FUTURE OF DIVERSITY – GUEST CHEF PROGRAM
Chef Mahogany Williams
The Pickled Chef
The Pickled Chef is your gateway to all things soulful and satisfying, and Chef Mahogany's method is simple: reimagine comfort food favorites using modern global flavors. She uses fresh, whole ingredients, and incorporates inspiration from her extensive travels abroad, her home in the Pacific Northwest, and the soul food classics that her mother and grandmother cooked during her childhood.
Interview with Chef Mahogany
Born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, Chef Mahogany Williams is a true Pacific Northwest native. She graduated from the Seattle Academy of Culinary Arts in 2017 with a specialty in savory foods, and later went on to work closely with James Beard Award winner Tamara Murphy at her principal Capitol Hill establishment, Terra Plata. The three years she spent in Murphy’s kitchen allowed Mahogany to hone her skills as a modern chef, and ignited her passion for upscale farm-to-table northwest cuisine.
In 2017, Mahogany lived and worked in New Orleans, immersing herself in a variety of creole and international cooking practices. Notably, she held stints in icons such as Gabrielle, Bywater American Bistro and Saba. Further exploring her own culinary voice, Mahogany recently returned from an extended cultural research excursion in Europe. There, she spent months traversing Spain’s Basque Country, the Tuscany region of Italy, and the French Riviera, learning time-honored preparation methods from local artisans. The vibrant people, traditions and ingredients she encountered left a lasting impression on both her approach to cooking and her overall outlook on life.
Today, Chef Mahogany aims to blend the flavors of her travels with the homestyle cooking she grew up eating. Inspired by the soul food classics her mother and grandmother served, her philosophy centers on offering fresh, hand-crafted meals that honor her cultural roots and reflect the fluid landscape of the New American identity.
