Man, what a great time I had reliving my Black Chef Series X Harlem Week 2024 experience last week to finally deliver you my watermelon carpaccio recipe. These dog days of summer are the perfect time to scoop up the ingredients and try it out for yourself. You will not regret it.
People often comment on the work I do as a chef, culinary producer, food editor, and all of the spaces I move through in food. “You get to eat a lot,” “you must get to go to some cool places,” and more. Yes, I love the myriad jobs I have in food, but it really is the people and the community that are created around food that mean the most. One of those people is Chef Mavis-Jay Sanders.
I met Chef Mavis-Jay some years ago while serving on the Restaurant & Chef Committee for the James Beard Awards, and I have admired the way her work moves between exceptional cooking and a deeper commitment to equity, food justice, education, and access. Her career has taken her through Michelin-starred kitchens and into leadership at Community Kitchen, but what stays with me most is how consistently she uses food to create opportunity and connection beyond the plate.
So when I saw that Mavis-Jay was doing a collaboration dinner, I hit her up, STAT! Her reply: “Come through!” You don’t have to tell me twice. It was on the calendar, and days later I was on the train to Brooklyn to be in community with Chef Mavis-Jay Sanders again, as she and friend and chef-owner Silvia Barban of Briscola Trattoria cooked for Italy’s traditional end-of-summer celebration, Ferragosto, Italy meets the American South edition.
When I arrived at Briscola, the glorious smells of good food were only outdone by the spirit of the room. Mavis-Jay’s wife, Nikki, saw me, gave me a big hug, and invited me to sit at the family table of colleagues and friends. Instant community.
As I sat down, the crew was already elbow deep in the Ferragosto menu from appetizers to mains and the sides. All I needed to do was order a dirty martini, eat, and meet. The duality of the meal was on every platter. First, I dug into a folded-down brown paper bag of well-seasoned boiled peanuts paired with bright chunky giardiniera. Wow! Put me on a couch with this and a Peroni, and I will be good. Then … Battle: Potato Salad! Mavis-Jay’s traditional Southern style (you know, that one your mom’s foot was all up in) versus Barban’s with tomatoes, olives, and fruity olive oil. Chef Mavis-Jay, 1-0.
The smoky lamb ribs with pickled eggplant and mint took me out. It was one of Barban’s favorite dishes of the night. The table was only waiting with bated breath for burgers dressed with smoked provolone, chow chow, and bomba calabrese. There was mac and cheese made with ditalini and some dishes from Briscola’s menu — sweet corn caramelle pasta, panzanella salad, and my fave baccalà all Romana of delicately fried cod with agrodolce peppers. Had I not had an hour-long train ride home, I would have stayed for the grilled peach and vanilla gelato dessert and a glass of Lambrusco.
I came to Briscola for Mavis-Jay and the food, but I left reminded of what keeps me moving through all of these spaces after all these years: the people. Old friends, new connections, a seat at the table, and some damn good food along the way.
There is much more to Mavis-Jay Sanders than I could fit on this page. Check out this week’s AmNewsFOOD video to hear more from Mavis-Jay and Barban about their collaboration, the work, and what is coming next.
Thanks for reading and happy eating!
Kysha Harris is a chef, culinary producer, and food editor for the NY Amsterdam News. As a consultant and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service in NYC for over 23 years, she remains on the hunt for the city’s next great bite. Follow her on Instagram and on Facebook, @SCHOPnyc.
Questions, comments, requests, feedback, invitations! Email us! at AmNewsFOOD@SCHOPnyc.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, @NYAmNewsFOOD.
