Growing up in Bushwick and East New York and living in Bedstuy, she vocalized the frustration she feels around gentrification. Sharing about how many small businesses have shuttered over the years and how she holds dearly the food markets and shops where she buys the ingredients for her dishes. 

“When I get to cook, I can take away all the noise that I hear about myself, or how people view my body. “

- Latoya Shauntay Snell

“When you go into lower income neighborhoods, you have to ask why are there more liquor stores? Why are there more fast food spots? Why are there less cafes? And there's more McDonald's and Wendy's.”

- Latoya Shauntay Snell

“People say, ‘oh my god, is it organic? Is it fresh?’ But any type of vegetable and any variation of it is going to be way healthier then to not have access to it.”

- Latoya Shauntay Snell

“I don't care how much culinary training you have, touch the fucking food that you're eating. Don't be afraid of it. Don't be afraid to add seasoning. I'm so tired of people saying it has to be this particular way. Follow the tradition and then break the fucking rules.”

- Latoya Shauntay Snell

Latoya Shauntay Snell is beloved, not just for her athletic prowess as a sponsored endurance athlete and marathon runner, but also for her unwavering advocacy in body positivity and fat acceptance. Beyond her culinary prowess, she wears many hats — from motivational speaker to essayist, blogger to podcast host of Running Fat Chef — all woven together by her commitment to being her most authentic self in a space that has treated her as an outsider for years. In a world filled with fatphobia, racism, and ignorance, Latoya Shauntay Snell stands as an example of resilience, advocacy, self love and helps us appreciate the transformative power of food.

We invite you to learn more about her work with Running Fat Chef and enjoy one of her favorite recipes.

Catfish, Shrimp, and Okra Stew with Yellow Rice: A Recipe by Chef Latoya Shauntay Snell

Ingredients

• 1-pound fresh okra, cut in half or in smaller pieces (This can be swapped for chopped frozen okra)

• 3 bay leaves

• 2 sprigs thyme

• 1 medium to large onion, medium dice, or rough chop

• 1 medium size green pepper, rough chop

• 1 medium size red pepper, rough chop

• 2 stalks celery, rough chop

• 5 cloves garlic, fine chop

• 2 ears corn, chopped into small chunks

• 2 pounds catfish, skinned and cut into bite size pieces (You can swap this for another meaty white fish like cod or halibut)

• 1-pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (You can add more if preferred)

• Black pepper, to taste (Use at the end if needed)

• 1 to 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning

• If you want to make your own unsalted Creole seasoning blend, try my blend. If you prefer more of a traditional Cajun feel, add in a 1⁄2 tablespoon more cayenne, black pepper, and white pepper. Here’s the ratio that I love using for my Creole seasoning blend. Remember to put it in an airtight container.

  • 1 tablespoon cayenne

  • 1 tablespoon black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon white pepper

  • 2 tablespoons thyme

  • 2 tablespoons oregano

  • 4 tablespoons paprika

  • 3 tablespoons garlic powder

  • 3 tablespoons onion powder

• 15 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes (I prefer San Marzano tomatoes)

• 4 cups seafood stock (Can supplement with vegetable stock)

• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tablespoons oil (vegetable or olive oil will suffice)

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• Cooked yellow rice

Directions

1. In a medium or large bowl, season catfish with salt then set aside. Keep it chilled until ready to use, no more than an hour.

2. In a Dutch oven or stock pot over medium fire, add two tablespoons of oil. Once the pan is hot, stir in all-purpose flour for up to two minutes to create a light to golden roux. Add onion, green pepper, red pepper, celery, and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent sticking and scorching.

3. Add in stock, bay leaves, thyme, tomatoes, okra, corn, Worcestershire sauce, and Creole seasoning for approximately 15 minutes.

4. Reduce the temperature to medium-low fire and add in catfish; cook for 5 minutes and add in shrimp and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves, check to see if you will need more salt, possibly black pepper, or more Creole seasoning. If done, turn off the fire and ladle over hot yellow rice.