News flash! Veganism is no longer a fad. Whether you have eliminated all animal products from your diet or choose to eat vegan during certain days of the week, meat-free dining is becoming mainstream. So a new show spotlighting plant-based cooking is just what vegan newbies and enthusiasts need. 

Led by vegan influencer/model Charlise Rookwood, founder of Vegan Soulicious, ‘The Black Vegan Cooking Show’ packed with recipe ideas is finally here. It would’ve arrived here sooner if COVID-19 didn’t derail the show’s production. In 2019, Rockwood’s show idea was greenlit by a major TV network and then shelved during quarantine. After almost giving up, the London-born beauty proved that PRETTY GIRLS SWEAT and created her own pilot and shopped it around. Media company iOne Digital came knocking with an offer and production picked up once again. The celebrity-studded series features rapper Styles P, comedian Donnell Rawlings, celebrity chef Lauren Von Der Pool, and more. 

“Most of them are not vegan, so I’m going to veganize something for them and try to change their perception [of plant-based food].”

– Charlise Rockwood

Rookwood is of Jamaican and Mauritian descent and takes pride in veganizing the foods she ate growing up after her father lost his battle with stomach cancer. His three siblings, too, all passed from cancer. These tragedies inspired Rookwood, who was primarily pescatarian at the time, to stop eating fish and cheese and embrace plant-based living. 

 “People that had diabetes, high cholesterol, and asthma messaged me saying, ‘We want your help, we want to know what detoxing is all about, my mom’s got diabetes, we’re trying to do what we can to not get COVID […],’ and it just snowballed into this amazing space.” (source: vegnews.com)

The famous Black chef’s first fun episode is with veteran MC and juice bar owner Styles P.

The proud vegans kick it off savoring a delectable smoothie and then “chop it up” (pun intended) about healthy living while making “beefless” Jamaican Red Pea Soup. Take a look:

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