We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jorjette Morgan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jorjette below.
Jorjette, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had started sooner?
In all honesty – in my early adulthood life, I did not know what it was that I actually wanted to pursue. I had changed my major so many times to the point that I received a degree but did not really pursue a “career” showing off that degree. I lost the spark. When I was about 20-21 years old, it was at that moment when I had to learn to fend and take care of myself. If I wasn’t going to eat, who was going to feed me. You – know. Yes I had my parents, but I was not living with them at the time. My cousin and I were roommates. She did her own thing and I did my own thing. I started teaching myself how to cook.
That is when I discovered a platform called Pinterest. I instantly fell in love with all the pins that I was seeing. I looked and saved so many recipes. I was even excited to go to the grocery store. I remember my first dish like it was yesterday. The first pin that I saved on Pinterest was Honey Lime Tilapia. I didn’t have many pots and pans nor did I have many seasonings but I made it do what it do. As my sides, I made a loaded baked potato and threw a Stouffer’s mac and cheese in the microwave. LOL. Simple enough right!? — Boom – There was my first meal. From that day moving forward- I have perfected my craft in many many ways. I took the chance and started taking pictures and posting what I created on social media. From there it turned into a personal portfolio of growth. Just seeing the visuals of how my plates have started as “Oh that looks good” to “Oh wow that looks and smells amazing. How much for a plate?” LOL. That motivated me. I started selling plates and doing food prepping. Shortly after about a year, I stopped. I stopped because I messed up my right hand. During the time I was still making plates but my hand would give out on me randomly and I would drop everything because of that reflex.
I lost that spark of cooking. I was fed up. I couldn’t cook anything without burning myself or dropping the food on the floor having to start all over again. I spiraled and hit rock bottom. It was later on while personally healing, I went back on Pinterest and started exploring again. Reading recipes but creating my own drift replica and a new name per my measurements and ingredients which were always far different from what I read. I wanted to be unique. I come from a Caribbean background so of course my choice of seasonings will be out of this world. LOL . I started posting again – mostly on Snapchat then there after Facebook and Instagram. I received a lot of feed back and new followers. I believe teaching myself how to cook around the time that I did was beneficial of being an adult; perfecting and learning from my mistakes. My mother always taught me how to cook things here and there but I never took a liking to it. Now in the last years of my 20’s, cooking is my escape after a long day at work. Especially If I am anxious to cook what I have visualized in my mind all day.
I get lost while creating and tasting. Plating the food is MY art. Visuals are everything. Those that taste and their reaction – is the icing on the cake. If I knew what I truly wanted to do in college, I most definitely would have gotten a degree in Culinary Arts. But a degree doesn’t define me as a chef. I coined myself Chinx Le Chef. Soon after, the name Chinx Kitchen was born. The kitchen is my world – my universe – my escape.
To this day. So many request that I have gotten for my recipes or a plate have pushed me to launch something dear to me in March 2023. – Stay Tuned :)
Jorjette, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was born in Baltimore, MD. Both of my parents are Caribbean and have always worked so hard to take care of my siblings and I. Around 2004, we packed up and moved to Atlanta for a better life. In middle school and high school, I did find my self always enrolling in the culinary and science programs. I remember how we used to make lollipops and cookies and then break them down to identify the “particles” in the ingredients. Food was always intriguing to me but never took it seriously for a passion of mine. Growing up, my parents expected so much from me especially with being the oldest. I didn’t want to disappoint them. I did receive a degree but never wanted a job in what I obtained my degree in.
Cooking has been a personal escape for me once I got more into it as a hobby. I enjoy perfecting my craft. Cooking did not become my passion until I started to really take care of myself as an adult when I lived on my own. I cook everyday believe it or not. I am not much of a leftovers type of person. Nope. I can not stand leftovers. It never has the same authentic taste as day one. Having my followers see my growth into my own portfolio means a lot to me. Everyone loves food. I love when I get messages from my followers asking how can they perfect something that they are cooking or they may ask for a recipe and I can put one together for them. That right there I am proud of because I am being seen for my craft.
In my mind, sometimes I think people see my posts and be like, “Oh that’s nothing. I can make that too” Well, you are very right. You can make a replica of it. I say that because my ingredients- without you actually knowing what was used- will not be the same. You can look at a picture and say yeah that’s cheese. That’s rice. That’s steak. Ok – BUT what kind of rice? What is in the cheese? Was the chicken baked or fried? That is when the drift of your own replica comes in. Visually taking in the ingredients and creating your own recipe before knowing the straight facts and the process.
That is what my brand of Chinx Kitchen is; Creating the drift of your own replica.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My goal in my creative journey is to perfect my craft and share with my followers what I created. Within my portfolio, looking at all my vision videos drives me to keep going. The likes and feed back i receive drives me to keep going – Perfecting my craft daily allows me to make something that I had made before, even better with another ingredient. One day, Chinx Kitchen will be well known. I want to be one of those influencers on social media that has so many followers just to look at my food LOL.
CHINX KITCHEN IN LIGHTS> :)
Honestly – I motivate myself from my thoughts. I often sit back and retrospect on the day I started cooking to the present. I make myself hungry from my pictures and videos. I create more food visual videos to allow my followers to see all the details in each dish I create. I get anxious to clock out and get to cooking. Cooking is my happy place. At the end of the day- it is not about money. It’s about happiness. Me being happy in the kitchen is my happy place. People knowing who Chinx Kitchen is – Makes me happy.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
I feel like society can honestly take the time to give hidden gems a personal spotlight. The media tends to uplift those that have over 4K followers. 1.2 M followers. What about everyone else? A lot of people that get praised do pretty ridiculous things for a check but there are actually creative individuals who deserve to shine just as much. Society will always be what society wants to be. We as creatives have to stand up and support each other to the best of our abilities. Have showcases that are free or not overly priced. Allow the public to view the craft of others and take it in. Allow the showcase to be free and let the public purchase the products of those that they are viewing to at least allow them to make their own profit. Most showcases that pay at the door, those that are revealing their work and products don’t get a percentage. It’s hard times that we are living in. Each one – teach one. Society in my opinion can do better.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @chinxkitchen
- Facebook: Chinx Lee Morgan // www.facebook.com/kookiie.amoiiy
Image Credits
Photo creds: // Me :)