A local dinner series, Immigrant Kitchen, has relaunched in south Minneapolis, featuring immigrant chefs and their stories. The series, which was paused due to the presence of federal immigration agents in the area, aims to break down cultural barriers using food as a tool.

Empowerment Through Food

Mecca Bos, co-founder of the BIPOC Foodways Alliance, which launched the series, said the dinners have become an empowerment piece for the participating chefs, particularly for those who are new to the area. The chefs are able to share their cultural background and connect with others through food and storytelling.

LaToya Mbayu, who will lead the second dinner in the series, said she was inspired to start telling stories with her culture’s food after attending one of the Immigrant Kitchen dinners. She will be offering a variety of Cameroonian dishes, including beignet haricot and poulet DG.

Tess Bouska, who assists the featured chefs with food preparation, said there has been an uptick in interest in the events, which is encouraging. The series is free, thanks to an outside funder, and all five meals in the current series have been planned.

Original reporting: Sahan Journal — read the source article.