The Taste of Memory | Cheetie Kumar and Sheri Castle in conversation with William C. McKinney

Описание: Food is an intangible trigger of deeper memories, feelings, emotions, and internal states of the mind and body. Taste buds and the olfactory sense carry the essence of remembrance and are invoked by writers in literature and poetry. To most of us, the food that we associate with home - our national and familial homes- is an essential part of our cultural heritage. In conversation with author and barbecue expert William McKinney, chef Cheetie Kumar and food writer Sheri Castle discuss the intersections of food, culture and the smell and taste of memory.

Cheetie Kumar is the chef/owner of Ajja, a restaurant in Raleigh’s Five Points neighborhood that draws inspiration from the diverse foodways and cultures, vibrant spices, and cooking techniques of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and beyond. Ajja opened in June 2023 and is a James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist for Best New Restaurant. Ajja was also named an Esquire Best New Restaurant and Eater’s Best New Carolina's Restaurant. Kumar has been profiled in The New York Times, Southern Living and The Wall Street Journal, among many other national publications. She is active in food advocacy and serves on the board of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, the Southern Foodways Alliance and several North Carolina-based organizations. She is also a member of World Central Kitchen’s Chef Corps, a global network of culinary leaders who champion World Central Kitchen’s work providing fresh meals following crises.

Sheri Castle is the host of The Key Ingredient, an Emmy-winning PBS cooking show. She’s an award-winning food writer, recipe developer, and cooking teacher known for blending stories, humor, and culinary expertise. In 2024, the Southern Foodways Alliance honored her with the Keeper of the Flame Award, naming her one of the 20 Living Legends of Southern Food and dubbing her "The Storyteller."

William C. McKinney is a Bar-B-Q enthusiast and attorney at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd. He co-authored, with John Shelton Reed and the late Dale Volberg Reed, Holy Smoke! The Big Book of NC Bar-B-Q. The New Yorker described him as a “Bar-B-Q expert.” He is the recipient of the Order of the Longleaf Pine and serves on the Boards of SouthArts & the South Carolina Historical Society, among others.

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