Illustration by Jonny Ruzzo
Mona Bronson-Fuqua is a chef who wears many hats. As the owner of Je Ne Sais Fuqua, she teaches independent cooking classes at venues around town as well as caters. We recently spoke with her about her inspirations, cooking as a tool of cultural reclamation, and her favorite meal.
Who taught you how to cook?
My mother taught me basics, especially how to cook on a budget and for a vegetarian. My maternal grandmother fueled my love for culinary arts beyond daily dinners. We discussed food and recipes like other people talk about their soap [operas]—always thinking about what was in a dish we enjoyed but didn’t have a recipe for, how we might change or improve it, and when consistency was more important than improvisation.
When did you begin to see cooking as a potential career?
I wanted to go to culinary school right out of high school. However, cooking wasn’t sexy then; there was not a Food Network. My parents weren’t on board with their African American Walnut Hills graduate cooking for a living when we were one generation away from being cooks because there were not other options. My grandmother was in her final illness as I was finishing my first session at Cincinnati COOKS. I told her that I had spent the first portion of my life trying to live up to the expectations of others for my work life and that I was taking what is left to pursue my dreams. It was the last time I saw her stand to her feet as she clapped and said “Finally, I never thought I’d live to hear you say it.” She passed the week I graduated from first course. I had already decided but she is at my shoulder seasoning my pots and reminding me of my purpose and passion every day.
How/when did you start Je Ne Sais Fuqua?
I started Je Ne Sais Fuqua LLC in 2016. I had gone through first and second course in the Cincinnati COOKS program at the Freestore Foodbank and transferred those credits to Cincinnati State where I attained my degree in culinary management. I completed a cohort with MORTAR and was one of the first scholarships through the Findlay Kitchen. I took all of those experiences to move toward my own business with the idea of starting a BBQ sauce line. In the meantime, I was encouraged to apply for a teaching assistant position which was a large step in the evolution of my business.
What local cooking programs are you involved in?
I am an independent contractor who teaches in a variety of environments. I began teaching as an instructor for Cooking for the Family, created by Jamie Clark-Stoneham, through St. Francis Seraph Ministries. The Ministries made the decision to discontinue the program, but La Soupe saw value in the mission and the program is currently part of their education branch. I teach that program along with their Cooking Improv and Give a Crock programs. I teach for Jungle Jim’s Cooking School in Fairfield, Artichoke in OTR, Cancer Community Support of Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, Aberlin Springs agri-community, and have also taught for Communiversity through UC. I teach and consult with CareSource Dayton in conjunction with the ICAN-Diabetes program and provide personal chef work for private clients along with boutique (40 people or less) catering. I also do public speaking and support food adjacent businesses with media relations needs.
What’s your food philosophy?
Food is not just fuel for the body. It is a touchstone that creates connections between people much like music. Every culture uses food to show love and care for each other. As an African American chef, I am convinced that food is part of our generational inheritance, a cultural legacy, if you will. The food we often pooh-pooh as “slavery food” is actually a prime example of how, as a culture, we not only made a way out of no way but used our ancestral knowledge to do so and thrive. It is also a cautionary tale of how if we allow others to define the value of our experiences and knowledge while co-opting it as their own, we steal from our generations.
Cooking builds a larger external community, and it can be the foundation for family connections. When someone feeds you, they are giving you a part of themselves, and your enjoyment gives them part of you right back. It is amazing how many people have never picked a fresh tomato or cut up their own chicken. Ultimately, I hope my legacy, which is also my ancestors’, restores this invaluable knowledge to our generations.
A pillar of your work has to do with food insecurity. What are some things that people can do to help alleviate this problem in their cooking?
Food insecurity is something that impacts the pillar of my work but doesn’t define it. Dealing with lack of resources and self-determination around foodways has always been a challenge in the African American community. My focus is actually encouraging people to reclaim and celebrate the knowledge that has historically allowed us to overcome the challenges to our health and nutrition while in many cases creating a way to sustain our families and communities.
Alleviating the problem of food insecurity in part comes from learning how to cook sustainably using whole, locally accessed foods. For example, spring and summer are a prime time to focus on fresh fruits and vegetables. Not only are they more readily available and inexpensive but it is becoming more and more apparent that plant forward diets are better for your health and the health of the planet. Be aware of how to store your food so it doesn’t go bad before you can prepare it. Learn to make more than one meal from a basic recipe. You should be able to get multiple meals from a whole chicken and today’s meatloaf can be tacos, chili, or spaghetti later in the week. Instead of letting the last of that spring mix go bad in the drawer chop it up and add it to eggs and cheese for a healthy breakfast, lunch, or dinner option.
Cooking from scratch protects your health and your wallet. It puts us back in touch with where our food comes from and how to cultivate it. The skills necessary touch on everything from basic reading and arithmetic to science and history. What your body needs to function optimally and what our environment needs to be able to provide it. Learning to cook your own food and teaching your generations gives you flexibility and options when grocery prices escalate.
What’s your favorite meal to cook?
My favorite meal to cook is the one that brings joy to the people at my table. It doesn’t hurt if I get to blend older foodways with new ideas along the way. Since my favorite food changes almost daily, so do my favorite recipes. However, summer is upon us and on my table I want grilled meats and veggies, Mo’Betta BBQ Sauce, checkerboard Alabama jerk potato salad, fried green tomatoes, and hot water cornbread. Sorrell (red drink) or sweet tea as the beverage. (Yes, I know there is no dessert. Baking is not my ministry but blackberry cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream….yum!)
Do you have any programs/talks/sessions coming up?
I will be teaching at Jungle Jim’s most Tuesdays and some Thursdays, La Soupe’s Cooking Improv most Saturdays, and at Artichoke OTR doing a Fall Vegetarian class on Thursday, Oct. 3.
Anyone interested in hiring or collaborating with Je Ne Sais Fuqua should contact Bronson-Fuqua at jenesaisfuquallc@gmail.com or (513) 787-2602.
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