Yo-Yo’s Cooking Tips For Winning Hearts (And Rings) [Exclusive]

Yolanda ‘Yo-Yo’ Whitaker continues to defy the percentages. 

Not solely is she a rap pioneer and somebody who has lengthy pushed the needle for feminine empowerment ahead, this celebrity additionally throws down within the kitchen, and Yo-Yo’s newest period permits followers a entrance seat to witness her throwing down within the kitchen!

In 2023, she kicked off the primary season of Downright Scrumptious With Yo-Yo, a fun-filled sequence airing on aspireTV, the place Yo-Yo whips up her favourite dishes, cocktails, and desserts alongside shut household and associates.

The extremely anticipated new season, which premiered on Oct. 16, consists of particular appearances from Naughty by Nature’s Vinnie Brown, Cherished to Loss of life actor Tobias Truvillion, and, in fact, her mom, affectionately generally known as Momma Mia.

After seeing her dominate hip-hop, Yo-Yo is now serving it up within the kitchen, dishing the small print oln how sharing her culinary aspect has modified how she exhibits up as a girl outdoors of music, the meal she makes when making an attempt to impress somebody, and the “Don’t Play With My Yo-Yo” emcee even spills the tea on that meal that can get you that ring (pay attention up girls).

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Embracing Her Femininity By Cooking.

“The transition was already occurring in my life, simply being extra current,” Yo-Yo informed Madamenoire. 

“Being extra susceptible, humbling myself sufficient to take out the intermediary in my life, and I believe me taking out the intermediary in my life has allowed me to point out up for myself, present up for my household, be extra concerned, and being extra concerned within the kitchen, which I’ve at all times completed, and me surrendering to God, asking God for extra, and God gave me a cooking present. [He] sat my butt proper on down. Now, I’m rapping within the kitchen. It’s a full circle for me, from radio to cooking to hip-hop — group, working with youth, my hip-hop literacy program. It’s simply actually full-circle. A complete era of people that knew nothing about me will get an opportunity to see me on aspireTV.”

Her Perception On ‘The Approach To Somebody’s Coronary heart Is By Their Abdomen.’

Yo-Yo notes the extent of belief that comes with somebody permitting one other individual to make them a meal, which is why she one-hundred p.c believes within the saying that ‘the important thing to somebody’s coronary heart is thru their abdomen.’

“I’m going to make you’re keen on me. My purpose is to make you’re keen on me. My purpose is to point out you my love. My purpose is to point out you’re keen on,” she expressed. “My purpose is to get you to like me, as a result of love, when that respect is there, folks can really feel your heat. They really feel like they will belief you.”

She added, “Once I get someone to belief me, we will construct with one another. You don’t really feel such as you’re on this world alone, and that’s what it does. I believe cooking does that for me. It’s a means for me to point out my love in a special kind. I name it my remix as a result of I hear music on a regular basis. That’s the way in which I cook dinner. I imply, woman, you play some Anita Baker whereas I’m cooking? I’d cook dinner two meals, you understand what I imply?”

Yo-Yo’s Go-To Meal For Leaving A Lasting Impression

When requested what meal she makes to impress a particular somebody, the Los Angeles native shortly shared that it might greater than doubtless begin with throwing a steak within the broiler.

“I’m broiling some steak. I’m making my oyster ribeye steak,” mentioned Yo-Yo. I’m making some mac and cheese, some collard greens, or, if I’m not doing that, I’m making some beans and rice with some quick ribs, cornbread, a few of my creamy buttermilk cornbread, with some butter oil, salted butter in the midst of that.”

“I actually like to cook dinner what folks need,” she added, “All the pieces I make turns into a favourite as a result of I make it to everybody’s liking, not an excessive amount of spice, however simply sufficient. I imply, I’ve by no means had anybody run to the cupboard and ask for salt and pepper or sizzling sauce.”

The Significance Of Opening Your Coronary heart To Love.

As somebody who’s at all times stood for empowering different girls, Yo-Yo was pleased to lend phrases of knowledge to girls who could also be within the midst of constructing their careers, defending their peace, and nonetheless wanting to create space for love.

“I can solely converse for myself,” she mentioned. “I believe in my transition of me making an attempt to develop and grow to be a greater girl, a greater mom, I needed to get actual with myself. I needed to give up. I needed to speak to God. I needed to make some adjustments in my life and perceive. I needed to do extra analysis. What is that this life? Determining to not chase cash, however to permit it to only come. I needed to be damaged all the way down to know that I’m wealthy with nothing.”

Yo-Yo added, “So, now, I’m not chasing life, I’m not chasing fame. I’m not chasing superstar. I’m not making an attempt to be within the room with everybody. God is putting me within the rooms that he desires me to be in, and I’m assembly wonderful, new folks. So don’t be afraid of change. I believe forgiving your previous, forgiving your self, too. Many people wish to be good. I lived a pretentious life for a very long time, pretending to be what folks wished me to be. However I like myself now, and I like who I’m.”

The Meal That’s Going To Get You The Ring.

When requested this query, somebody within the background of the interview shortly exclaimed that for Yo-Yo, it might be her well-known fish tacos. 

For others, she says the one meal that may assure you that ring is realizing find out how to make steak.

“I imply, you make a pleasant steak, a person will love you, with a pleasant salad, I imply, don’t underestimate these salads, honey. You possibly can put some beans in there, and all this completely different stuff—a pleasant, do-it-yourself salad dressing, with some fluffy lettuce. I imply, spice it up. You can also make a miso soup, glazed salmon, or any form of honey salmon in a broiler. Studying find out how to do one thing like that. A easy, good, clear dish.”

She additionally revealed that cooking alone gained’t get you the ring, however cleansing up after you cook dinner may even do the trick.

“How do you clear a pot?” Yo-Yo requested. “Whereas it’s sizzling.  The way in which to maintain a person is should you can cook dinner and you’ll clear.”

New episodes of Downright Scrumptious With Yo-Yo premiere on Thursdays at 8 PM ET, with previous episodes accessible to stream anytime on aspireTV Plus.

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