Geechee

His deep connection to Southern and Gullah Geechee cuisine naturally led him to “The Contemporary African Kitchen,” a project that explores the shared culinary heritage of the African diaspora.

As he puts it, “There are recipes that come home to me because of my own Gullah Geechee experience”—specifically chicken pilau, chicken perloo and jambalaya.

He connects that influence to a dish from his own childhood, Chicken Bob— a comforting Gullah Geechee dish his mother often made.

Smalls, who is gregarious and deeply knowledgeable about global foodways, approaches his craft with a reverence for both African and Gullah Geechee cuisine.

"And I say that simply to emphasize the strength and power of the Gullah Geechee table, which relates directly to the West African culinary expression."