Chef Denzell Washington

06/30/2021

Winter 2021/ Harlem Rooftops
Super8MM Project: Part 2:3

There’s no credit I could take for this short film but only be grateful for my daughter, mother and vision of .

Flowing off of a 13+ year relationship me and Luis often discussed how we would build ourselves up in our respective crafts yet still find ways to collaborate. Well thanks to my brother here, is one visual of many to come.

PS. My voice sounds a little dry 😅, I’ll know better for next time. ✌🏽

02/12/2021

Coconut milk and spices

First and foremost, big ups to & for the work they’ve put in to help me develop a story around such a familiar item. Developing as a creative and understanding how diverse a skill like cooking can be allows me to work with creatives of different paths, with a common goal, the story.

Fire, a vibrant energy, a vibrant type of thang. More enjoyed than anything ignited by gas. Natural.
Chicken, Pollo, Galinha, Poulet, Pile. Different languages, a multitude of ways to express. Im a dark meat, thigh loving brother myself yet as I grow and continue to learn myself, I’ve realized Im on a quest to find my taste of chicken. My expression outside of what I’ve experienced. Grilled, BBQ, deep fried ( buttermilk southern style ) pan fried, sous-vide and finished on the plancha, stewed, boil/braised, stuffed, roasted on a bed of vegetables or simply poached in a well flavored bouillon. Like any dish to be interpreted, presented by one that uses it to as a means to communicate personality, skill or technique.
Controlling moisture content to ensure crust. To the grill or in any cast iron pan. Low and slow, smoked.

A blend of spices I’ve long since come to enjoy; Cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, coriander, allspice, turmeric & vanilla. In a bowl, measurements according to your preference per spice, make a blend. Split seasoning mix, reserve half. Brush chicken with oil or butter, it helps. Using a Dutch oven or cast iron, grape seed or canola oil, medium low flame. Take your time developing the skin. Turn over when crisp, turning once on flesh side. Take advantage of the “fond” you’ve built. Remove chicken, to a low flame, sweat with onions, garlic and carrots.add remaking spices. Deglaze with coconut milk and a cinnamon stick. Adjust the seasoning with salt and Zanzibar black pepper sourced from

My favorite way as of recent, wood fired stoked, nurtured, attended, rotated every so often. Gauging the temp of the oven, how much time is left? A good, golden roast, crust developed from patience. The Stone Hearth at the Old Stone house of Brooklyn.

12/27/2020

Holiday leftovers:
Smoky, bitter, charred.

It’s obvious you aren’t getting pleasantly plated food but a chance to clean out the fridge. I couldn’t possibly be telling you something you don’t know by now. Yet there’s always this self-gratification in creating something people would either eat or read, well..what about both. Its a wonderful way to revisit your favorite dish, displaying the type of gluttony for “seconds” that you’re 8 year old daughter calls you out on.

A few slices of country bread, charred on the grill or stove top ( if no access to a grill you’ll still yield a good flavor ). Some of that spiced rubbed, wood smoked chicken you didn’t think you’re friend knew how to make but they really can get down. About 2 to 3 cups of that…yeah thats that good stuff right there. Let’s not be skimpy on the shredded chicken, brought to room temp . What’s in the fridge? Some leftover herbs, various condiments ( mayo, miso, butter pickles etc ). Your mustard collection that you low-key never want to share about yourself cause its you’re little pride and joy. A few cheese selections. Its winter time and you’ve probably got some chicories laying about and you were more intrigued with the color than the actual use of the product on your last market run. Grab a few things, get creative and just to make sure, leave you’re guilt somewhere other than you’re palate.

Deformed, not picture worthy, but defiantly worth it.

Stage setting:
Photography:

12/25/2020

Seared Salmon, cured zucchini and fried leeks

Let’s keep it simple:

I love fish probably more than any other protein. Loved like that second bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios with milk saturated from the first serving of cereal. Kept simple, seasoned well and crust developed from patience, a good searing and respecting the process for the anticipation of the moment your fork breaks through the skin.

This along side two versatile vegetables: Zucchini sliced thin on the mandolin, “cured” with a seasoned salt of cumin, coriander, star anise and a little brown sugar. Leeks sliced thin, fried, obtaining that light, airy and “hay” like perception. Just have fun with it.. Why not? When cooking for the simple love and enjoyment of food, technique applied to imagination would yield moments of satisfaction.

Taking some time to get things in order. There was nothing I could possibly ask given the blessing bestowed upon me and my daughter.

Good things in the works,
Happy Holidays 😁✌🏽👨🏽‍🍳

Set design:
Photography:

12/11/2020

12/11/2020

11/20/2020

NEW BEGINNINGS

I would like to keep this simple, no story, simply gratitude.
Thank you to everyone that has donated. Thank you for helping to alleviate many of the obstacles placed before Sariah and I in such a short period of time. It is not as easy as some may think to process having received so much support with in only a week and then the universe presents a new home for my daughter and I. Thank you for such generosity and kindness.

11/13/2020

Stable home for single black father and daughter:

To the person reading this message,

My name is Denzell Washington and I am a single father as well as a young chef living in Harlem, NYC. My 8 year old daughter’s name is Sariah, a 2nd grader. Providing stability for my daughter has become a bigger obstacle than ever and this GoFundme is to get us through the next 5 - 6 months safely.

We currently live in a 3 bedroom apartment which is room-shared for which two of the rooms I pay for. Because of the lack of income we are faced with losing more than a room to a stranger while falling behind on basic needs.

My goal is to secure an apartment, food and childcare for my daughter so that I may focus on more than survival. My daughter Sariah is a bright, jovial and smart girl, however she was diagnosed in February 2020 with PTSD due to the absence of her Mother and a traumatic family experience to which she receives counseling every week.

I fear that without stable housing this will inflict another wound that she must heal from. In order to provide for Sariah, I have dedicated more time in restaurants than to the quality time a child needs from their only parent. I sought opportunities through entrepreneurship ( starting in 2016 ) hoping to secure better resources and higher paid employment through my involvement with organizations such as MOFAD and Agtech-X.

My relentless pursuit to obtain a better life has led me to work in some of the best restaurants in New York City. As of 2019 I have competed and been announced the winner of Food Network's “Chopped” (Season 46, EP 5) which was a victory I dedicated to my daughter. Although there was a cash prize for winning (2019), all the money has been allocated to paying off student loans from culinary school and rent. An unfortunate turn of events as 2020 became the year that I could no longer afford to provide for Sariah as I have been doing successfully for the last 7 years.

Please lend your support to help me secure a stable home for Sariah. If you’re unable to currently donate,sharing our story is as valuable at this point.

Sincerely,
Sariah and I.

11/13/2020

Home stability for single black father and daughter

To the person reading this message,

My name is Denzell Washington and I am a single father as well as a young chef living in Harlem, NYC. My 8 year old daughter’s name is Sariah, a 2nd grader. Providing stability for my daughter has become a bigger obstacle than ever and this GoFundme is to get us through the next 5 - 6 months safely.

We currently live in a 3 bedroom apartment which is room-shared for which two of the rooms I pay for. Because of the lack of income we are faced with losing more than a room to a stranger while falling behind on basic needs. My goal is to secure an apartment, food and childcare for my daughter so that I may focus on more than survival.

My daughter Sariah is a bright, jovial and smart girl, however she was diagnosed in February 2020 with PTSD due to the absence of her Mother and a traumatic family experience to which she receives counseling every week. I fear that without stable housing this will inflict another wound that she must heal from. In order to provide for Sariah, I have dedicated more time in restaurants than to the quality time a child needs from their only parent. I’ve sought opportunities through entrepreneurship ( starting in 2016 ) hoping to secure better resources and higher paid employment through my involvement with organizations such as MOFAD and Agtech-X.

My relentless pursuit to obtain a better life has led me to work in some of the best restaurants in New York City. As of 2019 I have competed and been announced the winner of Food Network's “Chopped” (Season 46, EP 5) which was a victory I dedicated to my daughter. Although there was a cash prize for winning (2019), all money has been allocated to paying off student loans from culinary school and rent. An unfortunate turn of events as 2020 became the year that I could no longer afford to provide for Sariah as I have been doing successfully for the last 7 years.

Please lend your support to help me secure a stable home for Sariah. If you’re unable to currently donate, sharing our story is just as valuable at this point.

Sincerely,
Sariah and I.

11/09/2020

The process, not perfection:

It’s only right to take a step back and congratulate yourself for the path chosen. To be grateful for those you’ve learned from and enamored by. The process of discovering yourself & cooking style becomes another layer of appreciation. Cooking on the Hearth at the historical resonated with me more then most of my cooking experiences!

Sure I’ve worked for some amazing chefs but to connect to history, to my ancestors, to walk on historic land, cook and build for a community in a way that is deemed outdated or “colonial” means more to me than I could realize. The sense of honor I felt from simply building a fire before cooking is not a feeling gained from any “Line” or station I’ve manned.

What I initially thought to be complex became an outer body experience. Understanding how to tell my story, adding pages and chapters without redundancy turns into cherished moments worth sharing.

Grateful and humbled day in and day out, a special out to Kim, Maggie and Cassie of the Stone House, Heather of and THOP aka the .

Photo credit:

Hearth smoked chicken, creamy Parmesan corn “pone”, mushroom medley and red kale (chestnut, oyster and cremini varietal) nasturtium pedals.

Stay tuned for my new Hearth made meals program launching soon!!!👨🏽‍🍳😁😎



P.S: Before you judge, try cooking in a colonial style, then y’all talk to me 😋✌🏽

10/10/2020

Oh boy, there he goes again with his smile😁. A special shout out to the ladies of for inviting me over to see what I’m about and letting me express myself. A good night of wine, laughter, vibes and veggies. In this posting a simple Thai braise of fairytale eggplants with my twists of fried leeks, seeds and .

09/19/2020

More than ever it’s an amazing opportunity to create a hospitable experience. I yearn to put my best foot forward with anything im involved in & hope to leave behind a positive influence amongst my encounters.

I’m not seeking notoriety or recognition, but that soul satisfying moment shared from good food.

I’m excited to share some upcoming news on a recent project I’ve been working on, stay tuned.

Sariah & Denzell

09/19/2020

More than ever it’s an amazing opportunity to create a hospitable experience. I yearn to put my best foot forward with anything im involved in & hope to leave behind a positive influence amongst my encounters.

I’m not seeking notoriety or recognition, but the joyful, blissfulness of creating memorable dishes.

I’m excited to share some upcoming news on a recent project I’ve been working on, stay tuned.

Sariah & Denzell

09/15/2020

Well...this has certainly been an insightful journey. I am humbled by the experience and opportunity to be on . Yet, there is so much to grasp, to risk, to gain, but isn’t that apart of the process?

When I first competed over a year ago I was more embarrassed from the mistakes I made, how foolish I felt , my thoughts and concerns more about my lack of ex*****on and technique rather than being a winner.

Now, I embrace it, no longer concerned about the opinions from my peers or chefs that I’ve met or look up to. This is small stepping stone towards my goal, a reassurance that one day will be my day knowing where development is needed within my craft. I may have seemed a bit quirky in some scenes, but it’s cool, some one out there smiled 🤷🏽‍♂️😏.

To those that have supported me over the years and continue to do so, sharing laughter, food, knowledge, joys and frustrations.

Thank you.

With love, sincerely

Sariah & I.

08/11/2018

The Ice Cream Truck

Although we also want our Sustainable Suppers to be relatable to guests, to experience and in how we use food scraps to be no longer seen as such. There are no boundaries except for the those we allow.
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prepared by Chef
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@ AgTech X