I met Chef Leigh-Ann Martin through a long time mutual friend. Leigh-Ann reached out to me to pick my brain over dinner but instead, she didn’t even know in return, she wowed me. What I enjoy most about Leigh-Ann is that she is so passionate about the art of her cooking. Whether it’s her photos on Instagram, her perfectly formatted menus she creates for her pop-up dinners or her sharing knowledge on a Chef curated panel, Leigh-Ann is who we need to keep an eye on. Let’s not forget that Leigh-Ann was also featured in The NY Times for her pop up dinners celebrating her culture and cuisine. So yea, Chef Leigh-Ann Martin is the definition of fabulous. Below, we learn about Leigh-Ann’s favorite foods, how she maintains her fab lifestyle and what she just won’t eat.

Where Did You Get Your Education?

Leigh-Ann Martin - I went to school for accounting in Trinidad, but a couple years into migrating to the US and after signing up for newsletters, I enrolled at the Institute of Culinary Education here in NYC and received a diploma in Culinary Arts.

What is Your Current Position?

LAM - I’ve always had a career as an Administrative Professional, mostly in Accounting. Currently I’m an Executive Assistant, office of the CEO in the Biopharma Industry, which I’m really digging. I’m a Chef, Food Blogger and Curator of the dinner series “A Table For Four”. I’m also a professional tv watcher and dish drainer castle builder :-)

How Do You Feel About Being A Black Woman In The Food Industry Right Now?

LAM - Do our capes ever come off ? It’s a great time for us, using our talents as amazing resources, our collective voices are coming together more and are echoed farther than our wildest dreams. On a personal level, I’m loving the support we are giving each other in respect to self-care and self-love.

How Does Your Caribbean Culture Play A Role In The Food You Cook & The Menus & Dining Experiences You Create? 

LAM - I’m a Trini ooman so my vibe, recollection of food and family, my speech, kitchen decor, everything I do oozes my birthplace. That being said, the food of Trinbago is such a beautiful and complex pot of stew - with first people, African, Asian and colonial flavors and living in NYC makes cooking so dreamy with it’s wide selection of internationally sourced and locally grown offerings. Diners' palates are also easily curious for new and/or familiar tastes so they just love eating the plates of imagined flavors at my dinners.

Additionally, dining out is limitless, with a swipe of a metro card I can be transported to worlds of interesting food culture, and that for me, isn’t too  foreign as Trinidad and Tobago is really a rainbow people twin island. 

What's in Your Fridge Right Now?

LAM - I’ll keep this one short LOL

I always have cold Stellas, homemade green seasoning, I love jam so I have at least four kinds right now. All types of vinegars of course. My current obsession is fennel sun dried tomato pesto on toast, so I have that. My signature curried onion jam that I smear on things like grilled cheese, roasted cauliflower and what I use as a dipping sauce for fritters. Oh and I’m monitoring a jar of preserved sliced oranges I made. 

We Are In A Weird Time With COVID-19 Affecting Chefs & Restaurants. How Do You Think Food & Dining Will Change After Quarantine Is Over? 

LAM - For restaurants, many may be working on evolving business strategies. We may see more restaurants putting their employees first. I would also hope for smaller menus with more wholesome foods. Dining may not be as cheap as it once was, as looking at business strategy includes proper costing of food and diners may hold restaurants to a higher standard of sanitation as well. 

What Do You Do To Have & Maintain A Fab Lifestyle?

LAM - Being able to live good with others is a good feeling. 

I’m a structured, process driven person by nature so organization gives me life, but allowing myself a bit of spontaneity and splurge gives me a needed balance. 

What is Your Food Philosophy?

LAM - One size doesn’t fit all man. Don’t think you have to form yourself into a new person to understand and enjoy good food, be you and like the foods you like. 

What is Your Food Guilty Pleasure?

LAM - Ice cream with liberal ribbons of caramel and any kind of crunchies in it. Rice and anything!  

What is Your Favorite Quote at The Moment? 

LAM - “I can’t believe what you say, because I see what you do” - James Baldwin

Finish this sentence....." I Will Never Eat"

LAM - Gah, I’ll eat anything really, I think...let me see, I will never eat...some game meat, I can’t get down with.

Keep Chatting Fabulously w. Leigh-Ann

Facebook: @chefleighannmartin | Instagram: @ChefLeighAnn | Twitter: @ChefLeighAnn