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Early in his career, chef Tarik Abdullah wanted to do more than work in a restaurant. It has been more than 20 years since he found his calling while volunteering as a children鈥檚 cooking instructor. Since then, his devotion hasn鈥檛 waned.

The Seattle native has worked tirelessly to share his passion with his community over the years. His talents have landed him time hosting VICE series Munchies. He was a finalist on ABC cooking show The Taste, and in Seattle, he鈥檚 best known for his highly favored Morning Star Brunch pop-ups and his four years as a sous chef at popular Mediterranean eatery Cicchetti.

Limited and unhealthy food options are the reality for many.

Now, Abdullah will soon be opening an entirely crowd-funded restaurant and cross-cultural arts cooperative venue with business partners Ben Hunter and long-time Seattle organizer Rodney Harold. With community-building at its center, and in the spirit of Seattle鈥檚 Black and Tan clubs of the 1930s that brought jazz enthusiasts of all races together, Abdullah hopes the highly anticipated  will honor Seattle鈥檚 rich arts history and unite creative people of all backgrounds. The brick and mortar establishment鈥攈is first鈥攔epresents Abdullah鈥檚 passions鈥攆ood and the arts, but is only part of his culinary journey.

He continues to offer food literacy courses and encourage cooking as a viable career path for people of color, particularly children, who might not otherwise consider the culinary arts. Food is empowering for Abdullah, and he believes cooking is a necessary life skill.

According to the USDA,  of Americans are facing food insecurity鈥攖he majority of whom are Black and Brown, young, and poor. And limited and unhealthy food options are the reality for many. But Abdullah says that doesn鈥檛 have to be a deterrent to eating well. Learning how to cook healthy meals with limited resources is possible. He wants to make cooking easier for everyone and provide his students with the tools to make smarter, healthier choices that also benefit their communities.

This interview has been lightly edited.

Angela 翱鈥橲丑补耻驳丑苍别蝉蝉测: Cooking, alone, can be intimidating. But when you consider the cost of cooking healthy foods, where鈥檚 the best place to start?

Tarik Abdullah: Good food shouldn鈥檛 just be for people who can afford it. So don鈥檛 be discouraged. Take $10 or $20, which can get you a long way if you know how to shop. Find a cookbook that has all your basics. Technology has made access to information much easier, even down to online cooking tutorials. Work on a simple but well-rounded 45-minute dish for a few weeks and start to modify the recipe.

We live in Washington where access to great fruits and vegetables is a blessing. Learn how to buy in season. Not all of us can buy organic, but we have places like Rainier Market and MacPherson鈥檚 that offer good produce.

翱鈥橲丑补耻驳丑苍别蝉蝉测: What are some barriers to access for young people interested in learning to cook? How do you handle those barriers?

Young people need to know there鈥檚 going to come a time when cooking will be a huge factor in their lives.

Abdullah: Money. But, I teach them to cook on a budget. Again, $10 or $20 can go a long way. When I work with youth through the city鈥檚 Parks and Recreation department, there鈥檚 a set fee. I also work with a couple of nonprofits and volunteer. The goal is to house my own school, and I鈥檇 like courses to be free. I do the best I can to make sure my students know there is good, affordable food out there you can make yourself no matter your age or budget and be confident about it.

翱鈥橲丑补耻驳丑苍别蝉蝉测: You want everyone to learn how to cook for themselves, and though it鈥檚 ideal, it鈥檚 not always a priority in every household. Why are cooking skills so important?

Abdullah: This is what we鈥檙e supposed to do, and it only makes sense to pass on these skills to children. I chose food because we live in a chain, fast-food, sugar, salt, and package-heavy society, and young people need to know there鈥檚 going to come a time when cooking will be a huge factor in their lives. So, in addition to whatever they like to do [sports, video games, etc.], I just want them to incorporate some cooking.

翱鈥橲丑补耻驳丑苍别蝉蝉测: How do you pique youth鈥檚 interest in food?

Abdullah: Start them young. My youngest student was 4. I find 70 to 80 percent of kids are really into cooking. Many are uncertain. Once you leave the U.S., cooking at a young age is the norm. If they can spend all that time in front of a computer, phone, and TV, they can handle learning how to work with a knife or saut茅 pan.

翱鈥橲丑补耻驳丑苍别蝉蝉测: You credit your father with teaching you his entrepreneurial skills, starting with his successful sausage business in Seattle鈥檚 Central District.

Abdullah: As a Black kid growing up, especially in the 鈥�80s, you likely had an entrepreneurial household: a mom, dad, or somebody in the family who had multiple jobs or was an entrepreneur. My father鈥檚 debut of his Tasty鈥檚 all-beef sausage in 1981 in the Central District has to be my most poignant food memory (pork casings were the norm at the time and Abdullah鈥檚 family is Muslim). It was a homemade product sharing store shelves with corporate stuff. He taught me to find something and get good at it. He plays a vital role in who I am today.

Together we can change our communities and our mindsets on how we eat, live and interact with each other.

翱鈥橲丑补耻驳丑苍别蝉蝉测: Everyone鈥檚 been waiting for the official opening of Black & Tan Hall, something you call the culmination of your life鈥檚 work. It carries special meaning since it borrows its name from the racially inclusive Black & Tan clubs of the 1930s. What do you hope to accomplish in the new space?

Abdullah: This is a great way to showcase what community can do. This is a place where people will feel they鈥檙e a part of something that’s going to benefit the neighborhood鈥攁nd they鈥檒l have a stake in how it flourishes. I know there鈥檚 a group of kids who want to learn how to cook, and I want to teach them. There鈥檚 folks out there who want to make change, and I want to hang out with them. Together we can change our communities and our mindsets on how we eat, live and interact with each other.

翱鈥橲丑补耻驳丑苍别蝉蝉测: What does food mean to you?

Abdullah: It means life. It鈥檚 our sustenance, our battery, and our bridge to help us move forward to do the work that we need to鈥� whatever that may be. The better I eat, the more I can do, and that鈥檚 why we need to look at food more seriously.

I鈥檓 now expanding beyond my typical Mediterranean and North African flavors. I take inspiration from my friends and their backgrounds. I鈥檓 always asking, 鈥淗ow I can mesh these flavor profiles and make them taste good?鈥� If I can get three or four cultures onto one plate and it harmonizes, then we as people can harmonize as well.

You can follow Chef Tarik Abdullah鈥檚 work and stay up to date with Black & Tan Hall here: .