Marie Mitchell: ‘We lose a sense of self without legacy’

To celebrate Black History Month, we spoke to the wonderful Marie Mitchell – co-founder of the sell-out Island Social Club (which is now closed), and author of the debut cookbook Kin. As the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, Marie’s cooking is motivated by a powerful desire to understand and honour recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation.

As Marie says, ‘Kin is a love letter to my Caribbean identity, a journey through the region’s food that lets me immortalise my love for my family, including all those who walked before me.’

We talked to Marie about her book, her favourite Caribbean ingredients and chefs, and how the loss of her dear brother and mother galvanised her to write it.

Why did you call your book Kin?

The working title for Kin was ‘Home’, but it didn’t quite encapsulate what I was trying to say. I wanted there to be a greater sense of understanding that we are all kin, particularly in the Caribbean. We're this unit of togetherness that’s made up of individual aspects, nuances and differences. Now that the book is out, I think about [Kin] in another way: how we can think of ourselves in wider networks of kinship, built outside of blood relatives. That’s the essence of the book – what family means to you and how you branch out.

In the introduction, you say that you’re ‘[...] obsessed with legacy and the traces of life we inherit’ – how important are legacies in food cultures?

On a personal level, it's deep. There's a real purity in legacy that I’m very much drawn to. My daughter’s ancestors are my brother and my mother, but for me they were very much in the present [Marie lost her mother in 2021, and her brother in 2010], which is why the book became a legacy project. In a wider way, I think we lose a sense of self without legacy. Another way of thinking about legacy is tradition, which you can look at as something that can limit you, or as a beautiful energy that ties you back to something. Depending on how you engage in legacy, it can create a real sense of foundation, which is probably why I'm quite obsessed by it; I see legacy as stabilising – a springboard you can evolve from.

Do you think food helped you to navigate grief?

I think food is a real marker of memory – it can instantly take you to a time or a place. I was able to channel those memories in the ways I wanted [my brother and mother] to be present. I wanted to bring in those anecdotes and stories where food was at the centre, which helped to navigate the grief.

The first chapter of Kin puts spice mixes, marinades and pickles front and centre. Why did you want to do this?

I very much thought about the way in which I cook. For me, they are logical building blocks, so it would have been bizarre for them to sit at the end of the book. I remember when someone read my proposal and asked ‘what's all-purpose seasoning’? I was really confused by that, because Caribbean cooks use it in everything (or a lot of things) and someone didn't know about it. I wanted the reader to go on a journey and understand that even though some of these things finish a dish, they make the dish. Not only that, I wanted to show how these processes exist, how important they are, and how and why that layering of flavour comes in.

Kin is peppered with historical and cultural essays on the Caribbean – how important is it to you that people understand this context?

It’s very important to me. I know there'll be people who won't read the essays at all, but context is woven into the book – even the short chapter introductions give context. As with anything, we can be as educated as we want to be, and the recipes can absolutely exist without the reader ever engaging in the extra detail.

Do you think the context makes your recipes richer?

It's so key. If you want to invest in Caribbean cuisine and understand it more, I've given you a starting point. So if you're interested, it's definitely there – and it adds a whole extra layer of deliciousness! Not only that, it's about having an understanding and a respect for the culture and the food. That's the reason why context is so important, because once you have that framework, then of course, you can experiment and make things your own.

What kind of cook is Kin for?

I wanted it to be a beautiful coffee table book that was still really useful. I don't cook complex recipes and want everything to be accessible, but it’s not as if I've done something magical to break it down – I don't think anything is necessarily very complex in the first place. Someone of Caribbean heritage messaged me the other day and was like, ‘I was really nervous with the Ackee & Saltfish Tarts, I thought they were going to be difficult, but it was actually really straightforward.’ For me, this is the best thing ever, because that's what I want. I want the book to be a framework for people who are from the culture, and aren't from the culture, but for whatever reason just haven't had much engagement with it – but now they can.

How important is it to you to honour tradition when you’re developing recipes?

A lot of the recipes in Kin are dishes that I've been exposed to growing up and have eaten plenty of. In my next book, there will be recipes that I haven’t had as much engagement with, so there’s definitely an element of being respectful. But I also think if we don't allow ourselves a little bit of freedom, we're never going to make anything our own.

Do you have a favourite recipe from the book? Or a recipe you think readers will come back to again and again?

Reef Chicken stands out because it’s really simple but very, very delicious. I always go back to the Creamy Tomato Curry and Chicken Colombo. And you can't go wrong with My Saltfish Fritters. I’d like people to make the Stout Punch Ice Cream. And custard apple season is coming in, so if you can get hold of them, it’s well worth making the Custard Apple Sorbet. It’s quite labour intensive as you need to remove the flesh from the seeds, but it’s so worth it – it’s so creamy. Oh my god, I need that now!

Do you have any must-have Caribbean store-cupboard staples?

The two basics are a delicious curry powder and an all-purpose seasoning. I've got two curry powders in the book – a Jamaican one and a Colombo one – but generally, a good curry powder is the way to go, because you can use that in various dishes, the same way you can use an all-purpose seasoning.

What are some of your favourite Caribbean ingredients?

Plantain, all different variations – from green, all the way through to black. Fresh herbs – thyme (which I love), coriander, parsley and shado beni (chadon beni), which is like a more powerful version of coriander. Scotch bonnets, habaneros, saltfish and a pepper sauce, for sure. Oh, and coconut milk of course.

Who are some of your favourite Caribbean chefs? Do you have any favourite Caribbean cookbooks at the moment?

Denai Moore – Plentiful

I love Denai for her vegan Caribbean cooking – she's a really fun cook. I love the way she approaches food – she's very curious, and the way in which she plays around really comes through in her work.

Melissa Thompson – Motherland

If you want to really understand more of Jamaican culture, Melissa’s cookbook Motherland has great essays that give you a fantastic understanding as to what happened there, and how the food culture evolved. She’s also an outrageously talented live-fire cook.

Riaz Phillips – East Winds and West Winds

I think of Riaz as an archivist. His book West Winds is about the history and culture of Jamaica. His more recent book, East Winds, is looking more at Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and Suriname; and lesser-celebrated Caribbean cuisine, history and culture. He’s an incredible writer and is absolutely safeguarding elements of the culture that are at risk of being lost.

Craig and Shaun McAnuff – Original Flava

The Original Flava brothers brought Caribbean food into more of the wider lexicon for our generation, and they had a lot of fun with it. They paved the way for people like me to come in and start chatting about Caribbean food in other ways, too. They’re so great and their recipes are really accessible. 

We can’t wait for your next book. Can you give us any clues on what it might be?

It’s the evolution of Kin. The first book was always going to be the foundation, and then this is more like the big brother. I'm looking in more detail at the influences on Caribbean cuisine but also sustainability, because it's something I'm really interested in. I’m looking at food cultures that work the land and eat off the land, while also thinking about ingredients and the ways we can utilise them to their maximum.