IN-PERSON EVENT at Ace Hotel Brooklyn
The Arab Table for me is a place of contradiction. The table I create in my adulthood resists patriarchy and concedes to a nurturing maternal impulse. It can feel good, generous, even spiritual, to cook for others. And it can feel oppressive when it’s expected of me. - Reem Assil
In her new cookbook, Arabiyya — which translates to “Arab woman”— Reem Assil celebrates her Palestinian and Syrian roots, and the alluring aromas and flavors of Arab food. She also shares what the Arab table means to her as a female, a chef, an Arab in diaspora, and the daughter of a strong Palestinian woman.
Join Reem Assil in conversation with The New Yorker’s Helen Rosner as we celebrate the publication of Arabiyya and learn how in her quest for purpose, Reem has returned to the Arab table again and again as a place that shapes her identity.
Tickets include a cocktail and tastes of several dishes (Baba Ghanouj, Hummus with Spiced Lamb; Garlic-Smashed Potatoes with Spicy Red Pepper Aioli, and Orange-Turmeric Tea Cake) from Arabiyya.
This is an in-person event. Tickets must be purchased online in advance. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the door.
You must show photo ID and proof of COVID vaccine to attend this event.
Doors open at 6:30pm ET. Program begins promptly at 7:00pm ET. 21+.
Arabiyya by Reem Assil is available for order with your ticket. Your book can be redeemed and signed by the author at the event. You can also purchase a book at the event from our partners, Kitchen Arts & Letters.
Photo by Lara Aburamadan
REEM ASSIL
Reem Assil is a Palestinian-Syrian chef based in Oakland, CA and owner of Reem’s California, a nationally acclaimed restaurant in Oakland and Reem’s California Mission in San Francisco, inspired by Arab street corner bakeries and the vibrant communities that surround them. Reem has garnered an array of top accolades in the culinary world, including back-to-back James Beard Semifinalist nods for Best Chef: West and a 2022 James Beard Award nomination for Outstanding Chef. She is a graduate of the competitive food business incubator program, La Cocina, business leadership program Centro Community Partners, and Oakland-based business accelerator program ICA: Fund Good Jobs. Before dedicating herself to a culinary career, Reem spent over a decade as a community and labor organizer, building leadership in workers and residents to fight for living wages, affordable housing, and a voice in their jobs and their neighborhoods. Reem sits at the intersection of her three passions: food, community, and social justice. She uses food to invoke the central virtue of her Arab culture — hospitality — to build strong, resilient, and connected community.
HELEN ROSNER
Helen Rosner is a staff writer at The New Yorker. She has been covering food for more than a decade as a writer and editor, and won a James Beard Award, in 2016, for her ode to chicken tenders, in Guernica. Rosner has worked at Saveur and New York magazine, launched the seminal food site Eat Me Daily, and served as a cookbook editor. Before joining The New Yorker, she was the executive editor of Eater, where she founded the publication’s James Beard- and National Magazine Award-winning features department.
DEMO KITCHEN BY ACE HOTEL BROOKLYN
A well-appointed canvas for culinary and community engagement, Demo Kitchen by Ace Hotel is a locus of epicurean culture — dedicated to cooking, connection and above all, community. A light-filled space with floor to ceiling windows, Demo Kitchen features an induction cooking station from Kaliber Innovations, an array of state-of-the-art audiovisual production equipment, and is furnished with custom oak classroom and dining tables crafted by Finnish furniture design collective Made By Choice. Demo Kitchen has capacity for 96 people and is also available for private rental.
WANT TO STAY AT THE ACE HOTEL BROOKLYN?
Use the code "MOFAD" to receive approximately 10% off the Hotel’s best available rate, only at the Ace Hotel Brooklyn. Book here.
KITCHEN ARTS & LETTERS
Kitchen Arts & Letters is a bookstore devoted to food and drink, with titles imported from around the world. They emphasize works on food culture and innovation.