Today we’d like to introduce you to Chef LaToya Larkin.
Chef LaToya, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m Chefdivah, that’s Divah with an H because I’m a hustler and stand outside of the other Chef Diva’s. Growing up, my maternal grandmother had a significant influence in my life. I spent most weekends, summer and holiday break vacations with my grandmother. She taught me how to cook/bake and let me experiment in the kitchen without reservation, plus taught me how to make tamales. Where I grew up, there were no local liquor stores other than miles away on the lake. So my grandmother ran a low key trap house and was the beer and alcohol plug. It was like a bar with the atmosphere of the old show Cheers vibe, but at your auntie house with all the crazy relatives over at any point. Everybody knew everybody; my uncles always had friends over in the backyard after work so it was easy to cover-up nothing more family visiting family. Yet we made real live money every day from morning until late at night. Especially late at night when they couldn’t get to the liquor store in time. So it’s a given the hustle and drive was instilled at a young age.
My grandmother was big on the education of her children and grandchildren because she didn’t have an education due to her having to drop out and take care of her brothers and sisters since she was the oldest. So any regards to us going to school she was always there for us all from co-signing loans, credit cards, or hustling up money for our books.
Overall, I’m a DOPE Female Chef that’s in my season working hard to manifest and make all my dreams a reality. While raising my son and leading by a positive example of what it looks like accomplishing goals. I want him along with other youth, single mothers, and anyone who’s ever struggled to see me do extraordinary things and let them know that all things are possible with faith, prayer, consistency, and hustle with drive.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Most definitely not, being a single mother that solely provides for my son over the years, things haven’t been the easiest. Along with being a female black chef without a doubt, it took me years to become established and into my own. When I first started in the culinary industry was a very Caucasian male-dominated industry. So I’ve always had to work 15 times harder to show and prove that I’m not just the typical angry black woman with a bad attitude. There were so many times I’ve gotten passed up for positions that I was more than qualified for, but because I wasn’t the right color or had a penis. I was always overlooked and heard the words for years in the beginning of my career. We appreciate your time, but we’ve found a more experienced qualified candidate. Knowing what that really meant overtime, but I didn’t let it discourage and stop me from my destined greatness.
Please tell us about Black Girl Tamales.
I’m in the midst of building an empire and brand like no other. I specialize in four areas of creative flare: creative fusion tamales, creative date night (in-home meal service), catchy clothing line, and working with at-risk youth. I’m most proud of the vision I have for myself ad every goal that I have set for myself I have accomplished. What sets me apart from others is simple my hustle and drive. I have the best of both worlds to have much street around the way sense and professional business sense. Which puts me in a league of my own and handle myself in any and all situations. That’s why I can relate to the at-risk youth I teach and exemplify someone that’s one been in the streets can turn themselves around with a goal and drive.
Black Girl Tamales-creative fusion tamales “South of the Border meets Southern Comfort Soul Food” home of the signature Collard Green with Smoked Turkey, Oxtail, Smothered Chicken, Smothered Pork Chop, Chicken Fajita, Blood Orange Pork Carnitas, Shrimp Etouffee, Crawfish Etouffee, Red Beans and Rice, Nacho, Vegetarian. There are many doing tamales, but there’s NOBODY doing what I’m doing with this creative fusion twist on tamales. (www.blackgirltamales.com)
Not Enough Thyme Personal Chef Services-provider of in-home meal preparation service and meal preps for clients on the go or want to step up their date game where I create intimate date nights. (www.notenoughthymepcs.com)
Divah Chef Apparel-T-shirt and Apron clothing line of catchy phrases for the kitchen hustler male or female one of my favorite phrases “While you were debating if my food taste as good as it looked, I SOLD it” or “Slow Feet Don’t Eat” both meaning that I do not hold food unless I choose to and will convince no one who’s in a debate about my skills in the kitchen because my clients already know what it’s hitting for. (www.divahchefapparel.com)
It’s Thyme 4a Change Nonprofit-this is organization is dear to me because this extends what I do right now being a Culinary Program Coordinator and Instructor for a local Houston area school district. We work with at-risk youth to plant the seed of positivity of culinary. As we know, we lose many of our youth on the streets and they get caught up in the system. We’re here to exemplify that you can do positive things with food and make a great honest living because regardless of anything in life, people love good food. (www.itsthyme4achange.org)
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Had more mentors earlier in life, learned to be more vocal earlier on, networked more, not fear rejection, and stepped out on faith instead of being scared because “Scary Money Don’t Make No Money” (another slogan from the clothing line). By nature, I’m a quiet person, however, I know how to talk to get what I want. As I got older and built my confidence to come into my own.
Pricing:
- Soul Food Tamales: Collard Greens, Oxtail, Smothered Pork Chop, Smothered Chicken 1/2 dz $8 full dz $15
- Traditional: Chicken Fajita, Blood Orange Pork Carnitas, Cheesy Nacho 1/2 dz $8 full dz $15
- Cajun Creole: Shrimp Etouffee and Crawfish Etouffee 1/2 dz $12 full dz $24
- Vegetarian: Collard Green, Red Beans and Rice, Beefless Taco, and Cheesy Nacho 1/2 dz $8 full dz $15
- Meal Prep service start at $85
- In-Home Dinner Service start at $175
Contact Info:
- Address: 1960/45
Houston, TX 77090 - Website: www.blackgirltamales.com
- Phone: 281-845-9248(9BGT)
- Email: blackgirltamales@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Bokashi
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
