Oxo announced the third year of its Chefs in Residence program, which offers a look into the lives of chefs as they showcase their culinary skills using Oxo tools.
This year, Oxo introduced Baked by Melissa co-founder and CEO Melissa Ben-Ishay and James Beard award-winning chef JJ Johnson as the latest additions to the culinary content series.
Oxo’s Chef’s in Residence is a collaborative series that features creators with one common goal: to bring a “better” experience to your kitchen, said the company. The in-house experts invite the audience into their everyday lives and share pro tips. For the inaugural year of the program, Oxo partnered with chef personalities Eden Grinshpan, Rick Martinez and Kwame Onwuachi. In the second year, Oxo partnered with James Beard award-winning chefs Gregory Gourdet, Joanne Chang and Tim Hollingsworth.
The program provides a way for culinary artists to bring in fresh perspectives, offer unique dining experiences to their patrons and have a platform to showcase their skills, said Oxo. The new Chefs in Residence will showcase cooking talents and educate consumers through an upcoming content series that has something for everyone from the seasoned chef to the home cook.
In the first part of the series, the Chefs in Residence will look at pantry and refrigerator organization, sharing ways to arrange ingredients for easy access, reducing food waste and storing ingredients to extend shelf life. The second installment will focus on creating unforgettable holiday feasts as the holiday season approaches, including how to craft main dishes and unique holiday recipes from different cultures. The two chefs also will be featured in Oxo’s Master It series, in which people can learn how to use Oxo tools to create classic staples and dishes by award-winning chefs. Each video will be paired with a short anecdote or story about the chef.
Chef Johnson is most recognized for his approach to African Caribbean cuisine and his work has earned him a James Beard Foundation Book Award and a two-time spot on the Nation’s Restaurant News Power List. He has been featured on a variety of culinary TV shows including Food Network’s “Chopped”, Netflix’s “Street Food”, HBO Max’s “Selena + Chef “and hosts his own show “Just Eats with Chef JJ” airing its fifth season on TV One’s network Cleo TV this fall. Chef JJ’s cookbook, “The Simple Art of Rice: Recipes from Around the World for the Heart of Your Table,” will be released in September 2023. Johnson also has a multi-unit fast casual rice bowl restaurant, Fieldtrip, with three locations in New York City. At Fieldtrip, he works with local rice farmers and producers to source fresh ingredients and champions for sustainability.
Ben-Ishay co-founded Baked by Melissa, a New York-based dessert brand known for its bite-size cupcakes and treats. Since its founding in 2008, the company has opened 14 retail locations in the NYC metropolitan area and ships gifts nationwide. Ben-Ishay has been recognized as one of the most influential recipe creators by Business Insider, Mashed, Yahoo and more. In 2022, her viral Green Goddess Salad was among the most searched recipes on Google Trends. She has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, People, “Today,” “Good Morning America,” “Rachael Ray,” and more. Recent accolades include Inc. Female Founders 100 List, Create & Cultivate’s Top 100 and AdWeek’s Women Trailblazers.
“At Oxo, we believe that cooking is an art form meant to be shared and savored. With the introduction of Melissa Ben-Ishay and Chef JJ to our Chefs in Residence family, we’re embarking on a new chapter of culinary exploration,” says Nicole Rivera, vice president, marketing at Oxo. “Their stories, expertise, and creative flair, combined with the precision of Oxo tools, will undoubtedly spark a renewed passion for cooking in kitchens worldwide.”
The Oxo Chefs in Residence can be followed on the Oxo website and Oxo’s YouTube and Instagram channels.
