Previous Post Next Post

Our Next Beard House Fellow is Ready to Share the Stage

Learn more about Jacqueline Tris

Morgan Carter

January 06, 2022

For decades, cooking at the James Beard House has been an aspiration for many chefs and is considered a career milestone. In May 2021, we launched the Beard House Fellows program, presented by Capital One, which re-envisions the potential of this historic space into a hub of training and professional development for talented emerging chefs.

The program’s pilot, beginning in May 2021 and running through March 2022, launched in partnership with the Food Education Fund (FEF). Our initial class of Fellows will all be alumni of FEF’s New York-based partner high schools.

Each Fellow will have a one-month residency at the Beard House, and will receive training in financial and legal matters, public relations, policy and advocacy, social media, and more. Fellows will also develop a Beard Box meal kit in collaboration with Great Performances, available for purchasing and shipping across the continental U.S., and will also include a special gift for Capital One cardholders. Sign up for the waitlist to get your Beard Box.

Meet our newest Fellow, Jacqueline Tris. Born in Cuernavaca, Mexico, Jacqueline moved to the U.S. when she was three. She found solace in food at a young age, watching her mother cook and tuning into the Food Network religiously. After attending Food and Finance High School, Jacqueline went to Lehman College, CUNY, and studied media and communications with a minor in nutrition and dietetics. Since college, she has had a hand in various Food Network shows, including Beat Bobby Flay and Chopped, and also worked alongside her personal culinary hero, James Beard Award winner Emeril Lagasse. She also starred and created content for BuzzFeed’s Tasty and was also involved in Mi Gente where she helped fundraise and produce networking events geared towards the Latino community. Additionally, she also works as a food stylist and has been featured in Tasting Table’s first cookbook, Cooking with Friends: Recipes for Modern Entertaining. Her next dream is to create a digital media platform where people of color can share their stories and recipes.

We asked each Fellow a few questions about their culinary dreams and signature dishes. Read on to learn more about Jacqueline and where you can find her recipe for her special cookies.

James Beard Foundation: Do you have a signature dish?
Jacqueline Tris: I honestly don’t think I have a signature dish, but a recipe that I get asked to make all the time are my cinnamon marranito cookies. This recipe was taught to me by my grandmother and was featured on the Tasty Holiday Cookie Countdown.

JBF: What is your earliest food memory?
JT: My earliest memory of food is begging my mom to buy me the Barbie cookbook from my pre-K book fair, then racing home to make sugar cookies with royal icing. In all transparency, it was store-bought cookie dough and icing made with water, food coloring, and powdered sugar. But at five years old, I felt like a real pastry chef.

JBF: What is an item you think everyone should have in their pantry?
JT: There are so many good ingredients that I think everyone should have in their pantry—I could write an article on it—but I will settle by saying rice. Rice is so versatile, filling, and is a staple in so many cuisines. You can make everything from a sweet arroz con leche to savory fried rice.

JBF: What is one culinary destination you hope to go to one day?
JT: As cliché as it may sound, I have dreamed about visiting Paris. I want to tour the markets, eat coq au vin, visit a boulangerie, and try all the pastries.

JBF: What is your favorite or least favorite current food trend?
JT: One of my current favorite food trends is making low-waste dishes. I think it’s really important to try and use the whole product, whether it be a piece of meat or a vegetable. It leads to creative recipes and is good for our environment.

Sign up for the waitlist to get Jacqueline’s Beard Box on January 18.