During the month of February, Black History Month, three new and unique meals were introduced to the school food menu to showcase African American culture at Prep.

This decision was made by Kenyetta Carter, the Executive Chef of the Smith Family Café. Carter works in coordination with about six other staff members to ensure students have access to a variety of foods throughout the school day all over campus.

Carter said that “some of it is personal. Some dishes were from my own family.” Carter added, “My mom is from Mississippi, from the South so I definitely have a Southern influence in my life.”

The first dish introduced to students was a dish popular in Louisiana called jambalaya. This dish included chicken, sausage, and rice. Carter also introduced a Southern stew made with okra and a variety of meats, served over rice, called gumbo. The third and final dish Carter hand-picked was a dish from Mozambique called piri-piri chicken, a name which comes from the Swahili word for pepper. This roasted spicy chicken is served over yellow rice. “I try to mix it up every year,” Carter commented.

Carter also mentioned the diversity of culture and “all the different kinds of people” Prep is represented by. Through the beauty of food, there is an opportunity for Carter to hopefully educate students about this important diversity and to celebrate African American culture.

“It’s a nice little way to say I’m acknowledging it, that I want to represent it, and that I also want to bring it to a larger audience.”