August 15, 7:00 P.M. Collab Dinner: Connecting the Dots: West African Cuisine and Soul Food Presented by Pepsi Dig In
August 15, 2023 07:00 PM
A Culinary Exploration of the Link Between West African and Southern Soul Food with Cadence’s Shenarri Freeman and Love That I Knead Supper Club’s Nana Araba Wilmot
25 11th Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA
Soul food traces its origins back to the kitchens of enslaved Black people on plantations. The journey of ingredients such as okra and pigeon peas tell a complicated story that can be traced all the way from West Africa to the Antebellum South. With her dinner series, Love That I Knead Supper Club, chef Nana Araba Wilmot creates West African meals that explore her own identity and celebrate Black history and foodways in the diaspora. While at Cadence, a plant-based soul-food restaurant in New York City’s East Village, chef Shenarri Freeman features a vegan interpretation of Southern cuisine. For this meaningful dinner, the two chefs will craft a menu that emphasizes the connections between West African cuisines and soul food viewed through their unique culinary perspectives. Additionally, wine pairings have been thoughtfully curated by Thatcher’s Wine.
Dining Table: $150 / Inside Chef's Counter: $165 / Outside Chef's Counter: $120
Menu
Hors d’Oeuvre
Red Red Croquettes > Palm Oil–Tomato Sauce–Stewed Black-Eyed Peas with Palm Oil Aïoli, Plantain Purée, and Gari Bread Crumbs
Potato Salad with Pickled Mustard Seeds and Dill
Amaury Beaufort Le Jardinot Brut Nature Champagne NV
Dinner
Masa Fermented Rice Cakes with Suya Honey
Collard Greens Wrap with Shiitake Mushrooms, Aleppo Pepper, Poached Pears, and Maple–Balsamic Jus
Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Niederberg Riesling Kabinett 2021
Shito-Marinated Tilapia with Charred Pearl Onions, Jollof Vinaigrette, and Herbed Millet Cake (Vegan option available)
Domaine Mee Godard Morgon Côte du Py 2019
Peach Cobbler with Vegan Coconut Ice Cream and Maple Crystals
Wines generously donated by Thatcher's Wine.
About Shenarri Freeman:
Chef Shenarri Freeman, aka “Shenarri Greens,” is the executive chef of Cadence, a plant-based restaurant with Southern soul in New York’s East Village. At Cadence, chef Shenarri, a 2022 and 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist, taps into her Virginia upbringing and vegan ethos, and spotlights Southern foodways through the lens of health and sustainability. Many of chef Shenarri’s signature dishes have roots in the foods she enjoyed at home with her family, all reimagined in plant-based form. The New York Times called Cadence one of the top 10 new New York restaurants of 2021 as well as one their top 50 favorites in America. Esquire named it to their top 40 in America. Shenarri has been written up in Vogue, New York Magazine, and more and is a member of the Forbes 30 under 30 class of 2023.
Tickets to events held at Platform at Pier 57 by the James Beard Foundation cover the cost of food, education and a unique dining experience. Meals are prepared by culinary masters from all regions of the United States and around the world. Unless otherwise stated, alcoholic beverages are provided on a complimentary basis and are not included in the ticket price.
James Beard Foundation events permit guests age 21 years and older to attend events where alcoholic beverages are served.
