Kindred Kitchens | Shadae' Williams of Measure Up

WHAT DO YOU DO IN THE WORLD OF FOOD? WHAT IMPACT DO YOU OR DO YOU HOPE TO MAKE?

I am a recipe developer and food content creator ( photography & videography); I hope that my recipes and content encourage people to want to cook more and see how fun and fulfilling it can be. In the long term I hope to make more of an impact on discussing food insecurities in certain areas and making better food options more accessible to all people.  

WHAT FOOD OR RECIPE PROVIDES YOU WITH A SENSE OF NOSTALIGA, COMFORT, OR OTHER FEELING?

My mother’s cornmeal porridge is one of my favorite meals. As someone who isn’t a huge fan of sweets, I could still drink this porridge anytime she makes it. It is sweetened with cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and condensed milk, which gives it such a warm comforting taste. It usually enjoyed for breakfast, but my favorite time to have it is a cold winter night under a blanket with a slice of buttered bread.

WHAT DOES KEEP FOOD ALIVE MEAN TO YOU?

To me, Keep Food Alive means to stay as connected to the sources of our food as possible. To be able to appreciate the work and effort that goes into getting our food from pastures/ farms to our plates. This isn’t always possible everywhere, which is why I am passionate about wanting to make a change in our food systems and making fresh food more accessible.

It also means keeping alive the culinary traditions of other cultures. I believe that food is something that can connect people; through shared experiences and similar meals and traditional cuisines it brings different parts of the world closer together.

WHAT IS YOUR CAN'T-LIVE-WITHOUT KITCHEN TOOL?

My can’t-live-without kitchen tool would have to be a tie between a really good chef’s knife and a cast iron skillet. We use a lot of produce and food that involves a lot of cutting in my kitchen and a good knife is crucial and makes the job so much easier. And, I feel that a cast iron skillet is so versatile and can last you for so long when it is well taken care of.  

WHO IS SOMEONE FROM THE FOOD COMMUNITY YOU'RE INSPIRED BY AND WHY?

Someone from the food community that inspires me is Sophia Roe. She is an amazing chef and activist. She is so unapologetically herself and it is very inspiring to see another black woman in the culinary space that discusses all of her different passions authentically. To see how it only influences her cooking, for the better is so encouraging. She is one of the first people that made me feel like I could pursue my own unique path in the culinary world that was different from anyone else’s.

It is with deep respect and gratitude that we create, build and operate our business in the communities of Southern Vancouver Island, which as a business we acknowledge is located within the ancestral and unceded territories of the lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) (Esquimalt and Songhees), Malahat, Pacheedaht, Scia'new, T’Sou-ke and W̱SÁNEĆ (Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tsawout, Tseycum) peoples.