Chef It Down
After high school, Darien Washington followed the path his family set for him, enrolling in Arizona State University to study public policy law. But fate clearly had other plans: after starting his own catering business to help fund his education, Darien realized his heart wanted to follow a different road. He changed gears and decided to pursue a career in culinary arts. His new direction led him to the 2018 #CulinaryVoiceScholarship Contest. Appearing on ABC’s “The Chew”, Darien went on to compete in the finals and win a full ride to attend the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. Before starting the program, Darien shared his passion for food and career aspirations with the prestigious institution he would graduate from. 
What is your earliest memory of food or cooking?
Growing up, it was our tradition to meet at my grandmother’s house every Sunday after every church service to eat and enjoy the company of family and friends. Seeing how happy the meal made everyone inspired my interests and understanding of not just food but how to properly prepare it. When both of my grandmothers saw the passion and joy cooking gave me, they started showing me the basics.
What is your favorite dish to prepare?
SALMON! I love it. My favorite dish to prepare is my five-spice glazed salmon with sautéed spinach, garnished with sautéed mushrooms and poached garlic. The flavor is well-balanced. It has a kick from the spices and sweetness from the brown sugar glaze. 
If you could eat anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Why is this question so hard? If I could eat anywhere in the world, it would probably be somewhere with a robust culture. I love diversity of cultures in food and experiencing different tastes and different methods of preparing food.
When you are not cooking, what do you like to do?
Paint. When I’m not wearing my chef’s toque, I’m wearing my artist’s smock. God instilled many gifts in me at an early age and artistic talent was one of them. I am most
familiar with acrylic on canvas; friends and colleagues have even commissioned
paintings from me.
How would you describe your culinary voice?
A journey. One that I am still on, searching for a higher understanding of different techniques and methods on how to properly prepare food. 