Charity Morgan
{{Short description|American plant-based chef}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Charity Morgan
| image =
| image_size =
| image_upright =
| landscape =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| resting_place =
| occupation = Plant-based chef, cookbook author, television host
| nationality = American
| education = Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts (Pasadena, California branch)
| genre = Cookbook and Television
| notable_works = Unbelievably Vegan: 100+ Life-Changing, Plant-Based Recipes: A Cookbook (2022)
Unbelievably Vegan with Chef Charity (2024)
| spouse = Derrick Morgan
| children =
| awards =
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| signature_size =
| signature_type =
| years_active =
| website = {{URL|charitymorgan.com}}
| portaldisp =
}}
Chef Charity Morgan is an American plant-based chef, cookbook author, and television host. She is the wife of former NFL Linebacker Derrick Morgan, appeared with him in the 2018 plant-based diet documentary, The Game Changers, and is the host of Unbelievably Vegan with Chef Charity on Max.
Early life and education
Morgan grew up on a farm near Sacramento, California.{{cite web
|url=https://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/event/charity-morgan/
|title=Charity Morgan, Author of Unbelievably Vegan
|access-date=2023-12-28
|last=
|first=
|date=
|work=Atlanta History Center
}} Her culinary interests began as a child, when she was influenced by the dishes from her "mother's Puerto Rican heritage," and Creole dishes made by her paternal grandmother. Her mother's cooking was also influenced by friends from the Philippines, Mexico, and India. In addition, her eventual shift away from animal products was partially the result of watching animals killed for food on her family's farm.
She is a graduate of the Pasadena, California branch of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.{{cite web
|url=https://www.mashed.com/752342/charity-morgan-compares-plegan-and-vegan-while-getting-cheesy-with-treeline-exclusive-interview/
|title=Charity Morgan Compares Plegan And Vegan While Getting Cheesy With Treeline - Exclusive Interview
|access-date=2023-12-28
|last=Gerrard
|first=Gene
|date=2023-01-23
|work=mashed.com
}}
Career
After an externship through Le Cordon Bleu with a "very high-end restaurant off Melrose," in Los Angeles, Morgan worked as a chef for a few restaurants and catering companies, before becoming a private chef for people who can't cook.
Although Morgan and her husband former NFL Linebacker Derrick Morgan tried going plant-based in 2015, they did not succeed. A few years later in 2017, Derrick tried again after meeting with a nutritionist in order to improve his athletic performance. However, as he didn't like the food that was part of that program, Charity decided to become a plant-based chef in order to prepare his meals. After helping Derrick transition to a fully plant-based diet, Charity then convinced several other Tennessee Titans into making the change as well.{{cite news|last1=Wolfe|first1=Cameron|title=Derrick Morgan and his chef wife inspired vegan movement on Titans|url=http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/259911/derrick-morgan-and-his-chef-wife-inspired-vegan-movement-on-titans|access-date=February 3, 2018|work=ESPN|date=December 2, 2017}} Morgan describes her plant-based approach as "Plegan," which helped her move beyond traditional definitions of Veganism.
In 2023, Tasting Table said that Morgan is one of the "21 Plant-Based Chefs You Need To Know,"{{cite web
|url=https://www.tastingtable.com/1303475/plant-based-chefs-need-know/
|title=21 Plant-Based Chefs You Need To Know
|access-date=2023-12-28
|last=Kot
|first=Anna
|date=2023-06-02
|work=Tasting Table
}} and VegNews listed her as one of the "37 Creative Chefs Crafting the Future of Vegan Food."{{cite web
|url=https://vegnews.com/chefs/creative-vegan-chefs
|title=37 Creative Chefs Crafting the Future of Vegan Food
|access-date=January 16, 2024
|last=Pointing
|first=Charlotte
|date= July 27, 2023
|work=VegNews
}} In 2024, VegNews called Morgan one of the "17 Black Vegan Chefs Redefining Plant-Based Food and Community."
|url=https://vegnews.com/chefs/black-vegan-chefs
|title=17 Black Vegan Chefs Redefining Plant-Based Food and Community
|access-date=March 12, 2024
|last=Flink
|first=Tanya
|date= February 19, 2024
|work=VegNews
}}
=Book=
Esquire called her first cookbook, Unbelievably Vegan: 100+ Life-Changing, Plant-Based Recipes: A Cookbook one of the "15 Best Cookbooks of 2022,"{{cite web
|url=https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/food/g39109775/best-cookbooks-2022/
|title=The 15 Best Cookbooks of 2022 Will Have You Cheffing It Up In No Time
|access-date=2023-12-28
|last=Li
|first=Maverick
|date=2022-02-18
|work=Esquire
}} Forbes named it one of the "13 Of The Best Cookbooks To Keep You Inspired In The Kitchen" in 2022,{{cite web
|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbes-personal-shopper/2022/01/24/inspiring-cookbooks/?sh=6a6d4272be8d
|title=13 Of The Best Cookbooks To Keep You Inspired In The Kitchen
|access-date=2023-12-28
|last=Calhoun
|first=Molly
|date=2022-01-24
|work=Forbes
}} Runner's World listed it as one of the "6 Best Vegan Cookbooks to Get More Plants in Your Diet" in 2022,{{cite web
|url=https://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-weight-loss/g41845413/best-vegan-cookbooks/#product-74aeb1d7-63dc-4db2-9ca7-c8119e1a24a7
|title=The 6 Best Vegan Cookbooks to Get More Plants in Your Diet
|access-date=2023-12-28
|last=Hondorp
|first=Gabrielle
|date=2022-11-07
|work=Runner's World
}} Food Network included it as one of the "10 Best New Vegan Cookbooks" for 2023,{{cite web
|url=https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/shopping/gift-ideas/best-new-vegan-cookbooks
|title=10 Best New Vegan Cookbooks
|access-date=2023-12-28
|last=Khoury-Hanold
|first=Layla
|date=2023-01-03
|work=Food Network
}} and Food & Wine said it is one of the "18 Best Vegan Cookbooks for Every Type of Meal" in 2023.{{cite web
|url=https://www.foodandwine.com/lifestyle/kitchen/best-vegan-cookbooks
|title=The 18 Best Vegan Cookbooks for Every Type of Meal
|access-date=2023-12-28
|last=Makhijani
|first=Pooja
|date=2023-11-02
|work=Food & Wine
}} VegNews listed Unbelievably Vegan as one of the "Top 100 Vegan Cookbooks of All Time" in 2024.
|url=https://vegnews.com/cookbooks/best-vegan-cookbooks-2
|title=The Top 100 Vegan Cookbooks of All Time
|access-date=January 16, 2024
|last=Pointing
|first=Charlotte
|date= January 10, 2024
|work=VegNews
}}
=Media=
Charity appeared with her husband Derrick in the 2018 documentary The Game Changers, which is about plant-based athletes. Beginning in 2024, Morgan began hosting the food cooking show, Unbelievably Vegan with Chef Charity on Max.{{cite web
|url=https://decider.com/2024/08/22/chef-charity-morgan-working-miley-cyrus-difficult-cooks-unbelievably-vegan/
|title=Chef Charity Morgan Talks Working For Miley Cyrus, Dealing With Difficult Cooks, And Her Delicious New Show 'Unbelievably Vegan'
|access-date=August 23, 2024
|last=Cardinal
|first=Grace
|date= August 22, 2024
|work=Decider
|url=https://www.hbo.com/movies/unbelievably-vegan-with-chef-charity
|title=Unbelievably Vegan With Chef Charity
|access-date=October 21, 2024
|last=
|first=
|date=
|work=HBO
}}
Personal life
Morgan lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband Derrick Morgan and their children.
See also
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.charitymorgan.com}}
- {{IMDb name|id=10257257|name=Charity Morgan}}
- [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2239679/charity-morgan/ Biography from Penguin]
{{People in veganism and vegetarianism}}
{{Plant-based diets}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morgan, Charity}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century African-American people
Category:21st-century African-American women
Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers
Category:African-American women writers
Category:African-American writers
Category:American cooking television series
Category:American people of Creole descent
Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent
Category:Alumni of Le Cordon Bleu
Category:American cookbook writers
Category:American food writers
Category:Plant-based cookbook writers