New flame inspires mouthwatering ‘Grubb’ from Chef Desiree
Published:Thursday | July 25, 2024 | 12:05 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
It was the match-up to rival all connections. Desiree Grubb found herself unhappy with her career choice when the unimaginable happened – the Rasta pasta that she had made for her son went viral. And it wasn’t long before this seasoned nurse was trading in her scrubs for an apron.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, this self-taught chef, who is of Jamaican descent, provides homestyle flavour with a palatable island twist, specialising in Jamaican dishes, desserts and drinks. “The favourite dishes we have on the menu so far are the oxtail Rasta pasta and sweet chilli salmon. Customers really love the oxtail. The jerk lamb chops are one of our bestsellers. And for dessert, persons like the rum cream cake and the cheesecake banana pudding. They are also a fan of the Jamaican rum punch; I use J. Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum in that. And the sorrel is a hit as well,” the owner of Late Night Eats told Food.
Born in the heart of Brooklyn and raised in the Bronx, Grubb recalled her Jamaican parents freshly preparing dishes like curried chicken, fried dumpling, curried goat and oxtail, escovitch fish, rice and peas and steamed vegetables, just to name a few.
As she became an adult and entered a 12-year relationship with a Jamaican man, the cooking novice was able to hone and master her culinary skills, creating this truly tasteful harmony between local and international flavours.
“When he met me, I was mostly cooking American dishes. Then he said to me, ‘That’s not dinner’ and began showing me what to do. He showed me everything. And he would always criticise it. It was always something. The relationship ended, but it turned out in my favour, as it was the training camp for my business,” she said.
Initially, she juggled the two professions, practising nursing during the days and providing hot and tasty dishes at nights for colleges in and around her area. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any more hectic, she began a series of changing jobs. “One morning, I was going off to do a private-duty case. And when I touched the doorknob, I heard the holy spirit say, ‘Today is your last day’.”
She looked around in shock, but went about her 12-hour shift as usual, thinking it was all in her head. The following day, the agency called her to say that the family shared that they can no longer afford private-duty nursing and, therefore, will not be needing her services. “Just like that, I lost my job. And I had just bought my house a month prior to. I started crying, questioning everything.”
After she got on her knees and prayed, Grubb heard God say, ‘Be obedient.’ She knew instantly that it was the food business that she was putting to the side to focus on healthcare.
Her family was never big on entrepreneurship, so she never saw herself driving down that avenue. But she trusted the process and six years later, her mobile catering business has been a success.
With over 11,000 followers on Instagram, the food entrepreneur has done a number of private events in Atlanta, Utah, Texas, New York and Colorado, receiving raving reviews from celebrities like American rapper Da Brat for the scrumptious shrimp and decadent cheesecake banana pudding. And the caterer was also grateful for the opportunity to bake an image birthday cake infused with Hennessy as well as ‘Henny’-infused strawberries for dancehall artiste Aidonia.
With California next on her culinary radar, her aim is to stand out in flavour and grow her travelling chef business, “A lot of people know and love Jamaican dishes. So when they experience dishes like the jerk lamb chops, they’re pleasantly surprised because they’ve never heard of it before. I’m trying to bring something different to the table, to honour where my parents come from; they worked very hard just to give me a quality way of life here; and to give respect to where I grew up.”
Also, as a single mother, Grubb enjoys the flexible schedule of travelling for work; a luxury she wouldn’t necessarily be able to do if she had a physical restaurant.
She encourages those with a culinary dream to pray, seek clarity and advice from others in the industry who can assist you on their journey. “Once God sees you doing the legwork, he will open doors for you.”