” Food is my life. Life is my food” – Darius Cooks

FullSizeRender (1)Originally from Chicago, now based in New York, Darius Williams better known as ‘DariusCooks’ has been captivating the hearts of many households with his innovative interpretations of traditional dishes for many years. From a YouTube Series, to features on Food Network, Darius continues to teach viewers how to make intricate dishes with just a few ingredients. His love for food, and sociable personality makes it easy for viewers to relate with him.

            I had the pleasure of attending the first ” Dining with Darius” private dining sessions in New York City on March 7, 2015. There were 20 people, 7 courses, an ongoing playlist, and Sweet Tea Sangria to help keep the evening flowing. Such a pleasant atmosphere, and great food cooked by Darius himself all throughout the night ( Below I have future dates for the “Dining w/Darius Tour”). I had the opportunity to speak with Darius himself so enjoy our interview below !

Also Check out some short clips on Youtube of DariusCooks:

https://www.youtube.com/user/everydaycookin

Interview w/ DariusCooks:

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Q: Where were you born? And spend most of your childhood?

A: I was born in Chicago – West Side. I spent much of my life there. I’ve lived in NYC for the past 3 years.

Q:How did Darius Williams turn into Darius Cooks?
A: I actually don’t really remember how it started to morph. I was food blogging under a different URL. It didn’t make sense to me. I said to myself that if I wanted things to grow, I needed to hone in and streamline some things. DariusCooks sounded perfect. So, I purchased the URL, got serious about food blogging and the rest is what you see now.

Q: You have a cookbook coming out soon called “Stories from my grandmother’s kitchen”. I see she was a big influence in your life, in and out the kitchen. What is something about her legacy that you want to continue to live out?
A:Yes, my Granny. I love her! The biggest thing that she left with me is that you don’t have to have a lot to make a big impression. That’s true. It’s the epicenter of DariusCooks. Most recipes have 4 or 5 steps and minimal ingredients. That, of course, carries itself into other parts of life, too. You can always use what you’ve got, to do what you need to do.

Q: Even though you were inspired by your grandmother, did you receive any special culinary training?

A: No – no special culinary training at all.

Q: What are your favorite Dishes to make? Desserts?
A:That’s an impossible question. It’s like saying, “who’s your favorite kid?” I like so many types of foods and cuisines. I’m a texture and flavor junkie, though. So, whatever I’m eating has to have the right balance of sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy, savory and spicy, etc.

Q:Would you like to have a cooking show on any network, or ever return back to Food Network for anything? Your Youtube classes are very helpful.. why not expand it on tv?

A: I would love to. In fact, part of my plan is to really focus on producing great YouTube videos. I’m waiting on that email from some great producer who sees the talent I have. I’m also going to work on a campaign soon so that the folks that follow me can rally their support behind me in trying to get on TV. But, in all things it’s about timing.

Q: How many days out the week do you normally cook? What do you do with all the leftovers?

A:It all depends. I RARELY cook for myself just to cook. I normally am cooking for videos or the cookbook or photos or something like that. It’s actually an optical illusion. You think it’s a lot of food. It’s not. Sometimes, it’s not more that 2 servings. The idea is to get a great money shot – then people think you spent all day cooking something, when really you let the magic of photo composition do all the work for you.

Q: You being a Chef, are you subconsciously critical of other people’s cooking?
A: Not at all. As long as it’s good food made with love, sign me up!

Q: What inspired the ” Dining w/ Darius Tour”? Will you ever have dinner with over 20 seats?
A: Funny. So, I was talking to a friend and I’m like, “why the hell am I doing this again?” It’s not hugely profitable and I can only get to about 20 people at a time. So, what is the purpose, again? I haven’t figured it out yet. I guess it connects me with followers and fans. But, it’s a whole hell of a lot of work, so I’m still trying to figure out why I’m doing it. And, nah – I don’t think there’ll ever be more than 20 seats. It’s about quality, not quantity.

Q: Would you ever move out of New York to expand your brand if you had approaches of different opportunities? Example ( Chef to a restaurant)
A: I’m working on that. Right now, I’m still working a full time job. Amongst all of the plans I’m working on, I’m working on an exit strategy from Corporate America.

Q:I know you love collecting socks, do you wear all the socks that you buy? Or you just love the pattern?
A: Ha ha. I see someone’s been watching me on Instagram. I actually love fashion, period. I wear a suit and tie to work every day. A creative guy must know how to take a classic gray suit from blah to amazing. And yes, I wear all of the socks I buy.

Q: What advice would you give someone trying to enter the cooking field?

A: Follow your heart. Remember why you’re passionate. Lastly, figure out what makes you stand apart from the crowd and do that.

Q: What is something about you that your viewers should know?

A: I think they know everything – lol. I share a lot on social media. What you see is really what you get. That’s why people feel so comfortable talking to me. People who follow me can walk up to me and we can start chatting. They can recall something I’ve posted and I’ll go on and on with more details. It’s because it’s real life. I share real stuff.

Pictured Below are some of the delicious dishes that Darius has cooked himself:

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Dining with DariusCooks Tickets usually go on sale a month in advance which are $125. To find out when tickets are going on sale, follow him on Twitter or Instagram (@DariusCooks). Additionally, be sure to subscribe to the mailing list on the homepage of DariusCooks.com. That’s where he break the news first regarding ticket sales! He will also be adding dates so stay tuned! Trust me this is something that you should attend, especially if he is in your city. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in New York, especially going to this event. So make sure to catch him while you can!

-Madam KoverageThanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed reading about DariusCooks!

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