Eight diverse women preparing traditional food together in a commercial kitchen, smiling and engaging with ingredients and cooking tools.

WE ARE
LA COCINA

Recipes in pursuit of the American Dream

I'm not sure what I admire more in this world than a tough woman. You find a high concentration of this type at La Cocina, a commercial kitchen and business incubator in San Francisco that assists low-income and mostly immigrant women in transforming their informal entrepreneurial food endeavors into legit enterprises. Their businesses are usually based on family traditions, so working on this project felt like being invited into their home kitchens. Get this book to taste their food, learn their stories, and bask in their glow.

Five people sitting on the sidewalk eating and drinking near a wall with the text 'LA COCINA'.
Open book spread with text about La Cocina’s mission supporting immigrant women food entrepreneurs on left and a grid of diverse smiling portraits on right.
Grilled jerk chicken with rice and peas and a fresh herb salad on a wooden plate.
Smiling chef wearing a light green jacket and a bright pink headwrap with colorful mural background.
Smiling female chef wearing a white uniform against a turquoise background.
Bowl of pho with sliced beef, green onions, basil leaves, jalapeño slices, and chopsticks resting on the edge.
Smiling older woman wearing a white embroidered blouse and decorative grill teeth, standing in front of a colorful background.
Plate of six grilled pupusas served with cabbage slaw and red salsa beside a plate of crispy tortilla chips.
Seven steamed dumplings topped with a bright orange sauce on a black plate.
Woman with dark hair wrapped in a vibrant red, blue, and gray patterned scarf, wearing black clothing and blue eyeliner, smiling gently against a dark background.

Recipes in pursuit of the American Dream

A few times we shared a meal at home with the entrepreneur's family. Nite Yun of Nyum Bai invited us to cook lunch with her mother, a refugee of the Cambodian genocide. Over fried fish with noodles and sweet-spicy-salty-funky-fresh-pickles, tears of pride mixed with tears of longing and pain.

Smiling woman with dark hair wearing a denim shirt sitting at a table indoors with her hand resting on her face.
Bowl of noodle soup with shrimp, minced meat, cilantro, lime wedge, and chopsticks on a light blue table with a spoon and iced latte nearby.
Two grilled meat skewers on a banana leaf with pickled red cabbage in a clay dish beside a glass of beer on a white stool.
Bright modern cafe interior with two wicker bar stools at a light wood counter featuring blue herringbone tiles and a row of place settings along a window bar.
Open cookbook showing a portrait of a smiling woman with short dark hair wearing a blue denim shirt on the left page, and text about Nite Yun, her background and story, on the right page.
Open cookbook showing a Cambodian noodle soup recipe on the left page and a bowl of noodle soup with chopsticks, a spoon, and drinks on the right page.
Open cookbook showing text about 'We Are La Cocina' on the left and a bright, modern cafe interior with bar stools, turquoise tile counter, and hanging light fixtures on the right.
A lively indoor family gathering with people eating, talking, and holding a baby around a table filled with food and drinks.
Group of people gathered on mats and stools having a picnic under large trees in a sunny park.

Recipes in pursuit of the American Dream

Fernay McPherson of Minnie Bell's Soul Movement invited us to a family cookout in the Fillmore, once the center of San Francisco's black community. Her father Darnay barbecued and regaled us with stories from his days as a professional roller derby player in the 1970's.

Woman with glasses and braided hair laughing joyfully while wearing a red chef coat.
Plate with crispy fried chicken, cornbread with butter, pickled vegetables, and a drizzle of hot sauce.
Person wearing a blue shirt with yellow text that reads 'EST. IN FILLMOE' on the back.

Fernay's rosemary-brined fried chicken is worth a special trip

Open book showing a smiling woman wearing glasses and red clothing on the left page and a text article titled 'Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement Fernay McPherson' on the right page.
Open cookbook showing a plate of fried chicken wings with cornbread and sliced pickles on the left page and a rosemary fried chicken recipe text on the right blue page.
A lively indoor family gathering with people eating, talking, and holding a baby around a table filled with food and drinks.
Open cookbook showing a page of text about La Cocina and a photo of a man grilling chicken and sausages.
Smiling middle-aged woman in black shirt leaning on wooden table with folded arms.

When you come to my studio, there's a good chance I'm going to feed you lunch from Isabel Caudillo's
EL BUEN COMER

Bird's-eye view of a Mexican meal with green mole sauce over chicken, rice, black beans topped with cheese, soup, tortillas, and a red beverage on a wooden table.
Rows of uncooked tamales filled with seasoned dough and vegetables stacked on baking trays.
Smiling woman chef wearing a white coat and a brown apron with colorful trim, standing with arms crossed in a kitchen.
Four chefs wearing hairnets, gloves, and aprons preparing tamales at a kitchen counter.

Alicia Villanueva, from tamale lady on the street to entrepreneur with a production kitchen and a payroll

Open book with red pages displaying a list of names in large white uppercase letters arranged in rows.

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