Aspen chef Mawa McQueen featured in new book

Chef Mawa McQueen, of Mawa’s Kitchen and the Crepe Shack, is spotlighted in a new book profiling black chefs working in the U.S.

McQueen is among 101 chefs in “Toques in Black: A Celebration of Black Chefs.” Each entry includes a new portrait by the photographer Battman, a childhood photo, a first-person narrative and a recipe.

McQueen offers her recipe for a rotisserie chicken sandwich. Her chapter tells of her journey from childhood on Africa’s Ivory Coast and in Trappes, France, and her culinary development in Europe and the U.S. She recounts her story of cooking at The Little Nell and the client who inspired her to strike out on her own and start a restaurant.

“I don’t cook black. I don’t cook white,” she writes of her style. “I cook from my heart. I want people to be healthy, to create food that fuels the body and soul.”