JJ Johnson

I grew up in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. My mother was a teacher and my dad a bookkeeper, and they gave my sister and I a wonderful childhood. I grew up skiing, playing basketball, and fly-fishing. Looking back, though, the food I loved at home—dishes like lasagna and barbecue chicken—is not what inspired me to cook or what inspires me today. I was lucky to have two grandmothers who had me in the kitchen helping to chop vegetables and wash rice, making classic Puerto Rican and classic American Southern dishes. My uncle Donald widened my palate by introducing me to new and exotic foods like raw clams and oysters. These experiences with my grandmothers and my uncle opened up a new world of cuisine.