Chef Evelyn Stokes says anyone is capable of cooking like a professional chef at home if given the proper training in a nurturing, empowering environment.
More than that, Stokes says the experience of creating meals provides an opportunity to tap into “magic” that has the power to positively transform lives and even communities.
And Stokes is able to make these claims because helping people navigate magical journeys through food is something she does on a regular basis from an iconic Detroit location.
“More than just giving people a full stomach, we help them to come away with a full heart,” says Stokes, the owner and chef at Evelyn’s Midtown Kitchen in Eastern Market, which provides hands-on cooking classes that are designed to be “fun, exciting and meaningful” for families, youths, couples and other groups from Detroit and beyond. “Food creates memories and when people are able to learn to prepare food in a very non-contrived environment where everyone is welcome, a type of development takes place — mind, body and thought — that is essential for survival.”
Stokes is a product of the nationally renowned culinary arts program offered at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, and, as a result, international cuisine became one of her specialties. But when it comes to identifying the source of Stokes’ motivation, the answer can be found much closer to home, specifically the days she spent growing up in Highland Park and on Detroit’s west side.
From her family’s home on Tuxedo Street in Highland Park, where Stokes’ late father, David, was the primary cook, Stokes says she began to view meals in a sacred way as her dad served up family favorites like pot roast and pot pies made from scratch.
“Food was tied to my father’s survival when he arrived in Detroit from North Carolina in the 1950s (during the second wave of the Great Migration) after fighting in Korea because before he could do anything he had to be able to feed himself,” said Stokes, the pride of Highland Park High School (Class of 1995). “My father became a realtor, so through his work and cooking he was able to feed his family.”
During the same period of time that Stokes was speaking about — roughly from the 1980s into the ‘90s — Stokes says she experienced a different form of nourishment at FlowerVille USA, a flower shop owned by her late mother June, that was located at West McNichols and St. Mary’s, not far from another longtime business in the neighborhood — Mini Mart Specialty Meats — where Stokes’ father often purchased fresh meat for the family.
“At the front counter of my mother’s flower shop, there would be more than just customers,” recalled Stokes, who for the past 12 years has taught cooking professionally at locations across metro Detroit. “You also could find the mailman, and the lady who went down the street selling pies, or sometimes children who were hungry, and other people that were attracted to the space.”
Stokes says a similar vibe can be experienced at Evelyn’s Midtown Kitchen, which she operates today from her Eastern Market Shed 5 kitchen at 2810 Russell St.
“Sometimes I’m walking around the space and I hear laughter, which makes me think that the people laughing came together, and then I find out that they just met at the class,” said Stokes, whose self-stated mission is to promote healthy eating, cultural awareness and team collaboration, while fostering lifelong culinary skills in a fun, inclusive environment.
“We have people that drive in from all over to our classes and there are no divisions by nationality or economic levels or anything else,” Stokes added. “It’s not the club, it’s not school, it’s just a safe space that brings all kinds of people together with very high intrinsic value.”
As Stokes spoke with passion during the afternoon of Dec. 29 about the meals and experiences that she and her team help to create at Eastern Market, it was hard to believe that there was a time when food was not the primary focus of her adult life, but that is indeed true. In fact, when Stokes left her Highland Park neighborhood after graduating from high school, she went to the University of Michigan, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and history. An MBA from the University of Phoenix would come later for Stokes, who applied her college education for years while holding professional positions connected to market research in higher education and health care. However, it was the intensive examination that Stokes conducted of her own mind and heart that ultimately launched her professional food journey.
“I was searching for something meaningful and I was wondering how I was going to make a difference in the world, and that search kept bringing me back to food,” said Stokes, whose first business, I Eat Super!, partnered with organizations like Health Alliance Plan to teach Detroit schoolchildren how to prepare healthy, nutritious food. “Once I searched my heart, I felt like I was at a diving board at the edge of a pool and I had to ask myself: ‘Do I walk back or jump off?’ ”
Stokes looks forward to “diving” even deeper into her mission centered on food during 2026, as she continues her efforts to go from renter to owning a building within Eastern Market, where she would operate a full-scale public teaching kitchen rooted in “culture, connection and hands-on education” for everyone.
“We’re committed to building a dedicated kitchen space right here at Eastern Market at 2614 Riopelle St. that will allow us to deepen our impact in our community,” said Stokes, who has shared her vision, along with other information about Evelyn’s Midtown Kitchen — including a schedule and registration information for upcoming cooking classes —at emkculinary.com. “With a (permanent) dedicated kitchen space, our capacity will expand dramatically. We’ll teach more classes, provide jobs, and offer hands-on learning that builds skills and confidence. It’s about creating bonds; reviving the art of home-cooked meals, and giving our community opportunities to grow, connect and thrive together.”
One person who became a fan of Stokes’ work and mission during 2025 is Corey Leon. As senior director for Grow America (formerly the National Development Council), Leon is in the business of helping communities achieve community development finance goals. But during the early evening of New Year’s Eve, Leon spoke simply from the perspective of an everyday Detroiter, who discovered a somewhat hidden gem in his city created by Stokes.
“It was about six months ago, and either on Instagram or Eventbrite, I came across a post for a couple’s night cooking class given by Evelyn’s Midtown Kitchen in Eastern Market, so my wife (Kitty) and I went, and then we went again,” said Leon, a 1988 Cass Tech graduate, who pulled out two recipes — misoyaki butterfish and garlic ginger bok choy and shiitake mushrooms— that he and his wife received from Stokes. “It’s a great experience to learn a new recipe and then afterward you sit down and enjoy what was cooked while enjoying the other couples around you, like a couple we met from Novi, which led to an unexpected conversation about Asian markets.
“So, it’s both an educational and social experience. But more than that, it’s just nice to meet new people while doing something fun and we all need those special opportunities.”
Scott Talley is a native Detroiter, a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and a lifelong lover of Detroit culture in its diverse forms. In his second tour with the Free Press, which he grew up reading as a child, he is excited and humbled to cover the city’s neighborhoods and the many interesting people who define its various communities. Contact him at stalley@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @STalleyfreep. Read more of Scott’s stories at www.freep.com/mosaic/detroit-is/. Please help us grow great community-focused journalism by becoming a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Community building through cooking classes is Detroit chef’s specialty
Reporting by Scott Talley, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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