Chef Q & A: Amethyst Ganaway
Meet a Charleston food writer & chef and hear about her Thanksgiving!
As the holidays approach, I thought it would be fun to interview some industry friends about their holiday festivities as I wrote plenty about my own ideas last year (click here for those pieces). And that’s when I realized that my friend and local food writer/chef Amethyst Ganaway would be a perfect fit as: A) She is super fun and talented and such a girl boss and B) We have a Charleston holiday fundraiser that we are working on together that I want to bring as much attention to as possible!
See, Amethyst and I originally met through Les Dames d’Escoffier, a philanthropic organization of women leaders in the food, beverage, and hospitality industries. And then she reached out to introduce me to her childhood friend Deron Gadsden who was looking for businesses to partner in his foundation’s holiday drive (BE Impactful) benefiting North Charleston families. I immediately said yes, and now this is the 3rd year that the restaurant where I work (Edmund’s Oast) will be a drop-off point. Over the years, I have gotten to really know Deron, his family, and Amethyst, and let me tell you they are all just outstanding as is this foundation. So please consider a donation (they can even be mailed via Amazon/etc to: Edmund’s Oast attn: Supply Drive, 1081 Morrison Dr, Charleston, SC 29403).
Donations needed:
Toys & Games (ages 3 to 17)
Dinner Box Donations:
Cornbread/Stuffing/Dressing Mix
Cranberry Sauce (canned)
Canned Vegetables
Now back to Amethyst! As mentioned she is a food writer and chef, and at 34-years-old she is well on her way to becoming a local legend (but really beyond local). She has written for Food & Wine, Eater, Serious Eats, Garden & Gun, and more, and she just stepped down from being lead recipe developer and content manager for Chef Pierre Thiam’s West African food brand, Yolélé, as she is now hard at work on her own cookbook – From the Roota to the Toota, set to come out in early 2027. She is also the community engagement director for BE Impactful.
So without further ado, let’s chat with Amethyst. And don’t miss out on her recipe for
Lowcountry Gumbo by clicking here that she was kind enough to share!
P.S. As always I really appreciate when you hit the like button as it helps get the content in front of more people :) and spread the joy of wine and food!
Q & A
Give us the short version on how you ended up working in the food & beverage industry. I know that you identify as a chef and writer. Tell us how this career came to be – a dream since childhood or a winding path or a bit of both?
I started working at Ye Olde Fashioned Ice Cream and then Grilled Teriyaki, while at the University of South Carolina, in Columbia, SC. I started as a server, cashier, hostess, and short order cook then eventually started working in other restaurants. Years later, I got into management, got bored and couldn’t stay out of the kitchen anyway so I took a step back and started over again as a line cook. Writing kind of happened. I’ve always enjoyed and seemingly done well at writing (in school), but I didn’t think it would have been a career until the Covid pandemic began and I had to pivot to something else once restaurants shut down. I was on social media and typing out about some social justice issues and how food played a role, and someone was like, “This is great, you should write about it.” And so I did and here I am!
Growing up did your family spend a lot of time cooking? And/or eating out?
My family is full of eaters, (pause), and people that like to cook. My immediate family really. And we love “real food”. We didn’t do a lot of eating out, but I was also never a kid who wanted to eat fast food. Food at home was always the best, and my grandma is really the OG, as so many are.
I know you were born and raised here in Charleston, South Carolina. But would you identify as Gullah and if so what does that mean to you and how does it inform your cooking?
Born and raised in North Charleston, the greatest nation on this earth, and a Geechee girl til the day I die. Everything about where I am from and who I am influences the way I cook. I’m such a snob when it comes to quality and freshness of ingredients. Seasonality, sustainability, supporting local, building relationships with people to engage with and build community, and most importantly sharing good food with good people – this is the lowcountry way.
I don’t want to put words in your mouth but as a woman myself I know there are obstacles that I faced in this male dominated industry. Do you have any advice you would give your younger self that might help others as well?
Younger self – keep jumping in, keep being in the way, keep showing up early and staying late. Keep thuggin – they love it. Eat EVERYTHING. Talk to everyone and treat them the same. Be you big dawg.
Now anyone who is a food writer knows that Thanksgiving is always this behemoth of a holiday lurking, necessitating so much writing and so many recipes year after year. So I have to ask what would be your dream version of a Thanksgiving Dinner? Firstly, what would the location be?
In a house, on the beach - like a duck off private beach in Edisto. A winding long dirt road enshrouded by Spanish moss and oak trees. It’s cool and quiet in the mornings, and smells like coffee and cinnamon rolls and salty, ham stock.
Who would you invite? Can be anyone – even those no longer with us!
Everybody. We go hard for Thanksgiving. Come through, bring a bottle and something sweet.
And of course the food…give us all the details…all classics? Or do you like to mix in more contemporary favorites?
We do all the classics: greens (mustard, turnip, collards), smoked turkey (always), mac and cheese, smothered turkey wings, cornbread dressing (normal and seafood), red rice, white rice, yellow (or some sort of other rice), green beans with potato, candied sweet yams, some sort of other small whole bird/s (I've done duck, pheasant, quail); we do some sort of red meat like lamb, goat, oxtail; and then a bunch of desserts but mainly banana pudding and pies.
And what about beverages?
Water and alcohol. I am a bourbon and whisky girl, but recently started to enjoy rum – usually in a cocktail (super simple with ginger beer) or on the rocks neat. Wine though, thanks to you, I love a Beaujolais and a Gewürztraminer.
And do you have a playlist/Spotify station in mind?
No particular playlist but we play old school r&b mostly to keep the vibes up!
And to help us out in our own kitchen endeavors — what would be your one tip to make holiday cooking/entertaining easier?
Enlist help! Grab the whole group and assign everyone a task. People find pride in being able to contribute to the meal and you get to have a good time with each other. It also helps to not put the responsibility of all of the dishes on one person.
Finally, where can we find your own writing and/or meet you in person? Any events coming up? And when can we expect the cookbook?
You gotta catch me around town when you can! I’ll be doing some events at the Tippling House soon andddd keep up with me on IG @thizzg .
(Two last things – please consider that donation. And also if you if you live here in Charleston, I’ve got a special Champagne night coming up at Edmund’s Oast on Monday, November 25, where we will be pouring $15 glasses from women led Champagne houses. All about that girl power – now and always! Visit our Resy page to make a reservation.)