create the space

Rachel is the co-founder of Nappy Head Club. She is 31 years old and resides in Brooklyn, New York.

What’s the last thing you ate?

I’m eating an orange as we speak -laughs-

What’s the last thing that you cooked?

Jerk chicken. 

How did you learn how to cook jerk chicken?

Living in New York you get exposed to a lot of different cultures. When I moved here it was the first time I was around West Indian culture. If I like a particular palate, I’m the type of person who wants to learn how to make that food and understand it. To learn this recipe, I found a video of someone’s grandma on Youtube making it. That’s whose cooking I base my recipes off. 

Grandmas are to be trusted. You know they aren’t faking it.

What’s your favorite environment to eat in?

The first place that came to mind is a nice summer Saturday on the stoop in Brooklyn, with some good takeout from my favorite restaurant. You watch the city pass you by. You feel like you’re halfway in the mix and halfway in your own little world. 

What’s your favorite junk food?

French fries, by far. They are quite the addiction -laughs-

What’s your favorite health food?

Sometimes I’ll just eat kale, flash-fried with garlic and lemon and I think it’s the best thing that’s ever existed. That’s when I feel healthiest and happy because I’m really enjoying it. 

What do you typically eat in a day?

During quarantine, I’ve realized I don’t eat three meals. It’s more like two big meals and maybe some snacks.

For breakfast, I have eggs or a smoothie depending on if I want something sweet or savory.

I’ll have some fun takeout on a Friday but during the week I’ll have fresh, usually raw vegetables in a salad with tuna, shrimp, or chicken for protein.

I feel like eating carbs during the day really slows me down so I usually do my carb-heavier meal after work. Carbs like brown rice, quinoa, or brown potatoes with a protein.

Eating carbs during the day is like a slow descent into a nap -laughs-

What role did food have in your house growing up?

My sister was born prematurely so there was always a big fuss around making sure that she ate. I’ve always been a lover of food, but no one cared that I was finishing my whole plate -laughs- Food was tied to sustenance and growth because we were so focused on my sister getting the nutrients she needed. I think about food as the building blocks for what makes you big and strong.

What meal or dish feels like home to you?

I think about my grandmother’s cooking. My mom cooked, but my grandma cooked the big important meals -laughs- I think about fried fish and cabbage and potatoes. That would be a really good day at my grandma’s house. 

What was it like for you to grow up and define your relationship with food for yourself? 

My family ate a lot of packaged food growing up. In college, my diet was all about the easiest, most convenient food with the longest shelf-life. After I graduated I heard about clean eating, researched that, and started eating fresh, whole foods. That’s when I really started making choices about what I wanted to eat and what I thought was healthy.

My family has a very American palate, so as I’ve gotten older it’s been fun to dabble and experiment in different cuisines. I like finding new ingredients and figuring out how to use them. Being a curious person, I’ll try to learn how to use different tastes and flavors from different cultures and bring that into my own house. 

Do you have any favorite spots in New York?

Actually, I studied abroad in Cuernavaca, Mexico and it was the first time I ever had traditional Mexican food. I thought it was amazing and so flavorful. I also spent three years living in Los Angeles so I had access to it there, too. When I got back to New York, I was kind of a snob about Mexican food. Everyone was like “Rachels a taco snob!” -laughs-

I found a place in Bedstuy called Chilo’s that I love. I pray they come back after being closed during the pandemic. They had a food truck in their backyard and a mezcal bar. Palate-wise it reminded me of LA and Mexico. All of my friends were like, “we are not going to Chilo’s again” -laughs- It was the best place on earth. That’s one of my favorite Brooklyn spots, though. I hope it comes back this summer. [Editor’s Note: Chilo’s is open again!]

What has your journey been around body image?

It’s definitely been a journey that has ebbed and flowed. When I was in high school, it was the era of America’s Next Top Model. I would catch myself trying not to eat as much, and being self-conscious about what I was eating. Of course, we were eating really crappy food so it was like I’m going to eat half of these french fries -laughs-

It was all related to what media and images were being projected on me. I wasn’t taking it so seriously that I wasn’t eating, but I’ve gone through periods of extreme clean-eating, doing pilates every day, and losing a lot of weight. I’ve found over the years that I have to balance where my body wants to be. I go through phases of counting calories and being strict with carbs, all in the name of “health”, which may not be the truth. It would give me a lot of energy but it would restrict my ability to enjoy food.

Even in the last few months, I’ve been trying to find that balance. The little hacks that don’t deprive me but help me feel like I'm doing good for my body. It’s easy to teeter back to that place where you’re guilting yourself for every meal. 

My goal is to feel healthy and figure out a way that I can be fit but represents where my body wants to be. I want to eat clean and have energy, but I don’t want to strive towards some unrealistic goal or guilting myself around food. 

It’s definitely a daily journey. Some days I’ll eat really clean and feel really great, then other days I’ll think I probably shouldn't have had that. You blame yourself a bit and can get into negative self-talk. Ultimately I’m on that journey towards balance. Enjoying food, my body as it is, having physical goals but also being okay with where I am. 

What is your wish for the women of the world when it comes to eating and cooking?

I would like for women to find a balance between the enjoyment of food because it’s delicious and because it’s healthy and makes you feel good. Being able to explore both ends of that spectrum opens you up to all of the good food, recipes, palates, tastes, and flavors. I want that for all women.

I love your brand Nappy Head Club and believe that representation of many kinds is so important. With palette, I want women to see images, read stories and feel that they are represented. Can you share your perspective on that?

My sister and I started Nappy Head Club. We were always into fashion and we would do photoshoots as kids as a way of bonding with each other. As I said before, this was the era of America’s Next Top Model. When we thought of “fashion” we didn’t think of ourselves. We thought of very slim women with eurocentric features. We would try to emulate what we saw, which at the time you would think was harmless but in reality, we were subconsciously learning this anti-black, anti-self way of thinking. We thought that in order to be fashionable, stylish and aspirational, you had to look different than how we looked. Our brand began by focusing on a certain hair texture but has bloomed into celebrating everything that comes with your heritage as a black person. From your facial features to your complexion and your body type. There haven't been many brands that come from the perspective of the black consumer that say, the way you are is normal, beautiful, and you should celebrate the way that you look. We use fashion as a vehicle to create space for people like us, who were raised seeing imagery that looks very different from them. We’re here to say, There is nothing wrong with the way you look. It’s actually cool, stylish, and fun and you can be yourself.

With palette, I want women to take a second and consider the images, ideas, and perspectives they are consuming and if it is changing their behavior. If we’re always seeing women who are really tall and skinny, spending time trying to emulate that is not a good use of our time. How can we enjoy the arts of eating and cooking to the fullest extent?

There is so much need for representation because at a genetic level our bodies are meant to look the way that they look. 

Constantly seeing images of people who, regardless of their ethnic background, look different from you, has a huge impact on your self-image. 

Understanding what your own body is meant to look like, whether that’s curvy, skinny, tall, or short, and creating that space to allow yourself to self-dictate and self-examine rather than be told to emulate a certain look, is so important.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Photo credits:

Photos 1 & 4 & 7 - @mbamidele

Photo 6 - @yekaterrrina