COMMUNITY CHEFS LA: Community Trust Building & Cookies with Dr. Acooba

Meet Dr. Acooba Scott, a vegan educator and chef/baker! Read more about this Community Chefs LA story below!

Last Fall, Dr. Acooba shared some delicious plant-based recipes in Leimert Park with Tony Jolly, co-owner of Hot & Cool Cafe. You can re-watch her session here. While, there, Dr. Acooba and Tony discussed their journey as collaborators. They highlight the importance of having honest conversations and recalled when Dr. Acooba shifted from making her famous cookies for the cafe to teaching cooking classes. Check out the video on this page!

In June 2021, Dr. Acooba was featured in Shoutout LA. Here’s a except from that conversation:

Hi Dr. Acooba, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Years ago, I became aware that whenever the fact that I was vegetarian came up in conversation, people invariably responded with some version of: “I used to be a vegetarian” / “I tried that” / “That didn’t work for me” and so on. For a long time I found it frustrating, then it dawned on me that if so many people kept trying and failing at a plant-based lifestyle, there was a definite need for help to go the distance. At the time I was already informally fielding FAQ’s, teaching my children’s friends and others to cook, and giving many people an experience of vegetarian food. Up to that point I was treating it as a calling of sorts, and this new awareness caused a shift in my perspective and I started pursuing this business as my work. (See full interview here.)

To learn more about Dr. Acooba, check out her website: http://www.acooba.com. It’s filled with great recipes, including her famous gluten-free chocolate chip oat cookies!