Juneteenth with Chef Gina Capers-Willis
Juneteenth in Chef Gina Capers-Willis’ Lowcountry home is full of spices and special touches on the tablescape to make the gathering even more special. Gina’s love for cooking and passion for her culture is ideal for a Juneteenth celebration. She is the owner of What’s Gina Cooking and the founder of the new lifestyle brand The Low Country Bohemian. The new brand includes an array of artisanal spices, eclectic home decor pieces, and gifts. As a Black Southern Belle, her cooking influences are deeply rooted in Gullah Geechee heritage, along with traditions & holidays, like Juneteenth.
Chef Gina Capers-Willis‘ menu for Juneteenth with Black Southern Belle is filled with flavor, delicacy, and sweetness as a chef and creator of rich, spicy cuisine of the Gullah culture. You can also see her cook her own recipes alongside Michiel Perry on the Daytime Emmy® nominated digital series The Juneteenth Menu on the Food Network.
The Menu
As a young aspiring chef that grew up celebrating with big BBQs, cookouts, church celebrations, and fun times, Chef Gina always looks forward to Juneteenth. For this year’s Juneteenth holiday, if you have a background similar to Chef Gina or a balance between hosting and Lowcountry traditions, these stand-out recipes should be on your list to whip up. Chef Gina selected three recipes from Nicole A. Taylor’s new cookbook Watermelon and Red Birds: A Cookbook for Juneteenth and Black Celebrations that you and your family should include with your Sunday Juneteenth celebration.
Meatless Baked Beans
Many of us enjoy hearty and meaty dishes; but when the weekend calls for grilling of all kinds of tender poultry and beef; enjoying meatless baked beans will be the safe route. With the same flavor and even more nutrients, this meatless baked bean dish will be a hit with everyone you invite.
Beer-battered Shrimp
Light, flaky, and ocean flavors can be found throughout this entire dish. By pairing a battered infused with an alcoholic beverage and adding a Lowcountry staple cuisine such as shrimp, this dish can’t go wrong. To ensure that this dish can be completed successfully; you may need to check that no one took the last beer from the fridge to unwind.
Strawberry Lemonade
What is the best way to complete every meal? Many will say a sweet dessert but a sweet drink made from scratch can win on a hot summer day. This quick and simple, yet flavorful mixture, is great for the summer time but even better when it includes ingredients that you will surely have in your fridge this summer.
Advice
While you are whipping up many dishes for this Juneteenth celebration, Chef Gina encourages you to “Pace yourself” throughout each dish and drink creation and remember to “have fun with your family and friends.”
The Low Country Bohemian
The Low Country Bohemian is a Gullah Geechee inspired lifestyle brand, with curated seasonings, spices, gift boxes, candles, market totes, and unique home items. It’s Southern and Low Country style but with an edge… They often have one-of-a-kind vintage pieces that you won’t want to miss out on.
Follow Chef Gina at @whatsginacooking & @thelowcountrybohemian
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