Conversations with Chef AC – Autumn Ciera Scott

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chef AC – Autumn Ciera Scott.

Hi Chef AC, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Like every young child, summers are spent with your grandparents while your parents are at work. I used to dread going to my grandmothers’ house. I was blessed enough to experience life with my grandmother as well as my great-grandmother who passed away in 2014, at the age of the 99 years old. I say that to give you insight on the embedded traditions that are within my DNA. The earliest summer I can recall with my grandmothers was in 2004 and my parents would send my siblings and I to the good ole country of Lancaster, SC. I was the child that despised going outside to play, run around, go on adventures in the woods, and I absolutely hated bugs and insects. Needless to say, I stayed in the house with my grandmothers and I learned the ins and outs of the kitchen. I learned their traditions and I discovered my true happiness of Food Network. My grandmothers and I would watch Rachel Ray, Emeril Live, Sunny Anderson, Chopped, etc. Every summer, it became our tradition to remake meals we saw on television and I would help in the kitchen ANYTIME they were cooking. My very first dish was banana bread. It was the only ingredients we had to in the kitchen and my grandmother NEVER threw away any food. She used what she had and so did I and this is where I found my passion for cooking.

Fast forward to 2016, I enrolled in to Clemson University as a Biological Sciences major and a psychology minor. I took a slight break from cooking because I lived in a dorm but I never swayed away from it too much because I would join my grandmother and aunt in the kitchen at least twice a month when I visited home and every holiday. In 2017, I moved off campus and began to pick up the speed again and started to cook more and more, I would cook for my boyfriend, his teammates, our friends, etc. I began to notice, I always received good feedback and I forgot how much I loved being in the kitchen. Then in 2020, COVID-19 was in full affect and I had no choice but to cook more for my boyfriend and I. I began to take my craft and creatives more seriously. I would cook at least 4 times a week and learn to better my plate presentation, attended small virtual cooking courses for food photography, and study the science behind various foods and seasonings. My boyfriend, his teammates, and our friends would be my designated taste testers when I was at school in addition to my family went I returned home. In May 2020, I organized my first event to test the waters and decided to use my talents for the better and organized a small event to celebrate the mothers in my life for Mothers’ Day. It was such a success that I received a couple of clients. Unfortunately, my grandmother wasn’t able to attend the event because of her health issues but that did not stop me. I decided to host two events and brought the soul to her table. In my opinion, this was the jump start of my personal chef career. I received her kudos and approval to venture off into making my talents a business. After this event, I began to host pop up shops in various locations to market myself and give my clients a taste of the soul.

Sadly a couple of days after hosting my family’s Fathers’ Day event in Asheville, NC, my grandmother passed away. My chef career was just beginning but it was also put on halt. I began to fight my depression, grief, and loss of someone that was the foundation of my family and career. She was the woman that taught me everything in the kitchen. We learned from each other and I would share my new recipes with her when every I would return home. After a few months I took my pain and made it my motivation. 2020 was the year to elevate my passion to my business. My grandmother was never a woman of weakness and laziness and she instilled these traits in my family. After the passing of my grandmother, my aunt took the role of being the glue for our family and she would help all the time in kitchen and always try to show me her tips and tricks. She was very similar to my grandmother and she would never let my family feel dispirited from my grandmothers passing. Therefore, I began to reevaluate and elevate my business ventures and chef career. I returned to social media and began advancing my social interactions and my business began to grow and develop more and more. In October 2020, I received my first travel event in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the most exciting and adventurous event I have every participated in. I received the best feedback I ever have before and I am forever grateful for that life-changing experience. I graduated from Clemson University in November of 2020 and I shifted my focus. I was not your typical graduate student with a set plan due to the heavy losses I experienced; so I decided to enroll in graduate school for pharmaceuticals and work part-time as a leasing consultant where I held many positions under one title. I learned many developmental tools and marketing techniques to elevate my business. With battling all of these tasks, I learned how to balance my priorities and I would only allow bookings for two weekends out of the month. I would travel to North Carolina, various places in South Carolina, Georgia , etc.

In 2021, I made it my mission to elevate myself in every aspect for my business. I began to produce more clientele daily, my social media began to grow, and my feedback began to elevate. My mother, aunt, and sisters would always be a helping hand in this whole process. However in May 2021, I experienced the worst moment in my life. I never felt so low. My aunt unexpectedly passed away the day before my graduation event for my younger sister. My life was put on pause and I didn’t know what to do but I knew I could not stop. I mourned and grieved but I continued to pick up the pieces and continue to strive for the best. I remained in graduate school, continued to work, and run my chef business. After her sudden death, I decided to rebrand and take my goals seriously. Fast forward to August 2021, I received my first international booking to Cancun and Tulum, Mexico for 5 days and it was absolutely outstanding. I received so many clients from this event, my social media elevated even more and I received opportunities to cater bigger events, and interview for podcasts. I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t face another setback and unfortunately I was scammed by a potential job and it left me without a choice but to utilize my talents full time. I am an individual who will always remain focus on my goal disregarding any life challenges that try to steer me away from my goals.

After learning part of my story, you can get a feel of how deep of a connection I have to my gift and craft which is where my name “The Soul of American Cuisines” rooted from in a sense. The Soul of AC is a taste of flavor of American culture from the soul of Autumn Ciera. I specialize in bringing the soul of traditional American dishes with twist to your table. The Soul is combination of southeastern soul food dishes, hints of various cultures, along with the exquisite taste from the soul of Autumn Ciera and her family traditions. The Soul specializes in providing a luxury private dining experience in the comfort of your own space and I offer meal preparation plans and meals as well as catering services. I ensure that all of my clients will indulge in the flavor of authenticity with every bite.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life would not be life if obstacles and challenges weren’t involved. I believe these setbacks creates a sense of appreciation and grateful for what life truly has to offer. I definitely wouldn’t be Autumn Ciera if I didn’t face any obstacles. I’ve battled many losses in my life such as the loss of older sister (1998), great-grandmother (2014), grandmother and uncles(2020), and my aunt(2021). These heavy losses helps me remind myself strive to succeed. I remember the lessons and motivational messages each one instilled in me. Along with losing my family, I also battled with being in a semi-high profile relationship, losing friends and setbacks with graduating later than intended, and also experiencing toxic working environments. All of these experiences, taught me to be comfortable being uncomfortable. I learned how to adapt and be comfortable and confident in my own skin and my gifts and talents. As an individual who never experienced being alone until I turned 21, it was very difficult to learn how to really enjoy my own company and explore my talents. I focused more on what others thought of me, how they perceived me, and how I prestigious I had to be. I forgot what it meant to enjoy life and find my purpose in life. I was constantly placing other before me and putting my true ambitions to the side to please others. After a long journey that’s far from other, I began my spiritual journey that helped my find my purpose, learn myself, and explore my talents enough to enhance my business.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I like to call myself a chefpreneur. I am a traveling personal chef and caterer that specialize in bringing the soul to every table. I create American southern foods with a twist. From meal preparations, girls brunch, private dinner for two, to extravagant weddings. I am a jack of all trades. Anything you need, I can do it. I am also a student/intern in pharmaceuticals, and working in social media such as Youtube, Instagram, and Tik Tok. I am very versatile and personable. I am specifically known for a couple dishes such as AC’s Shrimp & Grits that consists of smoked cheese grits, shrimp, sausage, crab, and topped with my special Hennessy cream sauce. Another client favorite is my baked 7 Cheese Mac, Seafood Egg Rolls, and various salmon and chicken recipes. My business sets itself apart from others through my quality that I bring to the table. I am a self-taught chef that utilized my gift from my ancestors. I provide a combination of luxury fine dining & casual dining to best cater to the clients’ events and needs. It is also a combination of southern American cooking but not subjected to only preparing soul food. I use a combination of various ethnic foods and cultures as well There is also no limitations on my events and preparations. I am a chef that will travel to all 50 states and internationally. I provide reasonable pricing with a flavorful rate. I work to please my clients as much as possible and work within their budget to provide the best service for their events. I am most proud of my growth in my business in just a year. I never thought I would be at this point or even in this industry. My ability to remain humble & ambitious even in my tough times are motivations.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
There are so many fond childhood memories to choose from, but my favorite would be the winter of 2008. My parents used to send my siblings and I to Lancaster, SC with my both of grandmothers (my father’s mother and grandmother) and aunt (my father’s sister) for our winter breaks because they had to work. I have never been the child to play outside or go on adventures in the woods. So this particular day, I decided to stay in the house with my grandmother and find something to cook while we watched her favorite soap opera, Days of Our Lives. Her kitchen was like a mini grocery story and we found this recipe she cut out of her favorite cooking magazine and believe it or not, she had all of the ingredients right there in her kitchen. We chose to make her favorite soup from Outback Steakhouse. This was my very FIRST meal I ever made and this is where I truly found my passion and built a relationship with my grandmothers. We followed the recipe to the “T” to make sure we had right but then she decided to remix it. She told me to find some more meats and vegetables to add to the soap, she told me to find some ingredients to make some bread to pair with the soup, and then that led to her sweet tooth kicking in. We made homemade soup, bread, and then we made homemade fudge brownies. The flavorful aroma in the house seeped to every nook and cranny and slapped you in the face as soon as you stepped near the front door. My siblings, cousins, aunt, and grandmothers all devoured our soup and dessert and they loved it. Me and my grandmothers joked around all the time and said if everybody loved our food, then I made it, and if they thought it was nasty, then she made it. So of course, since everybody loved it, I took the credit for it. This was the beginning of something great. From that point on, I would cook in the kitchen with and without my grandmothers and we would act like I had my own cooking show on Food Network. I would always talk about Rachel Ray and try to cook everything in 30 minutes but of course it never worked but I started to get really serious and outline a restaurant plan with grandmother and my parents. I know it was so funny to watch a little 10 year old girl, outlining and planning to open her own restaurant called Ciera’s Kitchen. It definitely foreshadowed my life today at 23 years old, without me even realizing it but I am so grateful for the small memories that still have an impact on my life.

Pricing:

• Brunch & Private Dinners: Starting at $350
• Catering Events: Starting at $575
• Meal Preparations: Starting at $100
• All events exceeding 20 guests must contact Chef AC for requested quotes.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.tasteofthesoul.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesoulofac/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCprr3n94vAuAWQkjhe7lVRA
• Other: http://tiktok.com/@thesoulofac

Image Credits
Foster Photography: @fosterphotography Chef AC: @thesoulofac