Food
June 6, 2022
Chef Adrian Forte Shares Summer-inspired Recipes From His New Cookbook
Adrian Forte burst onto the Canadian culinary scene when he opened his fried chicken and waffle restaurant Dirty Bird in 2015. The restaurant gave him a following all over the country, which continued to grow when he competed in season 8 of Top Chef Canada in 2020. His latest venture is his first cookbook Yawd, which is packed with summery recipes that he dubs “Modern Afro-Caribbean food.”
We recently sat down with the chef and restauranteur to learn about the inspiration for his book, his favorite recipes and what he’s up to next.
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House & Home: Why did you call your book Yawd?
Adrian Forte: I started writing this book when I was in Jamaica in December 2019, and had just finished filming Top Chef Canada. I felt like I had found my culinary identity on that trip, and called it Yawd because it’s a Jamaican term for home. Most of the recipes were created in my home and that’s why we use the phrase “from our Yawd to yours.”
H&H: You describe the cuisine in the cookbook as being Modern-Afro Caribbean. What does that mean?
AF: It’s a more progressive way to use Caribbean and African ingredients, while finessing them with Euro-centric cooking techniques that appeal to the masses. For example, one of my favorite recipes in the book is the Oxtail and Cassava Gnocchi (page 201) because it utilizes the ingredients in a more creative way than traditionally used in our community. The goal of the book is to get people to eat more multi-ethnic foods in new and innovative ways.
H&H: Were any of the recipes in the book inspired by your recent move to Turks & Caicos?
AF: The idea for the Grilled Shrimp & Mango Salad came to me when one of my clients wanted a salad without leafy greens. I had to work with what I had in the fridge that day, and as I was tasting the shrimp I decided to incorporate Southeast Asian flavors with Caribbean flavors by adding in the mangos. It was a big hit with the guests, so I posted it on my Instagram and when it blew up online, I knew I had to add it to the book.
Get the full recipe here.
H&H: Do you think you’ll come back to Canada?
AF: I’m thinking of doing a Yawd pop-up again. It won’t be permanent, but I want to keep up my presence in Canada because it’s still my home.
H&H: How complicated are the recipes in this book?
AF: I tend to approach cooking from a scientific and artistic perspective, so I think this cookbook is for experienced cooks and people in the industry. I personally like to learn from chefs who are very skilled in their own mediums. I learned how to make sushi from a Japanese chef who had been doing it for 36 years.
H&H: Did you collaborate with anyone on your cookbook?
AF: One of people I’m mentoring is a Canadian who worked at a Japanese Peruvian restaurant as a sous-chef. He made me these Anticuchos skewers that really stood out to me, so I told him I wanted to put a Jamaican spin on them. We developed the Jerk-Marinated Pork Anticuchos recipe together, which was really special because I taught him about jerk and Caribbean food, and he taught me about Peruvian food.
Get the recipe here!
H&H: Were any of the recipes influenced by your childhood in Jamaica?
AF: Rum and Raisin Ice Cream is a big thing in Jamaica. There’s a popular ice cream shop in Jamaica called Devon House that offers the most interesting flavors, like Grape Nut and Guinness Stout. After having Rum and Raisin ice cream at a place in Turks, it reminded me of all of the memories of going to Devon House with my family. It was very nostalgic and I wanted to do my own version.
Get the full recipe here.
H&H: Why did you decide to leave Toronto for Turks & Caicos?
AF: After I left Top Chef, I began working on this book and did some soul searching. I realized I was ready for a change, and decided to join a friend of mine who goes to Turks and Caicos every winter as a private chef. It’s lucrative, stress free, and I get to meet great clients like the late fashion designer Virgil Abloh, who wrote a blurb in my book before he passed away.
H&H: What’s next for you?
AF: I just opened up a restaurant in Turks and Caicos called Aziza. It’s a Mediterranean concept with a Tulum vibe. Some of the dishes include Greek-style calamari and salmon, shish kebab and Turkish rice and lamb lollipops with Za’atar.