Mark your calendars for the best party of the year, Art + Soul, celebrating the fund for African American Art on Saturday, February 9. Join us for a cocktail reception and seated dinner under the stars with a menu prepared by Chef Amaris Jones. From Rick Ross to Derek Jeter to Timbaland, the celebrity chef has crafted unforgettable culinary experiences fit for any palate. Don’t have your tickets yet? There’s still time to purchase them here.

Jones chatted with PAMM before the big night about her influences and what she’s cooking up for our fund for Art + Soul.

PAMM: What defines Miami cuisine?
Jones: It’s really interesting because Miami has food influences from all over the world. Hyper-local. Miami cuisine can be also described as “Floribbean” cuisine. This cuisine is primarily a blend of global flavors and techniques that are influenced by visitors and immigrants from the Caribbean and Latin America.

How do your roots and background influence your food?
I was raised in Philadelphia and grew up primarily eating healthier versions of soul food in the household. My father was a minister, and a typical Sunday was an all-day affair. In between church services, we would eat at restaurants. This was my introduction to food inspired from Ethiopia to the Caribbean. I had a very advanced palate at a very young age. The food I cook is inspired from that childhood experience.

How did you create the menu for the evening?
The menu of the evening will be a combination of flavors of the American South and the African Diaspora.

What’s the one ingredient you can’t live without?
Turmeric. I use this spice daily in my coffee and in my food.