Culinary Historians of Chicago

Foods of the African Diaspora, Rahim Muhammad and Magic Johnson, Mahari restaurant, Chicago’s Hyde Park

Foods of the African Diaspora Presented by Rahim Muhammad and Magic Johnson, Mahari restaurant, Chicago’s Hyde Park America offers a melting pot of cuisines, with the foods from such countries as Mexico, Italy, France and China becoming as familiar to us as apple pie. But there’s an entire continent, Africa, where most of us have not explored its vast cuisine, let alone the cuisine of the African diaspora. Do join us as principals from the recently opened Mahari restaurant in Hyde Park talk about their culinary creations that pay homage to the diverse culture that has shaped their heritage; Mahari Chef Rahim Muhammad and special events coordinator Magic Johnson will take us on a culinary journey that celebrates the diverse traditions and foods of the African diaspora. They will weave together the flavors and traditions from Africa, the Caribbean, creole, Afro-Latina, and soul food cuisines to the comfort foods of the American South; Bios: Rahim Muhammad, executive chef, is a third-generation chef. Born in Chicago and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Chef “Rah” graduated from Chicago’s Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and launched his career as an apprentice to Chef Art Smith at Table 52. Magic Johnson is Director of Community and Culture at Mahari. *** Wednesday, August 27, 2025 *** Recorded via Zoom on CONNECT WITH CULINARY HISTORIANS OF CHICAGO ✔ MEMBERSHIP https://culinaryhistorians.org/membership/ ✔ EMAIL LIST http://culinaryhistorians.org/join-our-email-list/ ✔ S U B S C R I B E https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Y0-9lTi1-JYu22Bt4_-9w ✔ F A C E B O O K https://www.facebook.com/CulinaryHistoriansOfChicago ✔ PODCAST 2008 to Present https://culinaryhistorians.org/podcasts/ By Presenter https://culinaryhistorians.org/podcasts-by-presenter/ ✔ YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Y0-9lTi1-JYu22Bt4_-9w ✔ W E B S I T E https://www.CulinaryHistorians.org

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