Learning in the Making is a video series where we invite guest hosts of color on as equal and valued partners and collaborators, so that they can tell their stories and showcase the amazing things they are making and doing! In addition to learning with our guests through video project guides, we also interview our hosts to learn a little bit more about them.
In this post, Maker Ed chats with Le’Genevieve Squires, Detroit-based chef and teacher. See her in Learning in the Making: Cooking Vegetable Broth!
Tell us a bit more about yourself…
Hi! I’m Le’Genevieve Squires, the co-founder/culinary curator/community liaison of Relish. Relish is a catering company founded in 2018 that’s locally sourced and globally inspired, Relish Detroit connects people through the universal language of food. We blend the home-cooked tastes of our roots with the exciting fresh flavors and dishes we discovered through our travel experiences. We put our heart and soul into introducing flavorful ingredients from our community to our community; increasing awareness of food and health; and supporting one another in feeling connected through food. You can experience our passion and flavors through private and intimate catering events, pop-up shops, and community engagement activities. I am interested in giving to the community and educating individuals about food and sustainability. We have to be conscious of our impact on the world because together we can change the food system for good.
What’s one thing about yourself that you think is important for others to know?
I have a business partner named Brittiany Peeler. She is the health aspect to Relish. She makes sure that we are conscious of our sustainable ways of doing business.
What excites you most about your work?
Never ending learning; you are always learning new things when it comes to food. I love learning, and sharing my findings with others new to cooking or even seasoned cooks; you’ll be surprised by the tips/tricks that you get from others.
Why do you make?
We make at Relish to help uplift the language of food & health! We created “indi-soul” to expand on our 4 month cooking externship in India as well as show the interconnectedness of food. The Indi, pays homage to the experience in Goa, India; & what we were taught by the villagers, who welcomed us with open arms. They taught us their language, style, and culture through food. The Soul pays homage to our ancestors for all the work and labor of love that they put into food and our culture. It is ever present anywhere that we see food around the world. You can tell where our ancestors stepped foot at, and left their mark.
What dreams do you have for young people?
My dream for young people is for them to be their best selves, never stop learning/asking questions/researching. Most importantly, being able to learn life skills that’ll sustain them throughout their years on this earth.
If you could share one word of advice to give to other educators, what would it be?
Keep your word, have patience, and embrace empathy for the youth and their voices.
Are there other makers and/or educators in your community whose work you’d like to promote?
I would like to promote Detroit Food Academy, Detroit Phoenix Center, PeaceTree Parks, Farmer Zee, Good Cakes and Bakes, FOLK Detroit, Chef Ederique Goudia, Make Food Not Waste, Chef Phil Jones, Keep Growing Detroit, Detroit Bee Hives, Oakland Avenue Farms, Deeply Rooted Produce, Chef Jermond Booze, Raphael Wright, D-Town Farms, Nurturing Our Seeds, Amanda Saab, Detroit Food Policy Council, FoodLab Detroit, Mushroom Factory, Tasja Cakes, Blck Cocoa Bakes, CWO Farms and many more local artisans and growers!
Follow Le’Genevieve Squires
Instagram: @experience_relish
Facebook: experiencerelish
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