IN-PERSON EVENT

Young readers and eaters are invited to join MOFAD and acclaimed writer Joshua David Stein for an in-person storytime of books about food at the brand new Demo Kitchen by Ace Hotel Brooklyn.

There will be live music from The Band Books and Joshua will be joined for more storytelling and imaginative conversation by special guests, Sarah Thomas and Derek Wallace, co-founders of the acclaimed Kalamata’s Kitchen books.

Recommended for children ages 3-7.

Thank you to our series sponsor, Solid Starts!

This is an in-person event. Masks are recommended for the duration of the program. Anyone 12 and over must show proof of at least one dose of the COVID vaccine to attend this event and those 18 and older must also show corresponding photo ID.

JOSHUA DAVID STEIN
Joshua David Stein is an author of both children's books and cookbooks. He is the co-author of Notes from a Young Black Chef, with Kwame Onwuachi;  Il Buco: Stories and Recipes, with Donna Lennard; The Nom Wah Cookbook, with Wilson Tang and the cookbook, Cooking for Your Kids.

His children's titles include Can I Eat That?; What's Cooking?; Brick: Who Found Herself in Architecture; Can You Eat?; The Ball Book; and, most recently, The Invisible Alphabet. He is also the founding member of The Band Books, a band devoted to rocking out to children's books. 

SARAH THOMAS
The former sommelier at acclaimed New York City restaurant Le Bernardin, Sarah Thomas is now the co-founder and Chief Imaginator at Kalamata’s Kitchen, where she brings together her lifelong passions for both food and books. The daughter of two south Indian immigrants, Sarah grew up in the rural town of Somerset, Pennsylvania, and was surrounded by food from a young age. Her parents very much kept their Indian culture alive through the food they cooked, and Sarah would spend summers in Kerala visiting her grandparents, forming some of her earliest food memories. Sarah’s love for food is what eventually led her to the hospitality industry, and after working at various bars in Pittsburgh, where she lived at the time, she obtained the prestigious Advanced Sommelier certification.

Through her storytelling work with Kalamata’s Kitchen, Sarah hopes to create a confident character that other children of color can see themselves in, while also encouraging all kids to look at different foods and cultures with a sense of curiosity and compassion.

DEREK WALLACE
Derek Wallace grew up in Syracuse, New York, and from a young age had a dream of being able to travel the world. Derek studied at Syracuse University, where he started a tutoring program for children that combined academics with athletics, and became a student manager of a literacy program. These experiences cultivated an early passion for bettering the community around him, though upon graduation, Derek took the more practical route of working in sales for a large textiles corporation, where he stayed for 17 years. As Derek grew in his position at this company, he became more aware of the toxic culture of misogyny, homophobia, and racism, brought on by senior leadership, which motivated him to leave and return to his roots of serving the community.

Inspired by an episode of Chef’s Table, Derek rediscovered how stories about travel and food can bring happiness and understanding, and in wanting to share these stories with his son, he noticed a gap. While there were many resources for parents wanting to cook with kids, there were not kid-friendly stories that used food as a lens to learn about culture. With this in mind, Derek created the concept for Kalamata’s Kitchen, a platform that encourages children to explore the world through food, and partnered with former Le Bernardin sommelier Sarah Thomas to bring his vision to life.

SOLID STARTS
Solid Starts is the world’s first searchable food database for babies with step by step guides and recipes for starting solids with real food. Each food entry features its own universe of information and is closely reviewed by a team of licensed professionals, including a double board-certified pediatrician and gastroenterologist, swallowing specialists, pediatric dietitians, and an award-winning allergist and immunologist.

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.