Alex Aquino, also known as Chef Lex, fondly recalls how he learned to cook. “I grew up watching my father cook, and very enthusiastically,” the Executive Director and Executive Chef at the Brownsville Community Culinary Center (BCCC) said. “What I discovered later was that my father struggled with depression, and cooking was very therapeutic for him. When he was cooking, he was happy and very engaged.”
Chef Lex recalled how his dad learned about new health trends and implemented them into the meals he cooked. “Every other week, he’d tell me about a new superfood he learned about, and we would have that food all week long,” he said.
“I remember garlic week very distinctly. I remember when he found out about walnuts, and we (my siblings and I) would make our granola with walnuts,” he continued.
“But my father was a huge inspiration to my beginning a career in cooking.”
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Cultural Heritage and its Connection to Health
When he was growing up, Chef Lex’s Puerto Rican father and Trindadian mother instilled a sense of self-worth in him and his siblings. His parents’ formative years coincided with the era of Black nationalism, a movement that celebrated African pride and Caribbean heritage. “Health was a huge part of it, especially because I have a West Indian background,” he pointed out.
“They were all about home remedies and holistic healing. And food was at the center of that. So as a family, we were constantly searching for healthy ways to enjoy things that we liked culturally, but in a healthy way.”
One of the things Chef Lex will discuss is how to make healthy substitutions at the upcoming BHM Harlem Week 2025 Health Summit & Expo. The event will take place at Riverside Church on August 14, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Healthy Remedies From the Earth
Alex’s grandmother’s Florida home had a flourishing herb garden. However, she was not above stopping her car if she saw one she could use on the side of the road. “She’d pull up some weeds, and she’d be like, Tell me whatever it is, and then we’d go home, and she’d boil it into some tea, and we’d have to drink it,” he laughed.
“But my grandmother could grow so much more than we could in New York; she would grow Aloe. I mean, she had something in her backyard that was a healing element for anything, Milk Thistle,” he continued.
The Lessons He Learned Still Apply
What is significant is how his siblings and he still incorporate elements of that upbringing into their lives today. The chef explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic, his mother developed an herbal remedy that helped them all recover more quickly.
He has an older sister and a younger brother. He and his sister both have children. During the winter, they are given what they have dubbed “Nanna medicine.”
“It’s a combination of garlic, red onion, fresh turmeric, lemon, manuka honey, and ginger. Blends it up, and then you take a spoonful during the wintertime; they all know they have to take a spoonful a day so that they don’t care for it,” the chef said.
He thinks it’s funny because if they had to take Buckley’s, they might complain more.
The Work of The Brownsville Community Culinary Center
Since 2018, Chef Lex and the entire team at the Brownsville Community Culinary Center have been creating career opportunities, providing tools for healthy living, and so much more in the heart of Brownsville.
The mission of the Brownsville Community Culinary Center is to provide free, world-class culinary vocational training to residents of Brownsville through our culinary training program. We collaborate with numerous site partners to provide a safe and comfortable space where neighbors can access fresh, healthy, affordable, and culturally relevant foods, prepared by training program participants who are apprenticing alongside industry professionals. The BCCC is available to community groups seeking to organize and address issues affecting the neighborhood, as well as to celebrate, relax, learn, train, and enjoy each other’s company.
The Programs
While the program initially targeted Brownsville, it has attracted students interested in the culinary arts from all over New York City, aged 18 to 40. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the center had a functioning cafe and restaurant, where the community could come in and enjoy a healthy meal. However, it will require some funding to get those up and running again. It is a 24-week program consisting of 16 weeks of training and an eight-week internship to secure employment.
However, the heart and soul of the programs are running at full speed, their workforce development programs. “A culinary, pastry, and maintenance training in a well-equipped kitchen,” he explained.
What They Did During the Pandemic
Another program they are doing grew out of the work they did during the pandemic. “We did a lot of work around food insecurity and health and wellness. The community came to know us as a place where you can get affordable, healthy food,” Chef Lex continued.
The Brownsville Community Culinary Center distributed 10,000 meals a week during the pandemic in partnership with World Central Kitchen, and they have since expanded that work.
Cooking to Manage Chronic Disease
“Most recently, we implemented a ‘Food as Medicine’ initiative as a pilot program, aligning us with the 1115 waiver of Medicaid, which provides funding through insurance for individuals to receive produce bags and medically tailored meals prescribed to them,” Chef Lex said.
“One of our biggest programs is creating meals certified by a registered dietitian that are sensitive to individuals with diabetes, hypertension, or any other chronic disease. That’s diet-related,” he continued.
“Our meals are tailored to support their recovery, to support the prevention of and the management of those chronic diseases. Students are learning to cook, and we use it as a kind of canvas for them to paint on with their culinary skills. This program is an opportunity to heal our neighbors with the food that we cook.”
Join us at the BHM Harlem Week 2025 Summit & Expo
Come out and hear some of Chef Lex’s tips on cooking great food but making healthier choices that don’t sacrifice the flavor—especially if you are managing a chronic disease or trying to prevent one.
For more information on registering for the BHM Harlem Week 2025 Health Summit & Expo, either in-person or virtually. Click here.
