494: Grandma Cooking Wisdom with League of Kitchens
Nov 13, 2024
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Lisa Kyung Gross, founder of the League of Kitchens, shares her mission to preserve culinary wisdom from immigrant communities. The conversation highlights the importance of intergenerational cooking and the deep connections formed through sharing recipes. Lisa discusses the creation of the League of Kitchens Cookbook, emphasizing detailed recipe writing and cultural significance. Additionally, Rogelio Garcia talks about his book, 'Convivir,' blending Mexican cuisine with local ingredients, illustrating the emotional ties to food heritage.
The League of Kitchens emphasizes the connection between culinary skills and cultural heritage through stories shared by immigrant women cooks.
Lisa Kyung Gross highlights the meticulous process of finding instructors who embody both exceptional cooking talent and rich cultural narratives.
The creation of the League of Kitchens Cookbook showcases authentic cooking techniques, preserving traditional methods for future generations to appreciate.
Deep dives
Culinary Heritage and Community Involvement
The instructors at League of Kitchens are not just skilled home cooks; they are pivotal figures in their communities, often known for their exceptional culinary talents at social gatherings like potlucks. This program promotes the idea that culinary skills go hand in hand with cultural heritage, as these instructors share recipes and techniques that are deeply rooted in their backgrounds. For instance, Lisa Kyung-Gross, the founder of League of Kitchens, highlights the significance of learning from immigrant women who carry forward family recipes and cooking traditions. By valuing home cooking over restaurant cuisine, the program emphasizes the importance of personal stories and community connection in the culinary arts.
Learning Through Personal Stories
Lisa discusses her rich cultural background, being half Korean and half Hungarian Jewish, with home-cooked meals that combine these diverse culinary influences. Her experiences shaped her love for cooking and the desire to preserve these traditions through the League of Kitchens. She recounts memories of her Korean grandmother making traditional dishes from scratch, which cultivated her appreciation for the nuances in home cooking. This personal narrative drives home the significance of food memories and the passing down of culinary heritage across generations.
The Process of Finding Instructors
Finding talented instructors for League of Kitchens is a meticulous and meaningful process that involves seeking out exceptional home cooks within immigrant communities. Lisa explains that many instructors are referred through word of mouth, personal connections, and community organizations dedicated to supporting immigrants. Each instructor not only brings culinary skills but also plays an essential role in sharing their cultural narratives. This careful selection process ensures that instructors are not only masterful cooks but also resonate with the program’s focus on cultural storytelling.
Home-Cooked Insights and Recipe Development
The recipe development for the League of Kitchens Cookbook involved unique methods for capturing authentic cooking techniques, as many instructors do not rely on measuring tools. Lisa and co-writer Rachel Wharton conducted Zoom sessions with each instructor to document the intricate details often omitted from typical cookbooks, ensuring the recipes reflect the instructors' personal styles. This approach not only preserved traditional methods but also made the recipes accessible for home cooks. The goal was to create a cookbook filled with dishes that not only taste like authentic home cooking but also convey the essence of each instructor’s culinary heritage.
Culinary Connection and the Future of Traditions
The conversation touches on the urgency of preserving culinary traditions, especially those of immigrant communities, as globalization threatens to diminish these practices. Lisa emphasizes the joy and richness that comes from learning to cook from those who have a deep connection to their cultural cuisines. She highlights that the recipes shared in the League of Kitchens Cookbook are not just about the food itself, but also about family, love, and the shared experiences that accompany each dish. As these culinary traditions are recorded and celebrated, they ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy and learn from them, fostering a cross-cultural appreciation for home cooking.
Lisa Kyung Gross is the founder and CEO of the League of Kitchens, an immigrant-led, home-based cooking school that launched in New York City in 2014. Its instructors are 14 mothers and grandmothers from Indonesia, Mexico, Lebanon, Burkina Faso, and beyond, and now their culinary wisdom is being preserved in a new book: The League of Kitchens Cookbook. It’s truly so special having Lisa on the show to talk about how she finds these instructors and how the book came to life.
