Michael W. Twitty, an award-winning culinary historian, food writer, teacher and author, will join the free, online “Contemporary Conversations” series of Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10. Mr. Twitty will be discussing the connection between the foods and traditions of the African Atlantic and the global Jewish diaspora.
Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. Registration can be done online.
The Contemporary Conversations series is sponsored by Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, Inc.
Mr. Twitty has appeared on Bizarre Foods America with Andrew Zimmern; Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates; and most recently, Taste the Nation with Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi. His books The Cooking Gene (2017), Rice: A Savor the South Cookbook (2021) and KosherSoul (2022) have received great acclaim. The Cooking Gene was a finalist for The Kirkus Prize and The Art of Eating Prize. It was a third-place winner of the Barnes & Noble Discover New Writer's Awards in Nonfiction. It also won the 2018 James Beard Award, making Mr. Twitty the first Black author to earn that award.
“The Contemporary Conversations series is a community forum to discuss cultural and current issues with renowned authors and journalists and to engage in enriching dialogues, “said MCPL Director Anita Vassallo. “To bring a culinary historian with such national appeal as Michael W. Twitty to the series is a wonderful opportunity for MCPL and the community.”
Previous speakers in the Contemporary Conversations series include Kojo Nnamdi, David Ignatius, Charles Lane, Hena Khan, Michelle Singletary, Dinaw Mengestu, Joshua Johnson, Haben Girma and Jarret Krosoczka. For more information about previous speakers, visit https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/library/programs/contemporary-conversations.html
