Jen Melodi

I had to pause my culinary school adventures and share this spoiler because it’s TOO good. I’ve been named the first-ever Rise Residency Fellow by @riseresidency and @marcuscooks . If you’ve been following this journey, you know I’ve been cooking for years. But I reached a point where I wanted to be classically trained and put intention behind building my legacy in food. Part of building that future is understanding the past. Through this fellowship, I’ll be developing “16 Mothers”, a tasting menu/edible history project that traces the cooking traditions of Black women from 1619 to present day. My goal is to tell the stories of the women who made it possible for me to do what I do today. Thank you to @marcuscooks for creating a space that takes chefs like me seriously (squealing as I type this cuz it’s unreal that I’m gonna be mentored by THEE @marcuscooks 🤯) And a very special thank you to @thejennabond and @abankhead for believing in this work before it even existed. And to @klancycooks and @thizzg … to even be aligned with you both is an absolute honor. I’m so grateful to be part of this inaugural cohort with you. The new shoes are starting to fit. And all glory goes to God. 🙏🏽 #RiseResidency

Handmade pasta, shrimp and ricotta filling, jamaican curry, lime zest

A few moments from the night Thank you so much @iamkeonta for capturing these momentssss

CRAFT STUDIO | VOL. 2 We’re no longer in Barcelona but now in Buenos Aires, and I wanted to take the time to share these moments from the dinner series in Barcelona before announcing very exciting coming events🔮🧚‍♂️🫆💞 VOL. 2 was a real fusion between Jen and I, choux, pasta, Caribbean flavours, and our soufflé inspired by our teachers. This dinner was so much fun, everything was a first try, and even if we were stressed, figuring things out as we went, and somehow it all came together. @jenfullymade is a chef from Boston with roots in Atlanta. What started with an Easy Bake oven grew into a way of cooking shaped by memory, curiosity, and Black foodways, always driven by the joy of creating and sharing.

✨THE ART OF BECOMING, EPISODE 5 ✨ You know how you buy some new shoes and it takes a while to break them in? Well, the scariest part of becoming a new version of yourself is just like that. Stepping into some new shoes. They don’t quite mold to your foot yet. They might be a little uncomfortable. But if you walk in them enough, they’ll fit perfectly. This is day 1 of me walking in my “new shoes”. On this day I: ✈️ Landed in a new city in a new country 🎺 Went to my culinary school orientation at @culinaryinstitutebarcelona 🔪 Received my uniform and knife kit (so fire) 💅 Removed my nails to prep for the kitchen 🥐 Got my first Barcelona pastry My journey to becoming a trained chef has officially begun. See you in the next episode for the first day of class 😬 #TheArtOfBecoming #CulinarySchool #CareerChange #StartingOverAfter30 #NewBeginnings

✨The Art of Becoming, Episode 4✨ This one is about SHEDDING, letting go of who you were to make space for who you’re becoming. One week before Spain: 📦 Packed our lives into 8 suitcases ✂️ Got new hair 🚗 Sold my car ☕ Turned our apartment into the Sip and See-away Café (designed the logo, styled the space, catered it, because of course) 💔 Said goodbye to my family in Boston ✈️ Got on a plane to the unknown There’s no turning back now. Next week: Barcelona. #TheArtOfBecoming

✨The Art of Becoming, Episode 3✨ One of the biggest lessons I learned during my latest becoming is that the people who show up when your life is changing are the ones you bring with you. These are (some of) mine 🥰 Who are your people? 💛 #theartofbecoming

You ever make one brave decision and suddenly life wants to fight you? What showed up the moment you decided to say yes to yourself? (Ooooor, are you showing up for yourself in 2026, friend? 👀) #TheArtOfBecoming

I used to think restlessness meant I wasn’t grateful enough for blessings I once prayed for. Now I see it as a signal that I outgrew the version of myself that once fit. The Art of Becoming is where I’m sharing what reinvention actually looked like for me. Episode 1 isn’t about quitting your life. It’s about honoring that little voice inside you that won’t stay quiet anymore. Episode 2 is about what happens AFTER you say yes…because saying yes is the easy part. I’m curious, what’s something you’ve felt called toward that you’ve been putting on hold? #becoming #reinventyourself #startingoveragain #reinventingmyself #theartofbecoming

Merry Christmas! 🎄 What did you have for dinner?

BISH WE’RE GOING TO CULINARY SCHOOL…IN SPAIN! 🎉 And this chapter wouldn’t exist without 1) God and 2) my community. From being customers, To putting me onto opportunities, To working with me, To cheering for me, To praying for me, My village is amazing. @chellychel08 @iamkeonta @handkrfted @thatsodeb @smokegirl_nellyboston @sharlafabulous @krys_mystique_ @moniluuvv @kaywillcreate @antoineliveentertainment @porsha_lenay @__brittia__ @do.re.bri @letbshootyou @duce @joven.dinero @vanay_nay @__xotiara @estrellafuego @sammiesupageek @marqueetta @rhyverwhite @ladypearl49 @chay_chantel @marlonsfinancialtherapy I love y’all DOWN! 🫶🏽 (If I forgot to tag you, curse me out in the comments 😂 and share a moment you remember from my food journey) For those asking, I don’t have a registry, but you can buy me a coffee! 😊 Link in my bio What should we cook to celebrate?

Forbes Mami.⁣ ✨ ⁣ One thing I’m super proud of is being welcomed into ForbesBLK in May 2023.⁣ This is a global community of Black entrepreneurs, professionals, leaders and creators driving systemic change in business, culture and society.⁣ This is game-changing.⁣ This would have made my dad proud. 🥲 ⁣ This makes ME proud of me. 🥹⁣ And it’s a testament to the hard work I’ve been bussin down in the dark.⁣ So this is me, celebrating in public ⁣ The way I have in private, ⁣ Just in case that younger me is out there watching and wondering,⁣ if moments like this are possible for her too…⁣ To her I say: Babygirl, the world is yours. 🌍🚀✨⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #ForbesBLK #CreateYourLegacy #blackentrepreneurs #communitybuilding