Lesley Enston

For Lesley Enston, cooking has always been a way to connect to her Caribbean roots. While growing up in Toronto, spending a few years in London, and ultimately settling in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, she consistently finds herself over a stovetop, preparing the dishes her Trini mother first introduced her to—and putting scotch bonnet in just about everything. Lesley is a seasoned home cook and takes great pleasure in spreading the joy (and heat) of these flavors to her friends and loved ones by way of her famed backyard dinner parties. Better yet, Lesley’s half Haitian young daughter, Desalin, now plays the role of sous chef, enjoying the flavors her mother and grandmother cherish so deeply. You can find Lesley’s recipes in Bon Appetit, Food52 and the New York Times.