Translating Taste: Food Writing Across Cultures

Tell me what you eat, the old adage from the epicurean Brillat-Savarin goes, and I will tell you who you are. 

Writing about food has a unique power that goes beyond its potential to evoke sensory pleasure. What we cook can reveal a great deal about who we are in the world, the cultures we belong to, even the social and political values that shaped us. In this conversation, acclaimed cookbook authors Nasim Alikhani (Sofreh), Abi Balingit (Mayumu), and Kayla Stewart (Gullah Geechee Home Cooking) will discuss the genesis of their respective cookbooks along with the joys—and challenges—of navigating the wider food industry. What is the responsibility of a food writer to translate, in both a literal and figurative sense, their cuisine for a general audience? How does a food writer from an underrepresented group balance those imperatives against the need to accurately represent their own communities? These questions will animate this lively discussion, moderated by Taste Makers author Mayukh Sen.

To join the event in person | Please register for an In-Person Ticket. Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For in-person events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment; we will do our best to accommodate everyone. Booked seats that have not been claimed will be released shortly before start time, and seats may become available then. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

To join the event online | Please register for an Online Ticket. This event will be streamed on Zoom. To receive a Zoom link, please be sure to register! The link will be shared with registrants shortly before start time.

This World Literature Festival event is co-presented with Asian American Writers' Workshop.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The New York Public Library’s World Literature Festival (April 15-30, 2024) celebrates books and writers from around the world and reflects the languages spoken in our communities. Discover what our patrons are reading in different languages, resources the Library offers, free events, book recommendations, and more.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Mayukh Sen is the James Beard Award-winning author of Taste Makers (2021) and the forthcoming book Love, Queenie: Merle Oberon, Hollywood's First South Asian Star (2025). His work has been anthologized in three editions of The Best American Food Writing, and he teaches food journalism at New York University.

Abi Balingit is a Filipino American home baker and author based in Brooklyn. Her debut cookbook, MAYUMU: Filipino American Desserts Remixed was released in February 2023. When she’s not working full-time at a live music company, she runs a baking blog called The Dusky Kitchen. Her #PASALUBONG treat box series helps to raise money for mutual aid organizations. She has been featured in Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, and more.

Kayla Stewart is a James Beard Award-winning food and travel journalist, cookbook author, and editor of Eater Houston. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Eater, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, and others.

Nasim Alikhani was born and raised in Isfahan, Iran, and is the executive chef and owner of the Iranian restaurant Sofreh in Brooklyn. In 2023, Nasim was named a James Beard Foundation Finalist for Best Chef: New York State, and was invited to cook for President Biden, the First Lady and their guests at a special Nowruz reception at the White House. She is currently a James Beard Foundation Semi Finalist for Best Chef: New York State.

GET THE BOOKS

If you have a NYPL library card, you can borrow the authors' books for free with our e-reader app SimplyE, available for iOS and Android devices.

Don't have a New York Public Library card? Get one here!

If you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or suspect you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, please stay home.

ACCESSIBILITY

In-Person

• You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or CART (Communication Access Real-Time Translation) captioning service by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org.


• This venue is fully accessible to wheelchairs.

Online

• Live captioning will be provided.


• You can request a free ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation by emailing your request at least two weeks in advance of the event: email accessibility@nypl.org.

CONNECT

For general questions, please email adultprogramming@nypl.org.

Please submit all press inquiries at least 48 hours before the event: email press@nypl.org.