I respect what all the chefs do and I think we all are bringing something unique, original and beautiful to the menu. Sophia Roe-someone who I have adored for so long over Instagram-I’m excited to finally meet her. He has chosen so many great chefs to be part of it. LL: Marcus Samuelsson, one of my mentors and a dear friend has invited me to be part of this. RA: Of the other chefs at the Met Gala, whose dishes are you most excited to try? It's really not something that I had to work hard to do. Fruit like okra and tomatoes, rice.these kinds of heirlooms, vegetables and aromatics are commonly used throughout the South. LL: A lot of Southern soul food can be easily made vegan because a lot of the ingredients are based on things that grow. RA: What sparked your decision to cook vegan? How have you maintained the traditional elements of Southern cuisine, while making your meals plant-based? Lazarus Lynch’s hair stylist Sabrina Clarke puts the finishing touches on their hairdo. It's one of the foundational ingredients throughout many different cuisines. Because we're Black luxury, honey.The cornbread is something that I just love eating. We eat it for the New Year to represent a lot of green in your life, a lot of money. I wanted to bring collard greens to the table because in Black culture it represents wealth. The pot liquor, which is the liquid that is used inside of the collard green juice, was something I just used to slurp. We grew up with collard greens and cornbread.
![lazarus lynch lazarus lynch](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5d4b0077ebce4f3b499cb920/5e4ef2fc8dcf0b53bb1ef216_Laz_headshot%2B2019.jpg)
I was first inspired by the food I grew up eating and my relationship with my father who’s a man from the South, from Bessemer, Alabama. Lazarus Lynch: I did it really with the intention of bringing my family and my culture to the Met Gala table. Rebecca Aaron: What inspirations did you draw from for this year’s Met Gala menu?
![lazarus lynch lazarus lynch](https://two12.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Lazarus-Profile.jpg)
While Lazarus's glam team worked their magic, we had to opportunity to chat with them regarding their past career achievements and their upcoming milestone: becoming one of ten chefs, and the only Black and queer chef ever to serve the Met Gala. On the morning of the Gala, Lynch began their preparation early, and did not lack company: they were armed with a team of eight assisting them in achieving their final fashion look. The creative has made their name through their brand, “Son of a Southern Chef,” and as a decorated cooking show champion, author and recently, a rising musician. The breakout star of this year’s Met Gala may not have been an actor, model or socialite, but the esteemed chef, Black queer artist and activist Lazarus Lynch. Lazarus Lynch gets ready for the 2021 Met Gala with their glam squad.