For Black History Month, Platform by JBF is honoring influential Black culinarians across the diaspora. Closing out the end of the month, the pop-up event space is hosting a dinner celebrating legends that have helped shape the culinary scene.
Chef and cookbook author Ashleigh Shanti has been exploring African foods in the Appalachian region, notably at Asheville's Benne on Eagle. A 2020 James Beard Award nominee for Rising Star Chef of the Year and a 2025 semifinalist for Best Chef: South, chef Shanti released a cookbook in 2024, Our South Black Food Through My Lens. Inspired by the learnings of her studies, for the dinner, chef Shanti will trace the culinary journey of a fellow trailblazer, Malinda Russell. A Black Appalachian woman, Russell was the first known African American cookbook author. Shanti will recreate Russell's dishes from her 1866 cookbook, A Domestic Cookbook, and sommelier Cha McCoy will be providing wine pairings for the evening. Shanti’s cookbook will also be available for purchase. Tickets are $175 in the dining room; $190 at the chef's counter in the interior; and $155 at the external chef's counter.