In Search of Vertamae’s Kitchen Menu Photograph by Gabrielle Clark

In Search of Vertamae’s Kitchen Menu
Photograph by Gabrielle Clark

Gumbo Three Ways Photograph by Gabrielle Clark

Gumbo Three Ways
Photograph by Gabrielle Clark

In Search of Our Foremothers’ Kitchens

a Community Dinner Series

In Search of Our Foremothers' Kitchens is an ever-evolving community dinner series honoring the women that have taught and moved us: Ntozake, Zora, Alice + Vertamae.

Vertamae tells us, “Food is sexy and you can tell a lot about people and where they’re at by their food habits. People who eat food with pleasure and get pleasure from the different stirring of the senses that a well-prepared food experience can bring are my kind of people.”

Them is our kinda people, too! If you’re someone who enjoys the sensual + transmutative power of food, join us around the table with our community, friends + family for evenings full of good folk, good food and, of course, the good word.

We hope to continue the search for more of our mothers’ kitchens in future! Visit our contact page if you’d like us to help you search for and honor your fore/mothers’ kitchens.

In Search of Zaki’s Kitchen
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Our House Culture Center


In Search of Zora’s Kitchen
Sunday, January 6, 2019
Duafe Holistic Hair Care

In Search of Alice’s Kitchen - postponed
Saturday, February 16, 2019
1149 Cooperative


In Search of Vertamae’s Kitchen
Sunday, April 7, 2019
Duafe Holistic Hair Care

A playlist featuring Chris Botti, Bessie Smith, Willie Colón, and others

"As early as I could remember, it was the habit of the men particularly to gather on the store porch in the evenings and swap stories. Even the women would stop and break a breath with them at times." - from Mules and Men

"Our mothers taught us that in the old, old days, when they were their grandmothers and their grandmothers were old - for we are our grandmothers, you understand, only with lots of new and different things added - only women had been priests." The Temple of My Familiar, 1989

"I've set a place for you, so you'd betta come on in to my kitchen." * "yenna come nyam" means "come and eat"