By Chanda Temple
For several years, Jasmine Smith worked in the background to help her chef friends on big food events. She did so in her spare time because, well, that’s just the kind of friend she is.
Then, in 2023, a friend aware of Smith’s culinary skills, wanted to put Jasmine out front and suggested she be one of the presenting cooks during the inaugural Birmingham Food Plus Heritage dinner at Pepper Place in Birmingham, AL.
Jasmine accepted the invitation and served up dishes that impressed the crowd.
Jasmine Smith at Birmingham Food Plus 2023 at Birmingham’s Pepper Place (Photo credit: Chanda Temple)
As a recipe tester in Birmingham, Smith knows what will make a recipe sing. So, she assembled the perfect chorus to make an opening act to remember. First up was a breakfast grit fritter, complete with hot Jimmy Deal sausage, spices, cheddar cheese and McEwen and Sons yellow stoneground grits. A lot of people loved it, telling her it tasted like breakfast in one bite.
The grit fritter. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
Next up were her wings. The Texas Native, who has been in Birmingham for four yeas, pulled from her Caribbean roots and made a guava glazed wing that was delicious. Her grandmother, who is from St. Thomas, always had a guava tree in the yard, so this was a special nod to her. The dish had the right balance of sticky sweetness that had attendees going back for seconds.
The guava glazed wings by Jasmine Smith. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
Jasmine rounded out the ensemble with a purple cabbage coleslaw that was inspired by her mother. Smith said that when she was a child, she ate a lot of cabbage, so she was in familiar territory with this creation. But instead of a mayo-based coleslaw, Smith opted to gp lighter and do a cumin-based vinaigrette coleslaw.
Jasmine Smith’s purple cabbage coleslaw. (Photo by Chanda Temple)
When it was all over, there were applause in the forms of belly rubs and empty plates. Meanwhile, a humble Smith stood off the side, standing under under the Birmingham sky, taking it all in, for she was happy she took on the challenge of trying something new.
“Imposter syndrome does come up, but, … I had to remember that they would not have asked me if they didn’t believe in me,” Jasmine said. “So, I was like, ‘I’m going to make this work. I’m going to figure this out.’ ”
Savor This!: The 2024 Birmingham Food Plus will take place in September. For more information, visit http://www.bhamfoodplus.com.