Black culinary history is a powerful story of resilience, creativity, and cultural preservation. From the deep roots of the okra plant to the groundbreaking work of Black chefs, writers, and historians, this legacy continues to shape the way we eat, cook, and tell our stories.

Join EatOkra at MOFAD for Binders of Black Culinary Legacy, a compelling panel conversation featuring Osayi Endolyn, Adjoa Kittoe (@seulful), and moderated by Ashia Aubourg. Together, they will explore the ways Black food traditions have been documented, celebrated, and sustained across generations.

After the discussion, connect with fellow attendees at a casual networking reception, where food lovers, historians, and industry professionals can exchange ideas, share stories, and continue the conversation.

The voices shaping Black culinary storytelling will be in the building—you won’t want to miss it!

“With its union of practicality and magic, a kitchen is a portal offering extended range and providing unlikely paths out of the ordinary. They are here, these lands I return to, in this kitchen.” 

So begins Cold Kitchen: A Year of Culinary Journeys, the latest offering from travel and food writer Caroline Eden, with the smell, taste, and preparation of food at its heart. A welcoming refuge with its tempting pantry, shelves of books, and inquisitive dog, Caroline Eden's basement Edinburgh kitchen offers her comfort away from the road. Here, she cooks recipes from her travels, reflects on past adventures, and contemplates the kitchen's unique ability to tell human stories. 

Join MOFAD as we celebrate the launch of Cold Kitchen on January 14th. In discussion with Charlotte Druckman, Caroline will discuss the kitchen, travel, and the importance of curiosity and of feeling at home in the world.

Ticket includes access to Flavor: The World to Your Brain from 6 to 7 PM, snacks, and beverages.

Copies of Cold Kitchen can be pre-purchased in a ticket bundle and during the program from our partner bookseller, Kitchen Arts & Letters.

CAROLINE EDEN

is a writer, book critic, and the award-winning author of Red Sands: Reportage and Recipes through Central Asia, from Hinterland to Heartland, a New Yorker Book of the Year; Black Sea: Dispatches and Recipes—Through Darkness and Light; and Samarkand: Recipes and Stories from Central Asia & the Caucasus. She has travelled extensively to countries such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and Bangladesh, documenting her experiences across multiple publications including Financial Times, the Guardian, and the Times Literary Supplement, as well as on BBC Radio 4’s “From Our Own Correspondent.” She lives in Edinburgh.

CHARLOTTE DRUCKMAN

is the creator of the from-scratch anthology Women on Food (Abrams, 2019) and is currently writing a book about soap operas with her friend Mayukh Sen titled Love in the Afternoon... and Evening (W.W. Norton & Co). You can find her writing in the Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine and the Washington Post, among other publications, or via "The Sweethearts," a newsletter devoted to the baked goods of NYC and the people behind them.

KITCHEN ARTS & LETTERS

is a bookstore devoted to food and drink, with titles imported from around the world. They emphasize works on food culture and innovation.

For Betty Liu, the award-winning author of My Shanghai, the key to great Chinese cooking lies not in strict “authentic” recipes and ingredients, but in adaptable techniques. The Chinese Way is an ethos that builds on a set of eight powerful, adaptable cooking techniques that flex with your pantry and the seasons. This collection of inspired recipes will teach you how to unlock your cooking, master heat, and create irresistible flavor combinations. One core technique at a time, Betty shows how to become a better cook—whether you’re stir-frying cauliflower or adding preserved lemon to broccoli for extra zing.

MOFAD is excited to welcome Betty Liu in celebration of her latest book, The Chinese Way: Classic Techniques, Fresh Flavors. She will be joined by award-winning cookbook author and food writer Hetty Lui McKinnon and Kaitlin Leung of The Woks of Life for an unforgettable conversation on the Chinese way of cooking.

This program is 21+. Ticket includes access to Flavor: The World to Your Brain from 6 to 7pm, snacks, and a baijiu cocktail tasting from program sponsor, Ming River.

Copies of The Chinese Way can be pre-purchased in a ticket bundle and during the program from our partner bookseller, Kitchen Arts & Letters.

A limited quantity of Betty’s Chile Crisp Dust by Curio Spice Co. will also be available for purchase during the program.

BEM presents family fun and conversation
in celebration of Lesley Enston's new book:

For author Lesley Enston, cooking has always been a way to connect to her Caribbean roots. Belly Full, with its breadth of stories, recipes, and stunning photography, will leave your stomach and heart more than satisfied and proves that the essential dishes and ingredients of Caribbean cuisine can be seen as an alphabet to unlocking a triumphant culinary language and legacy for all to gather in and share.

Lesley Enston will be in conversation with registered dietician nutritionist, Maya Feller. Lesley will dive into the vibrant world of Caribbean cuisine and the 11 staple ingredients that make it so uniquely flavorful while discussing the overlapping histories of the Caribbean islands through their rich cultures and cuisines.

Small bites curated by Best Dressed Plate.

​This is a family-friendly event and we encourage you bring your little chefs and eaters!

About the Author:

For Lesley Enston, cooking has always been a way to connect to her Caribbean roots. After growing up in Toronto, moving to Brooklyn, and spending a few years in London, she ultimately settled in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Along the way she’s consistently found herself over a stovetop, preparing the dishes her Trini mother first introduced her to, along with all her favorite foods from around the islands—and putting Scotch bonnet in just about everything. Lesley is a seasoned home cook and takes great pleasure in spreading the joy (and heat) of these flavors to her friends and loved ones by way of her famed backyard dinner parties. Better yet, Lesley’s young daughter, Desalin, now plays the role of sous-chef, enjoying the flavors her mother and grandmother cherish so deeply.

​You can find Lesley’s recipes in Bon Appétit, Food52, and the New York Times.

About BEM

​BEM | books & more is a literary destination at the intersection of food and Blackness. Established by two sisters in January 2021 as an online bookstore, BEM is proud to serve as a home for readers, writers, cooks, and eaters passionate about Black cultures in all their diversity. Taking an expansive approach to the nexus of food, literature, and culture, BEM celebrates Black food by bringing works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry for readers of all ages into conversation with cookbooks and culinary studies to explore how what feeds us defines us.

MOFAD is excited to collaborate with Oishii for The Science of Sweet: What it Looks Like When You Have Berries on the Brain. Visit Flavor: The World to Your Brain from August 8th to 18th to see what your brainwaves look like on Oishii Berries at MOFAD’s Brainwave Bloom.

Celebrate this 2 week long activation with us at a special MOFAD @ Night program on Thursday, August 15th, 5PM-9PM featuring vendors such as Lady M cakes, HeavenSake, Kamasu Sushi, and more. Ages 21+ Last entry at 8:45pm.

MOFAD is excited to welcome Carlos Matias in celebration of his new book, Emergency Quarters. This kid-friendly event will feature story time and Oishii strawberries!

Author Carlos Matias and Ezra Jack Keats Award–winning illustrator Gracey Zhang deliver a stunning picture book based on a finalist in the New York Times Metropolitan Diary “Best of the Year,” about a young boy in the city who tries his best to avoid spending his precious quarters on tempting local treats in case of an “emergency.” 

This program is ideal for kids ages 4 to 8 years. All kids must be accompanied by a grown-up. Tickets required for children only (each child ticket allows up to two accompanying adults free of charge).

Copies of Emergency Quarters can be purchased during the program from our partner bookseller, Kitchen Arts & Letters.

MOFAD is excited to collaborate with Oishii for The Science of Sweet: What it Looks Like When You Have Berries on the Brain. Visit Flavor: The World to Your Brain from August 8th to 18th to see what your brainwaves look like on Oishii Berries at MOFAD’s Brainwave Bloom.

Celebrate this 2 week long activation with us at our launch party on Thursday, August 8th, 5PM-9PM featuring vendors such as Lady M cakes, HeavenSake, Kamasu Sushi, and more. Ages 21+ Last entry at 8:45pm.