In the 2010s, before fashion diplomacy became an everyday tool to signal values and send messages in politics, then-First Lady Michelle Obama understood the impact of clothing. Instead of constantly modeling the latest designs from the runways of Europe, in the years following the recession, Obama promoted independent American designers like Jason Wu, Tracy Reese, and Peter Som. The latter was responsible for some of Obama’s best looks of the time: a blue watercolor coat at the groundbreaking ceremony at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, a purple ombré dress on a trip to London, a yellow floral top while on the LIVE with Regis and Kelly show. Today, while Som is still designing clothing — his most recent Collective Rent The Runway collection dropped last month — he has also become known as a food personality, who is currently working on his first cookbook (which will be released in 2024).

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This is one of those brilliant I-can’t-believe-it-was-so-quick dishes that comes together in under an hour,” says chef and Great British Menu host Andi Oliver. “The fragrant broth is packed with succulent prawns.” Aromatic shrimp curry Serves: 4 Ingredients: 450g king prawns, peeled and deveined For the green seasoning marinade: 2 jalapeños, or other chillies of your choice, finely chopped 2 tbsp chopped chives 1 tbsp green seasoning (see below) Pinch each of salt and freshly ground black pepper For the curry sauce: 1 tbsp rapeseed oil 2 onions, very thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, grated 1 red chilli, chopped 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp ground coriander 2 tsp ground turmeric 2 tbsp Caribbean curry powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tbsp tamarind chutney (see below) 1 tomato, finely chopped 1 x 400ml can of coconut milk Chopped coriander and/or fresh chilli, to serve For the green seasoning: 2 sprigs of thyme 10g fresh bay leaves 1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley 1 small bunch of coriander 4 spring onions 10 garlic cloves, peeled 1 green chilli or 1 Scotch bonnet, depending on how much heat you like 6 little Caribbean seasoning peppers (about 20g), or a mix of red, yellow, and/or green mini sweet peppers ½ white onion 400ml cold pressed rapeseed oil or any neutral oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the tamarind chutney: 4 tbsp tamarind paste 2 tbsp sugar (demerara or dark soft brown sugar work best) 2 tsp coriander seeds 2 tsp ground allspice 2 tbsp green seasoning Airtight jar or container Method: 1. To make the green seasoning, add all the ingredients to a food processor and season to taste with salt and pepper. Whizz to the consistency of a salsa verde and keep in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to two to three weeks. 2. To make the tamarind chutney, put all the ingredients into a small saucepan with 80 millilitres of water. Set over a medium–low heat and warm through, stirring now and again, until everything is melted and combined. Leave to cool, then transfer to a sealed jar or container and store in the fridge to use as needed. The chutney should keep well for three to four weeks. 2. Put the prawns in a medium bowl and add all the marinade ingredients. Mix well and rub the marinade into the prawns with your hands so that all the prawns are well coated. Refrigerate and leave to marinate for about 20 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, to make the curry sauce, get a medium, high sided frying pan over a low–medium heat and pour in the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook down for 10–15 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for a further three minutes. 4. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, and cinnamon to the pan and cook, stirring, for one minute. Add the tamarind chutney, chopped tomato, coconut milk and 350 millilitres of water. Bring to a steady simmer for five minutes. 5. Heat a griddle pan or a heavy-based frying pan until red hot, then chuck on the marinated prawns, cooking on each side for around two minutes until nicely charred all over. Transfer the prawns to the curry sauce and simmer for around four minutes to bring it all together. Finish the curry with a sprinkling of some freshly chopped coriander and/or chillies. Serve with roti or plain or coconut rice. Recipe from ‘The Pepperpot Diaries: Stories From My Caribbean Table’ by Andi Oliver (published by DK, £27; photography by Robert Billington). Read More What is coronation chicken? The story of the royal recipe and how to make it Easy coronation chicken pie recipe chosen by Mary Berry Andi Oliver on turning 60 and channeling her anger into power Andi Oliver: Earl Grey tea bags are a gamechanger for barbecue chicken Caribbean-inspired coconut and lime cheesecake Three one-pot recipes for washing up hater

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Gumbo is a Louisiana institution. Fusing together flavours from the state’s Creole and Cajun heritage, it’s traditionally a deeply-flavoured stew. After exploring southern Louisiana, this is Gordon Ramsay’s version of a traditional gumbo… Chicken andouille gumbo with rice Serves: 8 Ingredients: For the braised chicken: 4 boneless, skin-on chicken breasts 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs, thighs attached 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2½ tsp kosher salt, divided 2 tbsp grapeseed oil 4 garlic cloves, crushed 3 celery stalks, diced 2 yellow onions, diced 8 cups chicken stock 3 sprigs thyme 3 spring onions, trimmed and chopped 1 lemon, cut in half, seeds removed For the gumbo base: 227g andouille sausage, cut into 1.3cm-thick slices 108g unsalted butter 125g all-purpose flour 2 celery stalks, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 red bell pepper, finely diced 1 green bell pepper, finely diced 1 yellow onion, finely diced 1 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp cayenne pepper ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 tbsp hot sauce For the rice: 341g white rice 946ml water 2 sprigs thyme, picked 2 tsp kosher salt Method: 1. Make the braised chicken: Season the chicken with the pepper and two teaspoons of the salt. In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, sear the chicken on all sides until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan, and work in batches if necessary. 2. Remove the chicken from the pan and add the garlic, celery, and onions. Cook in the chicken fat until the vegetables begin to caramelise. Season with the remaining salt. 3. Add the chicken back to the pot and cover with the chicken stock. Add the thyme, scallions, and lemon halves and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking on a low heat until the chicken is tender and can easily be pulled apart, about one hour. 4. Remove the chicken from the stock and shred the meat from the bones. Cover the chicken and refrigerate until ready to use. Strain and reserve the chicken stock and discard the vegetables and thyme. 5. Make the gumbo base: In another large pot over a medium heat, add the andouille sausage and cook until the fat has rendered and the sausage has crisped. 6. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage from the pot and set aside on a paper towel–lined plate. 7. To the fat in the pot, add the butter. Once the butter is completely melted, add the flour and mix until a thick paste forms to make a roux. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring constantly until the roux has turned a very deep brown, about 30 to 45 minutes. 8. Add the celery, garlic, bell peppers, and onion. Continue cooking until the vegetables are softened, about five minutes. Season with the salt, cayenne, and black pepper. 9. Add the reserved chicken stock and the hot sauce and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking on low until the gumbo base has thickened, about 30 minutes. 10. Make the rice: In a medium pot over a medium heat, add the rice, water, thyme and salt and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until all the moisture has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork just before serving. 11. Add the pulled chicken and andouille sausage to the gumbo and serve with the rice. Recipe from ‘Gordon Ramsay’s Uncharted: A Culinary Adventure With 60 Recipes From Around The Globe’ (National Geographic, £25). Read More Three meat-free dishes to try this National Vegetarian Week How to make TikTok’s viral whole roasted cauliflower Gordon Ramsay: ‘I’m going off the beaten track to become a better cook’ Gordon Ramsay’s coffee-spiced pork shoulder recipe What is coronation chicken? The story of the royal recipe and how to make it Healthy lemony smoked salmon pasta that takes zero effort