”
Johnson is originally from Chicago and moved to Green Bay in 2012. She studied culinary art at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and graduated in 2017 before opening her online-based business Soul Food Chef. She says her passion for cooking began during her childhood.
“I grew up with my great aunt in Chicago. She was always cooking and she would always have me in the kitchen with her and I definitely learned a lot from her. She’s the reason I’m the good cook I am today,” Johnson said.
She says the art of cooking soul food was something that was passed down through generations in her family.
“Mostly everybody in my family, from the girls to the boys, mostly everybody knows how to cook,” Johnson said.
Johnson prepares a different meal every week and customers can message her Facebook page to place their orders. The meals vary from gumbo, to stuffed turkey legs, to one of her signature dishes, Cajun mac and cheese with honey butter glazed chicken.
There aren't many options for soul food in Green Bay, which is why it's Johnson's goal to open her own restaurant, something she says has been her dream since she was growing up.
“That’s one thing we lack here in Green Bay is soul food," Johnson said. "Which is why I’ve been working so hard to get that restaurant space because we don’t have an actual soul food restaurant in Green Bay.”
She hopes to bring the southern-inspired food to the city with her own soul food restaurant. She's already chosen a name - a tribute to her family's love of cooking.
“I’m going to name it after my dad," Johnson said. "My dad was one of my biggest inspirations with my cooking. His name was Morris and they always called him Big Mo. So I’m going to do Big Mo’s Soul Food Chef.”
You can keep up with Soul Food Chef on Facebook and Instagram.
