What does “Sunday Best” mean to you? The words often evoke images of ladies clad in their finest church clothes and men in neatly pressed suits; of families coming together to break bread and celebrate the small victory of making it through another week. While this phrase has roots in Black culture, families of all backgrounds share a Sunday ritual that revolves around time together and dining together.
To chef and cookbook author, Adrienne Cheatham, Sunday Best is a way to approach everyday of the week, bringing that love and inspiration from family experiences in Chicago and annual family trips to Mississippi.
Join this virtual conversation between Adrienne and James Beard Award-winning writer, editorial consultant, and producer Osayi Endolyn, whose storytelling explores the nexus of food culture, identity, music, and art. Osayi’s work has appeared in several publications including The New York Times, Washington Post, and Time. Osayi is the writer of Ghetto Gastro Presents: Black Power Kitchen, and with Marcus Samuelsson, she wrote the bestseller The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food.
Tickets include the option to purchase a signed copy of Sunday Best by Adrienne Cheatham *shipped to your door by BEM | books & more *US only
ADRIENNE CHEATHAM
Chef Adrienne Cheatham is best known for being the runner up on season 15 of “Top Chef,” however more impressive than that, Adrienne served as the Chef de Cuisine under Marcus Samuelsson, opening Streetbird, where she received a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide, as well as Marcus’ Bermuda, before being promoted to Executive Chef at Red Rooster. Adrienne curated special tasting menus, including the Black History Month menu at Red Rooster, a multi-course menu inspired by female African-American chefs in the industry. When planning the Red Rooster Cookbook, Marcus tapped Adrienne to test and edit the recipes as well as cook/style all food that was photographed for the book. Prior to her time with Marcus, Adrienne spent eight years at the three-Michelin star restaurant, Le Bernardin. Adrienne worked her way up the ranks, starting as a commis and eventually becoming Executive Sous Chef. During that time she also worked with Chef Eric Ripert on his television show, Avec Eric, as well as the cookbook of the same name, testing and editing recipes. In 2014, Adrienne was a part of the planning and opening team of the restaurant’s Aldo Sohm Wine Bar and private dining restaurant, Privé. Adrienne has been featured as a speaker at Cherry Bombe Magazine’s annual Jubilee festival and was the subject of a New York Times documentary series titled “Tastemakers.” She is also the founder of Sunday Best, a pop-up series held in various locations around Harlem.
OSAYI ENDOLYN
Osayi Endolyn is a James Beard Award-winning writer and storyteller on food culture. A consultant, producer, and cultural commentator, her approach explores the nexus of food and identity. Her work is featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Time, Eater, Food & Wine, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, the Wall Street Journal, and the Oxford American. Her celebrated essays appear in the collections Black Food, Women on Food, and You and I Eat the Same. Osayi’s commentary is featured on the Sporkful podcast, Netflix's Chef’s Table and Ugly Delicious, and Hulu's The Next Thing You Eat. She is the writer of Ghetto Gastro Presents: Black Power Kitchen, and with Marcus Samuelsson, she wrote the bestseller The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food. Her own narrative on American restaurants and dining culture is forthcoming.
BEM | books & more is a literary destination at the intersection of food and Blackness. Established by two sisters in January 2021 as an online bookstore, we are proud to serve as a home for readers, writers, cooks, and eaters passionate about Black cultures in all their diversity. Taking an expansive approach to the nexus of food, literature, and culture, BEM celebrates Black food by bringing works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry for readers of all ages into conversation with cookbooks and culinary studies to explore how what feeds us defines us. www.bembrooklyn.com