What is your ideal office?
JG—The ideal office for us is a mixed media space that I like to think of as the Idea Kitchen. A state-of-the-art labyrinth for experimentation and education across disciplines, a fitness center to keep the vest up, and media studios for content creation. Definitely going to have our extended family of collaborators chime in on the art and design elements.
What is your favorite spot to eat in the Bronx?
LW—My mom’s crib. Section 5 Co-op City. As a kid I’d leave all my troubles outside because her kitchen was my sanctuary. Smells, talks, tastes and love. Feroza’s Roti shop on Burke Ave. is up there as well. JP’s in City Island got the brolic plates for 2, but be prepared to trickle them nickels!
Do you remember your earliest incredible meal?
ML—My earliest incredible meal would have to be home cooking by my mom. One year around Labor Day she made grilled snapper with coconut rice and peas, and carrot and cabbage spicy slaw. It was amazing and became a staple at just about any gathering!
What would the Ghetto Gastro cooking show look like?
JG—GG’s show might not even be about cooking in the literal sense. I see it set in the BX for sure and the homie Avenue Beatz would def be scoring the theme song. After hearing 4:44 we might have to get Hov on the track, build that BX-BK bridge.
Who from throughout history would you most like to break bread with?
JG—At this moment in time I’d love a family meal with Angela Davis, Dream Hampton, Elon Musk, Ava Duvernay and Donald Glover.
ML—Throughout history the person I would like to break bread most with would be Leonardo da Vinci. Leo was an exceptional genius—a mathematician, an architect, painter, engineer, inventor and much more. It has also been said that he knew and kept many secrets, some of which inspired the film The Da Vinci Code.
PS—If I had to choose one person to break bread with from history at this point in my life it would still be Obama. He isn’t dead but what he accomplished was a major part of my history and I will tell all my children about it, whenever it is that I have them. I never got to meet him while he was in office but I would still love to sit down with him, he seems cooler than the other side of the pillow.
LW—I would love to break bread with Iceberg Slim. The author, the motivational manager and self-made millionaire. Did he choose the name Iceberg because he enjoyed the crispness of iceberg lettuce? The way Iceberg single-handedly changed the dark underworld tribulations to light-shedding works of art always amazed me when reading his literature. Similar to the way I turn a sofrito- rubbed leg of lamb into a meal for twenty because green for the money and gold for the honey.
What would you do if you lost your sense of taste?
LW—If I lose my sense of taste I will be devastated but my other senses such as smelling, seeing and hearing will intensify so I will be able to smell the food better see it more clearly and scream “Start over!” if it doesn’t smell satisfactory!
Fork, spoon or knife?
PS—Knife. For me the fact is that I can collect a check anywhere in the world with my knife. Also with a solid knife you can do so much from break down animals to slice tomatoes, open a box, cut some rope and make a weapon. You never know what is gonna go down at any point in time, but with a sharp blade you can survive.
Any hidden talents?
ML—B-boy, DJ, hype man in the GG savage sound system.
