Get their recipe for a refreshing hibiscus cooler to celebrate Juneteenth
CM: Please tell us about yourselves.
SJ: We were born and raised in the Lowcountry. We’re from an area called Hamlin, which is located in what is now affectionately called “North” Mount Pleasant. We both graduated from Wando High School and Francis Marion University. Our love for cooking began when we were young with ’Emma using an Easy Bake Oven and myself enjoying her creations until I got older and started creating my own.
CM: How did your catering company come about?
SJ: Carolima’s was born in 2011 through our love for entertaining and gathering people for a good time. ’Emma owned SouthernCakeQueen, the first mobile dessert truck in Charlotte, prior to relocating home to Charleston in 2018.
CM: Carolima’s specializes in Gullah Geechee food. Give us the details.
SJ: Gullah Geechee food is what we grew up eating. Every Sunday, we’d have dinner with family after church. The menu always consisted of the classics like macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, okra soup, and collard greens. Gullah Geechee food has a huge influence from the African Diaspora, which makes it rich in heritage and tradition.
CM: So who does what?
SJ: Our backgrounds are in finance. We both handle preparing proposals for clients since each one is carefully curated. Our creative director Rethmiriam Barr has been with us since the beginning; she’s like another sibling. She makes sure we have everything we need as far as equipment, serving ware, etc. And ’Emma is our in-house pastry chef. We ship some of her desserts, like our Charleston chewies, red velvet cheesecake brownies, and old-fashioned pound cakes, online.
CM: What is the annual Taste of Gullah Geechee dinner?
SJ: It’s always the first Sunday in February; our fifth-annual dinner will happen on February 7, 2027. It’s a great event that’s open to the public where our chef friends gather and share a dish inspired from the African Diaspora. It’s served family-style, and it’s laced with entertainment and great conversations.
CM: In 2021, Carolima’s was featured in an Emmy-winning Food Network series celebrating traditional Juneteenth cuisine. Tell us about that.
SJ: We prepared grilled vanilla pound cake and tea cakes, two classic items. We also celebrate Juneteenth during an annual “boujee” crab crack, where we enjoy blue crabs and sorrel-inspired cocktails. The hibiscus’s red color is significant because it represents the blood that was shed by enslaved Africans in achieving their freedom.
CM: ’Emma, how did you feel as one of six women from across the country to receive a Les Dames d’Escoffier Legacy award in 2023?
EC: I was honored to receive the award—it was truly an incredible experience to be able to go and work with the Pier 60 staff. The New York Dames welcomed me with open arms, and I now feel confident knowing I can reach out to any of them for guidance and support.
