Article & photography by Fitz
(Lead photo of Danielle Jones of Slice and Torte)
Danielle Jones, half of Slice and Torte, would prefer it if I didn’t write this article. Perplexingly shy and self deprecating, even if she DID concede that what she is up to in food media is a gem of an endeavor, she would prefer it to stay awash amidst the sea of Internet food chatter. On the other hand, Sherrod Faulks (the other half of S&T) views this local write-up and the interview I just finished with him as a good trial run for the regional press they will be receiving in the near future. He’s driven, confidently ambitious, and was quick to tell me when I asked him how best to categorize Slice & Torte to proclaim,”We are everything! Don’t call it a blog or food site. We’re all things good.” Funny thing is that on their podcast, both couldn’t present themselves differently.
(Above: Slice and Torte in action- Danielle Jones and Sherrod Faulks)
When it comes to podcasting, there is nothing demure about Jones. A self-proclaimed bullshitting extraordinaire, she is boisterous and doggedly opinionated on food. Her sharp, biting wit features prominently anytime Faulks’ take on a trend or dish diverges from her’s. She is the perfect foil to her more endearing counterpart. But one shouldn’t confuse Faulks’ light hearted, playful manner with naivety; one minute he may break out into a Little Mama rap with excitement for a Lay’s taste challenge, but in the next breath he can detail for the audience the science behind “cultured beef” -meat grown in a test tube. The show is half “reality TV” / half Chef’s Table performed by two lifelong friends.
Alkaline/Southern Grit release party presentation cake by Danielle Jones
The two met at William & Mary early in their college careers. Both already shared a passion for and a deep connection to food. Jones’ Grandmother ran the Booker T. Washington cafeteria and, at home, made all her dinners from scratch. As Jones informed me, “If you didn’t eat all her food is was seen as offensive.” Faulks credits both the memory of his father’s cooking in a traditional black household and, later in life, reading Martha Stewart’s book Entertaining for shaping the way he perceives food, “Growing up my dad was the cook of the household. Like with many black families, if you go to their house you’re going to find great food! Until I read Entertaining, however, I didn’t realize food could have a theme. She changed my understanding of what it could be to be a cook.”
Shrimp in Herbs and Oil by Sherrod Faulks
In addition to their mutual family ties with cuisine, what connects S&T most is likely their shared creative standards for media production and cooking. Faulks – who, after W&M, wound up doing a stint at Parsons School of Design – creates sharply refined video episodes which document many of the pair’s entrees and desserts. When not working in video, the duo have a rather keen photo-eye as they document in stills their often decadently gorgeous and mouthwatering recipes. In addition, blogging is a fixture on their site, noted by descriptive run-downs on culinary traveling and adventures. Most recently, the prolific pair have ventured into catering, with Faulks telling me: “It’s not enough to call yourself a foodie while not producing food for other people to eat.” With Faulks looking to have Jones’ elegant designer-show cakes as a central variable for the Slice and Torte catering service, it could prove to be lucrative.
For more on Slice and Torte visit them online at www.sliceandtorte.com
On facebook at www.facebook.com/sliceandtorte
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