Sara Jenkins is chef-owner of Porchetta and Porsena in the East Village, and a cookbook author. JJ Johnson is executive chef at The Cecil, in Harlem. She wonders if “woman chef” is a useful label — because it draws attention to how few there are — or an indication that women still don’t have equal footing with men. Johnson fights expectations that an African-American chef must only be interested in cooking soul food. They talk with NYTable about inroads into the historically white, male world of the restaurant kitchen — and more.

NYTable