*Grammy-nominated rapper and actress Dr. Yolanda “Yo-Yo” Whitaker never planned on hosting a cooking show. Long before the cameras arrived, cooking was simply how she showed love to the people around her. Now, that passion is at the center of her culinary series, “Downright Delicious with Yo-Yo.”
“I didn’t choose cooking. Cooking chose me,” she said when asked what inspired her to turn her love of cooking into a television series. “I think my passion just got showcased. Cooking has always been my love.”
She described cooking as “my love language,” adding, “If you come to my house, I’m feeding.”
For Yo-Yo, cooking also offers a break from the demands of her career in the entertainment industry. “It is soothing for me. It is my getaway. It is my leave me alone for a minute,” she said. She added that trips to the grocery store have become part of that process. “Cooking is really growing me up because my taste buds are expanding,” she said.
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Yo-Yo said the biggest surprise since hosting the show has been the audience response. “People really love it,” she said, calling the opportunity a blessing. “Being able to cook in front of people, doing something that I really love, really is God kissing me, saying, ‘Job well done.'”
Looking ahead, Yo-Yo confirmed a cookbook is in the works and said she is already preparing for next season of “Downright Delicious with Yo-Yo.” She pointed to unexpected ingredients and homemade seasonings as what sets her cooking apart. “It’s bringing a different flavor to the food,” she said, noting she even wants to host a seasoning party with friends to test recipes together.
Beyond the kitchen, Yo-Yo reflected on what she wants today’s generation to take from her hip hop legacy. “Hard work pays off,” she said. “If you want it, you really have to go get it.”
She said stepping away from the industry helped her reconnect with herself, adding that earning her doctorate carries deep meaning. “The fact that I’m Dr. Yolanda Whitaker now really means a lot to me,” she said.
Yo-Yo encourages young people to build a solid foundation and put in the work. “Ask yourself tough questions. Where do you see yourself in the next 10 years? Are you working towards it?” she said.
She credited her faith and focus on service, including her work with children, education, and foster families, for where she is today. “I know that I matter in my community. So I show up in my community,” she said.
Watch the full interview with Yo-Yo below, where she shares details about her new music.
New episodes of “Downright Delicious with Yo-Yo” air Thursdays at 8 pm ET on aspireTV.
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: ‘Downright Delicious with Yo-Yo’ Returns to aspireTV with New Episodes in August
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