I met Michael Twitty of Afro Foodways a few years ago when his table was one of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s exhibits on food culture. We spoke about Judaism – he is an African American man who has converted to Judaism, and we of course talked about food as well. He was fun and full of interestign information, and we have kept in touch over the years. Now is your chance to see him do his thing:

Saturday, March 28 – African-American Foodways Lecture – Alexandria Black History Museum, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It is a few blocks walk from Braddock Road Metro Station. The lecture is free!
Culinary historian Michael Twitty returns to present his new lecture, “Cooking in the Quarters: Enslaved African Virginians Cooking for Themselves.” Discover the important cultural aspects of diet and food preparation with this leading expert on African-American foodways. Lecture will explore the preparation of foods of enslaved Virginians, including open hearths, stew stoves, and special tools and pots that gave certain foods their unique flavor. Learn about the importance of tradition, nature, and availability of ingredients in African-Virginian cooking.
Twitty’s book, Fighting Old Nep: The Foodways of Enslaved Afro-Marylanders 1634-1864, will be available for purchase.
703.838.4356. 902 Wythe Street. www.alexblackhistory.org.