While reading about plant-based chefs based in Connecticut (where I live), I came across Chef Chrissy Tracey. Her background of culinary accomplishments fascinated me, so I read on.
I learned that Chef Chrissy is a first-generation Jamaican American vegan chef, artist, forager, YouTuber, and entrepreneur in the food and wellness space.
Chef Chrissy is the first vegan chef to be featured on Bon Appétit’s “Test Kitchen” YouTube series and has been featured in the magazine.
She has also been showcased on the Bon Appétit “Food People” podcast and NPR’s “Seasoned.”
Chef Chrissy was listed in Connecticut Magazine‘s “40 Under 40” and made a name for herself while working as a vegan pizza chef in New Haven, a city known all over the world for its pizza.
She currently runs a Connecticut-based catering company that specializes in curating unique plant-based culinary events.
I also learned about the April 2024 publication of Chef Chrissy’s first book: “Forage & Feast” (Ten Speed Press) which takes readers on a journey through the enchanting realm of foraging, offering a tantalizing glimpse into how the natural world can inspire and elevate plant-based cooking.
Currently busy promoting her book, Chrissy took time out when I requested to interview her about her book and how it could serve as a guide and inspiration for chefs who want to add foraging to their culinary skills.
Chef Chrissy, your journey into the world of vegan cuisine and foraging is truly inspiring. Can you share with Total Food Service readers what led you to explore the art of foraging?
Thank you! I have always been an incredibly curious, nature-obsessed individual since I was a little girl.
As a child, I spent time picking wild raspberries, blueberries, and wild garlic chives in my yard— and I’d bring them home to my mom with a big grin on my face— though she’d discourage me from eating them.
At the time I didn’t have the knowledge about the natural world as I do now, but somehow I innately knew they were edible, and I was persistent.
Since I was told not to eat them, I found another use. I’d take the berries, mash them up and paint with them in my backyard. The wild garlic chives were reserved for my “mud pie factory.”
It was quite comical looking back, but with a childhood centered around nature, it was easy to dive right into foraging when the right time came.
I can vividly remember the day I committed myself to learning how to forage. I still have a photo somewhere in my phone archive of that day.
I was hiking in Watertown at a nature preserve, and for some reason this hike was different. I inhaled the fresh air, while deeply observing my surroundings and reconnecting with that love of nature that was always there.
I observed all of the little wild violets by the lake. I took my time to explore the different pathways and sat by the waters edge as golden hour approached when I noticed a bright patch of wild garlic chives.
I picked a chive, observing the bulb at the root of the plant, then, I nibbled on it. It was at that moment I said to myself “I knew it!” And I never looked back. The rest is history.
For chefs who may be new to foraging, could you share some essential tips to help them navigate this practice and incorporate wild ingredients into their cooking?
I don’t encourage chefs new to foraging to just dive right in. Foraging can be extremely dangerous and you have to take the time to learn it well before getting to the point of cooking with wild food.
For example, when you decide to pick a mushroom, you have to think about a few preliminary questions. What environment is this mushroom growing in? Is it near a waste plant? Is this area sprayed with pesticides? What tree, if any, is the mushroom growing on?
It took years before I comfortably and confidently ate my first wild mushroom. I spent much of my spare time immersed in books by people like Paul Stamets and Samuel Thayer— true experts in the field of fungi— in addition to detailed field guides.
I also believe in the power of community, so I joined local foraging forums on Facebook and I had amazing mentors that gave me the real world experiences needed for me to become an experienced forager.
Foraging has so many layers to it and my best advice is safety first. Start with items that have limited to no dangerous look-alikes. Blueberries, for example, are an excellent place to start.
“Forage & Feast” covers a wide range of seasons, each with its own unique bounty of foraged treasures. What are some of your favorite spring and summer foraged ingredients and how do they inspire your culinary creations?
Some of my favorites spring foraged ingredients include nettles, fiddleheads, ramps, morels and Japanese knotweed. In the summer, I always look forward to wild blueberries, chicken of the woods, black trumpets, and oyster mushrooms.
I am a big fan of seasonal eating, and nature is my grocery store in seasons of bounty. Wild foods tend to be more nutrient dense, so it’s exciting to be getting the added health benefits of the food I eat, in addition to experiencing unique flavors.
It has impacted my culinary creations by inspiring me to do more canning and pickling.
I definitely have become somewhat of a hoarder of preserved wild foods, because in the winter when I’m feeling low and spend less time outside, I can reach for some of the mushrooms I’ve preserved and make a delicious ramen, or reach for dandelion honey for tea. It’s really special.
Sustainability is a crucial aspect of foraging. How do you approach responsible foraging practices, and how can chefs ensure they are sourcing wild ingredients ethically?
Responsible foraging comes with understanding what wild plants are invasive in your area, and which ones are protected. For example, Japanese knotweed and garlic mustard are extremely invasive plants, often overtaking native plant species wherever they grow.
Therefore, the more you can dig up and eat, the better. On the other hand, ramps are a protected species in several areas, and you should take great care when picking them, being sure to take one leaf per plant, and when you find a smaller patch, it’s best to leave it alone.
Ramps take 7 years to grow from seed, and that’s why there is so much talk about them and they’re viewed as elusive. In order to forage responsibly, you have to understand the relationship between a plant and its environment.
Many urban chefs may feel disconnected from nature. What are some accessible foraging opportunities for them to explore in their local environments, and how can they integrate these finds into their menus?
As it turns out, many cities have differentiating foraging laws. Before you consider foraging in any area, I encourage you to look up whether or not there are foraging laws in place that restrict you from picking certain plants.
If you are able to forage in your city, consider learning how to forage from some common trees used in landscaping such as magnolias and cherry blossoms.
Both have edible blooms that are absolutely wonderful in flavor. You can infuse them into simple syrups, or you can make a magnolia cake like I do!
You can also link up with local foragers and join in on their forays by using tools such as Instagram and Facebook to find community and meet up groups.
I also highly suggest you look at your food vendors catalog— several vendors such as Baldor Foods carry wild foods that you can safely cook with at a restaurant.
You can also source foraged goods from websites like Foraged.com. This is actually the best route to take if you are cooking in a commercial setting because if you accidentally serve patrons something inedible, that is a huge responsibility to have on your hands.
It’s important to note that when preparing foraged goods, even when they are sourced from a vendor, you still have to learn how to prepare that food.
For example, fiddleheads cannot be consumed raw— they must be blanched prior to consuming.
I don’t say any of this to discourage new foragers, but more so to showcase the seriousness of it. Foraging is not just a fun activity. It requires skill, patience, and deep knowledge.
As long as you are committed to lifelong learning, and understand that having a healthy bit of doubt is imperative, foraging is for everyone!
Looking ahead, what do you see as the future of foraging in the culinary world, and how do you envision it shaping the way we approach food and sustainability?
Several chefs, often in high-end restaurants, are already utilizing foraged ingredients on their menus. One of my friends forages and sells to local restaurants in our area, and it’s really cool to see that sort of expert relationship at play.
I think as time goes on, and people get more plant curious, foraged foods will continue to grow in popularity, which is cool! My hope is that foraging causes people to have a deeper relationship to the food they eat, encouraging them to eat seasonally when they can and moreover, eat locally.
Foraging is often a low-yield activity, and you never know what you’re going to get as a result of “a day’s work,” but it makes you appreciate where your food comes from, and the hands that picked the fruit or vegetable that you enjoy regularly.
It also gives people the opportunity to access fruits and vegetables for free, which is very important to me. Everyone deserves to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, and access / pricing is a concern that often comes up.
Foraging totally changed the way I thought about food, and it also played a huge role in my mental health journey as well.
Nature is my main dopamine source, and I hope that people can feel inspired and encouraged to get outside and just breathe in the fresh air.
For more about Chef Chrissy Tracey and her first new book, “Forage & Feast,” visit Eat with chrissy’s website or on Instagram.
