THE FIFTH COURSE x CAMPERS EP. 8
JJ Johnson: Cooking with purpose, built from family.
The thing about JJ Johnson is that he doesn’t rush you.
He doesn’t rush the food, the conversation, or the moment. There’s no sense that he’s trying to land a point or make an impression. He shows up settled, like someone who already knows what he’s here to do.
Being around JJ felt less like filming an episode and more like stepping into someone else’s rhythm. I found myself cooking differently, moving more deliberately, slowing down without trying to. And, actually washing my rice and tasting the difference.
His food carries that same feeling. It’s generous without being loud. Familiar without being basic. You don’t eat it and think wow, this is clever. You think this makes sense.
JJ understands what food is actually supposed to do. Hold people. Feed them. Offer something steady in a world that keeps asking for more spectacle, more speed, more performance.
Being around him was grounding. A reminder that not everything meaningful needs to announce itself.
I could have sat and chatted with JJ for another two hours. His story is rich in taking chances and venturing into adventure.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Who is he: JJ Johnson
What he does: Chef, restaurateur, author, founder of FieldTrip
Where to find him: @chefjj
JJ Johnson has built his career around a simple but loaded question: who is food actually for?
A James Beard Award winning chef and the author of Between Harlem and Heaven and The Simple Art of Rice, JJ founded FieldTrip around an ingredient that’s often overlooked because it’s everywhere. Across the African diaspora, rice isn’t a trend, it’s sustenance, memory, survival, daily life. He didn’t center it for novelty. He centered it because it matters.
His cooking pulls from Caribbean, African, Southern, and Harlem rooted traditions, but it’s never about fusion for the sake of it. It’s about clarity and accessibility. Food that feels familiar, thoughtful, and intentional. FieldTrip isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a framework built around nourishment, equity, and playing the long game.
JJ doesn’t separate food from the systems around it. He talks openly about labor, cost, access, and sustainability, and he builds with those realities in mind. The work isn’t flashy. It’s durable. And that’s the point.
WHAT’S ON THE PASS
A warm, comforting yet punchy Caribbean chicken and coconut rice with peas and toasted coconut flakes. This was a dish meant to be shared.
I wanted to cook something that reflected how JJ approaches food: nothing performative, nothing over-explained. Just flavors that make sense together. Food that shows up for you.
I based my recipe from David Tanis’s No-Fuss Jerk Chicken recipe. Absolutely BOMB.
THE CONVERSATION
The thing that really stuck with me was JJ’s yes mentality, especially at work.
He didn’t jump ahead or skip steps. He worked. A lot. Took job after job, kept his head down, moved up slowly, and said yes to opportunities as they came. Not every one of them was shiny or perfectly timed, but saying yes is how his career actually got built.
He talked about saying yes, almost blindly, to a cooking gig in Ghana with Alexander Smalls. That yes led to The Cecil. One opportunity turned into something much bigger, but only because he showed up and did the work.
It was a good reminder that many careers aren’t mapped out. They’re built by consistency, trust, and being willing to say yes when something’s in front of you.
RICE AS RESPONSIBILITY
Rice sits at the center of JJ’s work, but it’s never just rice. It’s a connective thread across cultures that were never meant to be siloed. It’s everyday food, and that’s exactly the point.
By centering something so familiar, JJ forces harder conversations; about sourcing, cost, scale, and access. Rice could have been a gimmick. JJ made it a responsibility.
SIDE PLATE
Really excited about this one. We’re officially collaborating with Farm to People, and all of the ingredients I cook with and use on Campers are coming from them, all local, all seasonal.
I’ve been using Farm to People for years for my own groceries. Weekly staples like milk, eggs, bread, garlic, plus a second box with a Cook’s Box and the Seasonal Veg Box. That green box showing up in the evening genuinely makes my day.
Since having Mars, grocery shopping feels way harder and way more time consuming than it used to. I love knowing the quality is there and that I’m getting a mix of in season gems without overthinking it.
If you’ve been curious, use code CAMPERS25 for $25 off your first farm box
OTHER RECS THIS WEEK
Snack: We has the honor and pleasure of stopping by Feildtrip in Rockefeller Center. We tried everything, quite literally. And everything was one thing better than the next. The standouts for me were hot honey plantains, Crispy Fish bowl, and the Oxtail Egg roll!
Outfit from the Episode:
Top: Sezane
Wrap Necklace: Sezane :)
Jeans: Old school Zara! I think i bought these when i was 23
One More Note: I’m having a sweet tooth moment and bought myself a bag of Behave gummies. Well, I haven’t stopped buying them. Just ordered a few more bags from Amazon. I’ll let you do with that info as you choose.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
JJ reminded me that food doesn’t have to be important to be meaningful. It doesn’t need to trend to matter.
When you cook with intention and feed people with care, you’re doing more than making a meal. You’re building trust. You’re offering something steady in a loud world.
The full episode is live now. Watch here.
SOUND BITES
FEBRUARY PLAYLIST - a romantic one
Thanks for pulling up a seat.
xx,
Gina