Female rap icon Yo-Yo (neé Yolanda Whitaker) is trading her mic—temporarily—to show us how she likes to throw down in the kitchen. After developing a passion for whipping up meals during her heyday of performing and on tour circuits around the world, the emcee will now take her culinary talents to an all-new streaming series, Downright Delicious with Yo-Yo—airing June 6, 2023, on aspireTV.

"My love for cooking started from just making any dish I loved on my own. I'm from Los Angeles, so Mexican food is big for us. Typically, we just do the meat, onions, cheese, rice and maybe pinto beans. I started putting my own spin on it, with different meats and toppings, and people loved it," " shares Yo-Yo. From there, it became a passion. I made burritos on the tour bus one time with Too $hort, Digital Underground and of course Ice Cube. They ate them all."

She'll certainly be showing us plenty of delicious Yo-Yo-inspired meals to try on our own—dishes like lobster rolls, oyster steaks and more. The hip-hop pioneer also emphasizes that fans and viewers will be able to get an authentic glimpse into her home and life beyond music. With special appearances by her daughter, mother, and fellow female emcee Roxanne Shanté, Yo-Yo not only bonds with women who are near and dear to her heart, but they share personal stories of life, connection and love.

"Family has always been important to me. But success to me is having my family with me—my kids, my mother. And them wanting to participate in this with me means the world. My mother is very passionate about cooking and for her to love my food, makes it even more special. Because we all know moms will side-eye you real quick," adds the show host. "I'm also really excited for people to see me. Not just me as Yo-Yo, but my love for family, love, connection. I get to share my experiences, I can't do that on stage. This is me sharing my home, talking stories and having conversations with people who came up in this industry with me, and just talking life. It's authentic, it's real, and the food is truly downright delicious."

Get a peek at one of Yo-Yo's easy-to-follow recipes below.

Yo-Yo's Sheet Pan Salmon & Broccolini

salmon-with-broccolini-yo-yo-recipe
Image: Courtesy of aspireTV.

Yo-Yo's Sheet Pan Salmon & Broccolini

  • 2 lbs broccolini, stem ends trimmed
  •  2 lbs side of salmon, skin off
  •  ¾ cup honey
  •  ¼ cup salt-free all-purpose seasoning
  •  4 tsp Kosher salt
  •  2 tsp black pepper
  •  ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  •  1 cup white wine
  •  ½ cup fresh dill
  •  Salt and pepper, to taste
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a large pot filled with salted water, blanch the broccolini for 2 minutes, then remove and lay out on to a sheet pan, being sure the broccolini stays near the center of the sheet pan.
  3. Place the salmon skin side up on top of the broccolini. Drizzle half of the honey over top of the salmon and season with 2 tablespoons of the all-purpose seasoning and 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Turn over and repeat on the bone side, starting with the honey, then all-purpose seasoning, salt and black pepper.
  4. Drizzle ¼ cup of the extra-virgin olive oil over the salmon and pour the white wine onto the sheet pan. Place the fish in the oven and cook, for about 12–14 minutes, or until the salmon is nearly cooked through and the broccolini are tender.
  5. Remove from the oven, drizzle the remaining ¼ of olive oil over the salmon along with the fresh dill and serve with the broccolini.

Nature Nate's 100% Pure Honey

Price: $10

Holland House White Cooking Wine

Price: $4

Morton coarse kosher salt

Price: $3

World Market Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Price: $10

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