Stir The Pot Kitchen

It’s been a slow year for Stir The Pot Kitchen, and it’s about to get even slower around here as I get ready to meet our baby (and future sous chef) next week.

I feel very lucky that this business, as much as I love it, is not my primary source of income, and I can afford to take time off and ease back in when I’m able. It’s been a hard year to focus on curriculum and marketing and social media. But I miss cooking with you all, and I’m looking forward to returning to classes in the fall — maybe with a little one in the kitchen!

Please DM me if you want to stay in touch, and check back after the summer for what’s next in the kitchen. 💛

P.S. You can request a class recording and recipes from any of my past classes on my website stirthepotkitchen.com. They’re sliding scale and I’ll donate all proceeds to the wonderful .

While you mostly see me cook “no-recipe recipes” on here, the truth is I am a cookbook collector (hoarder?) and there are few objects I appreciate more than a beautifully designed, carefully tested, lovingly written cookbook.

Here are nine of my favorite, 10/10-would-recommend cookbooks by Black chef/authors from across the diaspora. Food is history, and each of these books is a primer in Black history and a celebration of Black culture past and present.

I noticed a few things in pulling these from my collection. First, while many are books I reach for often, I rarely think to share them online; it shouldn’t take one (short) month per year to prompt a post like this. Second, the powerhouse that is Bryant Terry is overrepresented in this collection: three of the books you see here are his projects. That’s no coincidence; he’s the founder and editor in chief of , which is one of the few publishing imprints to focus on BIPOC nonfiction and cookbook authors. Third, the culinary diversity of even this small collection of books shows that “Black food” is far from a monolith, although white Americans often see it that way.

The publishing industry, from literary agents to publishers to editors, is still majority white (like, over 70% 🤯) and until that changes, Black chefs will continue to be underrepresented in cookbooks — even though Black chefs and food writers are doing some of the most excellent work in the field.

What are some if your favorite cookbooks by Black authors? Have you tried any of the books in this post, and what did you think?

(P.S. did you know you can check cookbooks out of your local library — and that you can request books for them to carry?)

Books pictured (continued in comments):
1. Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration.
2. Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries of African American Cooking,
3. California Soul: Recipes from a Culinary Journey West,
4. Black Food: Stories, Art & Recipes From Across the African Diaspora, (this is an anthology with many contributors!)

*NEW* kids’ virtual cooking class on 2/21: chicken dinner!

Join from your home kitchen and cook along with me to make a full chicken dinner for the whole household:

🥘 juicy honey-mustard chicken

🍠 golden roast potatoes

🫛crisp-tender sautéed green beans

To sign up, visit my website: https://www.stirthepotkitchen.com/

🍊As always, this drop-in class is pay-what-you-want, right down to $0. Ten percent of class proceeds will go to .��💛This is a welcoming, diet-talk-free class.��🥕How does it work? I’ll send you the ingredient list, and you join via laptop or tablet from your kitchen to cook along with me!

Questions? Let me know in the comments or DM me.

class

[ID: black text on a yellow background reads “let’s make a chicken dinner! Kids’ online cooking class 2/21. 3am PT/6pm ET. Cook along with me to make honey-mustard chicken, roast potatoes, and green beans.” Text wraps around a pencil drawing of a young chef pouring sauce into a pan. The next slide reads “beginner-friendly. live and recorded. Choose your price - 10% will be donated. Share this post!”]

*NEW* kids’ virtual cooking class on 1/21: Sunday brunch!

Join from your home kitchen and cook along with me to make:

🌯 a batch of hearty breakfast burritos (I’ll provide options to customize)

☕️ a pot of homemade, cinnamon-spiced hot chocolate on the stove.

We’ll practice knife and stovetop skills, how to season and build flavor, and how to master the burrito wrap!

To sign up, visit https://www.stirthepotkitchen.com/

🍫As always, this weekend class is pay-what-you-want, right down to $0. Ten percent of class proceeds will go to the Food Chain Workers’ Alliance.
💛This is a welcoming, diet-talk-free class.
🥕How does it work? I’ll send you the ingredient list, and you join via laptop or tablet from your kitchen to cook along with me!

Questions? Let me know in the comments or DM me.



[ID: black text on a yellow background reads “let’s make breakfast burritos and hot cocoa! Kids’ online cooking class 1/21. 9am PT/12pm ET. Practice your culinary skills as we cook up a delicious Sunday brunch.” Text wraps around a pencil drawing of a child sautéing something in a skillet. The next slide reads “beginner-friendly. live and recorded. Choose your price - 10% will be donated. Share this post!”]i

*NEW* all-ages virtual cooking class on 12/17: Homemade Holiday Gifts!

(Yep, that’s next Sunday.)

Join from your home kitchen and cook along with me in our third annual holiday gift class.

We’ll be making two holiday treats to give to teachers, neighbors, or pals (or enjoy for yourself):

🎁 homemade crunchy granola
🍫 a choose-your-own-adventure chocolate bark

This will be a cozy, festive, beginner-friendly class.

It’s all ages (grown-ups too!), so please spread the word and invite grandparents, cousins, pals, anyone you’d like to hang out with in our virtual kitchen.

💛This class is pay-what-you-want, right down to $0. Half the proceeds will be going to , providing urgent relief and hot meals in Gaza.

Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMEXuE5NJS-vmIpYX2CHB7OeWWTAASvsRYIkMwKYNfvo3A7A/viewform

Questions? Let me know in the comments or DM me.



[ID: black text on a yellow background reads “let’s make some homemade holiday gifts! all-ages online cooking class 12/17. whip up treats for teachers, neighbors, and pals.” Text wraps around a pencil drawing of a child with a Stir The Pot Kitchen shirt whisking something in a bowl. The next slide reads “All ages. Live and recorded. Choose your price — half the proceeds will be donated. Share this post!”]

The world is awful right now, and one small gesture I know how to make is raising funds for a wonderful organization.

World Central Kitchen () is a frontline organization that provides thousands of hot meals and meal kits to people in crisis around the world.

Every penny from my online cooking class on Wednesday 11/8 at 3pm PT/6pm ET will go to .

We’ll be making a cozy vegetable stew with homemade dumplings (not filled dumplings – these are plump little rounds of biscuit dough simmered right in the savory broth until tender).

I hope this class is cozy, calm, and nourishing; I look forward to being in community while we cook together from our separate kitchens.

Comment below or message me for details. ��
More info:
🥕This 75(ish) minute class is for all ages, kids and adults! It’s beginner-friendly, but young chefs will need assistance with knife and stovetop steps. ��🫛Class is pay-what-you-want; you choose the donation amount you’re comfortable with. The standard price is $20, but any amount helps!��🧅This is a welcoming, diet-talk-free class. Cameras on or off; up to you! You can even join and just watch (like a cooking show). ��🥣How does it work? I’ll send you the ingredient list and Zoom link, and you join via laptop or tablet from your home kitchen to cook along with me live.

🥕 Picky eater? There will be NO pressure to taste any of what we make, just relaxed exploration and skill-building.
� kidscooking

[ID: black text on a yellow background reads “let’s make dinner for a good cause! all-ages online cooking class 11/8. cook along with me to raise funds for World Central Kitchen. we’ll make cozy vegetable stew & homemade dumplings.” Text wraps around a pencil drawing of a child tasting something from a pot with a wooden spoon next to a bowl of herbs on the counter; a “Stir The Pot Kitchen” logo is in the corner. The next slide reads “All ages. Live and recorded. Choose your price — every penny will be donated. Share this post!”]

On WEDNESDAY, 11/8 (time TBD depending on you!), I’m hosting an all-ages virtual dinner class to benefit World Central Kitchen, which provides hundreds of thousands of hot meals and meal kits to people in crisis.

We’ll be making a cozy vegetable stew with homemade dumplings. At the end of this class you’ll have a hearty vegetarian meal for the whole household, a printable recipe, bonus materials on extra kitchen skills, and lifetime access to a recording — plus the satisfaction of having supported a wonderful and highly-rated humanitarian organization.

Please share! To sign up: message me, comment below, or email me at [email protected] to get the details and weigh in on timing.

🥕100% of the proceeds will go to WCK.
🫛Beginners, kids, and adults all welcome.
🧅I’ll send you the recipe, shopping list, and Zoom link and you join live to cook along with me step by step.
🥔Vegan and GF options provided.

(Can’t make it 11/8? Just ask for the recording and you can follow along later!).

*New* this Saturday! Back-to-school snack class — sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScA7LhJ5tfH1h-4stPYufp5JR9hsZ17tr25FparuXsG_v4PLg/viewform?pli=1

Sunday 9/17 at 9am PT/12pm ET. Comment or message me with any questions.

🍌We’ll be making three delicious, hearty recipes to pack for lunch or enjoy after school: crunchy pita chips, fresh and creamy tzatziki (cucumber-yogurt dip), and chewy banana-oat energy bites with chocolate chips.

🍫As always, this weekend class is pay-what-you-want, right down to $0.

💛This is a welcoming, diet-talk-free class geared toward kids/beginners. We’ll practice grating, mixing, measuring, and baking.

🥕How does it work? I’ll send you the ingredient list, and you join via laptop or tablet from your home kitchen to cook along with me live!

🍋Details and registration at the link in my bio. (Class will be recorded if you can’t make it live.)

Please share this post or send to a friend!

[ID: black text on a yellow background reads “back to school snacks! Virtual kids’ cooking class 9/17 at 9am PT/12pm ET. Cook along with me to make crunchy pita chips + creamy dip, plus chewy chocolate-chip energy bites.” Text is above a drawing of a plate of chips with dip; a “Stir The Pot Kitchen” logo is in the corner. ]

NEW! Kids’ Zoom cooking class is Sunday 5/28 at 9am PT/12pm ET. (Recording also available.)

We’ll be making a luxurious Sunday brunch: rich, custardy, vanilla-scented French toast stuffed with a choose-your-adventure filling.

We’ll also make a fresh-squeezed citrus spritzer to sip on while we cook!

As always, this weekend class is pay-what-you-want, right down to $0.

This is a welcoming, diet-talk-free class geared toward kids/beginners. We’ll practice knife and stovetop skills (and how to crack eggs).

Details and registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdk3l-m0XhqwYm0qAWtZmfgKi2N6UETLifp63Ym65o3AAGKcQ/viewform

(Class will be recorded if you can’t make it live.)

Please share this post or send to a friend!



[ID: black text on a yellow background reads “Let’s make French toast! Virtual kids’ cooking class. 5/28 at 9am PT/12pm ET. Be your own brunch chef as we make custardy, vanilla-scented French toast stuffed with a choose-your-adventure filling.” Text is next to a pencil drawing of a person in a purple shirt with a “Stir The Pot Kitchen” logo stirring a bowl of batter. The next slide reads “All ages. Live and recorded. Choose your price. Please share this post!”]

NEW DATE! Kids’ Zoom cooking class is Sunday 6/11 at 9am PT/12pm ET.

We’ll be making a beautiful array of Italian antipasti:

🍅 Mouth-watering tomato crostini (tomato skeptics can swap in a surprising ingredient — grapes!)
🧀 Crispy golden roasted cauliflower with pecorino cheese
🫒Pinzimonio (crisp-tender spring vegetables with olive oil dipping sauce).

As always, this weekend class is pay-what-you-want, right down to $0.

This is a welcoming, diet-talk-free class geared toward kids/beginners.

We’ll go over lots of knife and oven skills (great for beginners and confident chefs alike) and learn about the tradition of Italian antipasti.

As we plate up our colorful appetizers, we will learn about the phrase “il cibo si mangia prima con gli occhi” (“we eat first with our eyes”).

Details and registration at this link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16I5R9w6HrNB092RwRE4Xfi3kgJx68PAMHtbDI3IY7sU/viewform?edit_requested=true

(Class will be recorded if you can’t make it live.)

Please share this post or send to a friend!



[ID: black text on a yellow background reads “Let’s make Italian antipasti! Virtual kids’ cooking class. 5/21 at 9am PT/12pm ET. Practice cooking & plating as we whip up three Italian appetizers for an elegant snack or lunch!” Text is next to a pencil drawing of a person in a green shirt with a “Stir The Pot Kitchen” logo adding vegetables to a dish. The next slide reads “All ages. Live and recorded. Choose your price. Please share this post!”]

NEW kids’ Zoom cooking class is Sunday 5/21 at 9am PT/12pm ET. Join from anywhere and cook along!

We’ll be making a beautiful array of Italian antipasti:

🍅 Mouth-watering tomato crostini (tomato skeptics can swap in a surprising ingredient — grapes!)
🧀 Crispy golden roasted cauliflower with pecorino cheese
🫒Pinzimonio (crisp-tender spring vegetables with olive oil dipping sauce).

As always, this weekend class is pay-what-you-want, right down to $0.

This is a welcoming, diet-talk-free class geared toward kids/beginners.

We’ll go over lots of knife and oven skills (great for beginners and confident chefs alike) and learn about the tradition of Italian antipasti.

As we plate up our colorful appetizers, we will learn about the phrase “il cibo si mangia prima con gli occhi” (“we eat first with our eyes”).

�
Details and registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOF7qwSArrm3ynBwiyqzJms913RwPhuVST2_qLt4mgJg15mQ/viewform. (Class will be recorded if you can’t make it live.)

Please share this post or send to a friend!



[ID: black text on a yellow background reads “Let’s make Italian antipasti! Virtual kids’ cooking class. 5/21 at 9am PT/12pm ET. Practice cooking & plating as we whip up three Italian appetizers for an elegant snack or lunch!” Text is next to a pencil drawing of a person in a green shirt with a “Stir The Pot Kitchen” logo adding vegetables to a dish. The next slide reads “All ages. Live and recorded. Choose your price. Please share this post!”]

I was honored to talk kids’ food education with Anna and Elizabeth on their excellent podcast!

Here's the link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4BSInf0tFshocIbLomZIGy?si=09ae2ae28c6e4f98

Repost from :

Have you listened to our latest podcast episode? **Link in bio** or go to your favorite podcast app!⁣
⁣
Anna Lutz and have a conversation with Catherine Lea, a longtime food educator in public schools, and creator of , an online space where kids learn cooking skills.⁣
⁣
They discuss:⁣
⁣
🍳 Positive ways to teach children about food.⁣
🍝 The benefits of cooking and learning about food preparation for kids.⁣
🥗 Some barriers for parents involving their children in food preparation. ⁣
🍳 Some easy ways to get preschool-age and elementary-age children involved in the kitchen, and some age appropriate tasks for them.⁣
⁣
What makes it hard for YOU to involved your kids in the kitchen? Tell us below - we know it's hard for us sometimes.