Michelle and Suzanne Rousseau

a photograph of Michelle Rousseau and Suzanne Rousseau, contributing writers at Serious Eats

Location: Kingston, Jamaica

Education: Western University

Expertise: Caribbean food, Caribbean culture, Caribbean history

Michelle and Suzanne Rousseau are business partners and award-winning cookbook authors.
They have jointly owned and operated multiple hospitality and lifestyle establishments and have consulted with restaurants and businesses globally and throughout the island of Jamaica.
Their first cookbook, Caribbean Potluck: Modern Recipes from our Family Kitchen, landed on NPR’s List of Best Books in 2014. Their second cookbook, Provisions: The Roots of Caribbean Cooking, was listed among the best cookbooks of 2018 by The San Francisco Chronicle, The New Yorker, Epicurious, and Serious Eats.

Experience

Sisters, business partners, and award-winning cookbook authors, Michelle and Suzanne Rousseau have spent the last 25 years exploring the style, culture, and identity of the Caribbean. Through their restaurants, catering, television shows, historical and cultural research, traveling, and writing they have codified a signature style that is distinct and in demand. Known for their innovation and creativity in developing food and beverage concepts, they have jointly owned and operated multiple hospitality and lifestyle establishments and have consulted with restaurants and businesses globally and throughout the island of Jamaica.

Accomplished authors, their first cookbook, Caribbean Potluck: Modern Recipes from our Family Kitchen, brought them international acclaim and landed on NPR’s List of Best Books in 2014. Their second cookbook, Provisions: The Roots of Caribbean Cooking, solidified their reputation as vanguards in the discourse on Caribbean culture, food, and heritage. Provisions received thunderous reception, including being listed among the best cookbooks of 2018 by The San Francisco Chronicle, The New Yorker, Epicurious, and Serious Eats.

Between 2014 and 2016, they produced and aired two seasons of their local food and travel show, “Two Sisters and a Meal” served as executive producers and hostesses for the web series “Island Potluck” created in conjunction with the Jamaica Tourist Board; and appeared as talent in a two-episode pilot, commissioned by the Travel Channel, for a series called “Island Hopping.”

Their latest brick and mortar venture, Summerhouse, is an embrace of West Indian culinary evolution and the creation of new traditions. With savvy reinterpretations of traditional ingredients, they present a seasonal menu of modern dishes reflective of the region’s terroir and inspired by the soul, heritage, and lifestyle of the islands. The brand is poised for expansion with a coastal location at Harmony Hall in St. Mary.

What's your favorite condiment?

"Chutney and good pepper sauce. We love the unique way we in the Caribbean pair savory, spicy, and sweet with any meal."

About Serious Eats

Serious Eats, a Dotdash brand, is an award-winning food and drink website visited by over 7 million hungry readers every month. Our audience comes to us for rigorously tested recipes, science-driven cooking techniques, robust equipment reviews, and stories that offer cultural and historical context to the foods we love to eat.

Dotdash is among the largest and fastest growing publishers online, and has won over 50 awards in the last year alone, including Digiday's 2020 Publisher of the Year. Dotdash brands include Verywell, Investopedia, The Balance, The Spruce, Simply Recipes, Serious Eats, Byrdie, Brides, MyDomaine, Lifewire, TripSavvy, Liquor.com, and TreeHugger.