Elle Simone

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Elle Simone
Born
LaShawnda Sherise Simone Scott[1]

Elle Simone, also known as Elle Simone Scott, is an American chef, culinary producer, test cook, and food stylist. She is founder of the mentoring organization SheChef.

Early life and education[edit]

Simone was born LaShawnda Sherise Simone Scott[1] and grew up in Detroit, Michigan in a middle-class 7th-Day Adventist family.[1][2][3] She attended Eastern Michigan University.[1] Her first cooking job was at a kosher bakery in Oak Park, MI.[1] Before entering the culinary field, Simone worked as a social worker in Detroit.[4][5] She moonlighted as a prep cook.[3] She attended Culinary Institute of New York.[1] She has a master's degree in entertainment business.[2][5]

Culinary career[edit]

At age 28, Simone lost her job as a social worker, her car, and her home during the 2008 recession.[5][6] She took a job on a cruise ship as a cook for two years.[3][5] In 2009 she moved to New York, working at a women's shelter, and in 2010 attended culinary school.[1][3][7] She did an internship with Food Network.[5] She worked as a food stylist for Cabot Creamery and The Chew.[3] She worked in culinary production for Cook's Country, Food Network, Bravo, and Cooking Channel.[3][5][8]

Simone was the first African American woman to appear as a regular host on the PBS television show America's Test Kitchen starting in 2016.[1][9][10] She is a test cook and food stylist for the show.[11] She also develops videos for the show's online cooking school.[12]

She was featured in a segment of NBC's The Hub Today in 2018[1] and in 2019 hosted 28 Days of Edna, a monthlong America's Test Kitchen series focussed on Edna Lewis.[3]

Simone is a member of the board of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs.[13] She has said she wants to become the "culinary Oprah."[1][7]

Books[edit]

  • Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings. America's Test Kitchen. 2022-04-26. ISBN 978-1-954210-00-4.[14][15]

Philanthropy[edit]

Simone founded SheChef, a for-profit mentoring and networking organization for women of color in the culinary field, in 2013.[16] As of November 2018 it had over 1000 members.[4][8][17] She was motivated to do so after realizing that although 90% of her culinary school classmates had been women or persons of color, this group was underrepresented among chefs.[18]

Personal life[edit]

Simone is a survivor of ovarian cancer.[5] She was diagnosed in 2016 at the age of 40.[19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j First, Devra (December 3, 2018). "Meet the America's Test Kitchen star who dreams of being the culinary Oprah". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Reliford, Alexis (July 18, 2014). "Elle Simone Scott, Creating Culinary Careers". Essence. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Kearnan, Scott (February 5, 2019). "Elle Simone is Changing the Look of the Culinary Industry". Boston Magazine. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Musho, Lee (November 14, 2018). "Who is She (Chef)?". Baked. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Jhaveri, Rayna (November 27, 2018). "Elle Simone Scott: TV talent on "America's Test Kitchen;" Founder of SheChef". Edible Boston. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  6. ^ Garcia, Maria; Mitchell, Zoe (January 14, 2019). "Elle Simone Scott's Mission To Become The Oprah Of The Food World". www.wbur.org. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Saxe, Lizzy (March 31, 2019). "Elle Simone Scott Can't Wait To Be Culinary Oprah". Forbes. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Turshen, Julia (May 17, 2019). "A Conversation with Elle Simone Scott". Food & Wine. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  9. ^ Johnson, Kandia (July 9, 2018). "How SheChef is Bridging the Culture Gap for Women Chefs of Color". Black Enterprise. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
  10. ^ "Elle Simone". Black Food & Beverage. 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  11. ^ Swift, Sally (October 5, 2018). "America's Test Kitchen's Chicken and Pastry is a comfort food dish influenced by Edna Lewis". www.splendidtable.org. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  12. ^ "Elle Simone Discusses Her Unexpected Transition from Food Stylist to TV Personality". America's Test Kitchen. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  13. ^ "Women Chefs & Restaurateurs | About Us". Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  14. ^ "Elle Simone Scott Learned to Center Others by Putting Herself First". Nation's Restaurant News. 2022-02-22. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  15. ^ Washington, Elizabeth (2022-11-12). "Dive into the world of food presentation with Elle Simone". WDIV. Retrieved 2024-03-26.
  16. ^ "Finding Meaning In Work: A Labor Day Edition Of 'Radio Boston'". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2019-09-24.
  17. ^ "Elle Simone Scott". Women In Hospitality United. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
  18. ^ "Conversations with the Inspiring Elle Simone Scott - Boston Voyager Magazine | Boston City Guide". Boston Voyager. November 15, 2018. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
  19. ^ Nania, Rachel (March 1, 2019). "Star chef fights for equality in food industry, cancer research". WTOP. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
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