Unofficial Launch at State Senator Jessica Ramos Block Party

Thank you for stop by at the table on Sunday at Block Party of a New York State Senator Jessica Ramos. And thank you for all who donated for a kitchen truck.

It was the first, and unofficial launching event of Home Cooking of the World. I truly appreciate Rica and Christine of One Stop Family Pop Up for giving this opportunity. I had a table with Rica on the day and explained what Home Cooking of the World would do to anyone who stopped by at the table on the day.

I didn't know how my message would resonate. Do anyone stop by and feel generous enough to give me 5 minutes to pitch? How many of them would be interested in cooking anyway? Would anyone chip in any donation? But it went far better than my expectation.

I love cooking, and curious about what other people are actually cooking and eating at home all over the world. You know, when Anthony Bourdain visited many different places, I was excited to see local people were cooking. It made me feel like I had a privilege to see the hidden parts of their lives. But wait, we can do it in New York, too! New York has so many immigrants from all over the world, and they often retain their background cultures in food they eat. New Yorkers with many different cultural background can teach cookings each other!

But there is a big problem of space. We tend to hesitate opening our kitchen to strangers. I once had a great fortune to be invited by a generous Indian lady to film her cooking. But it doesn't happen often. I don't want to rent a kitchen, because I don't want to charge for lessons. Also, I don't want this project to be another series of cooking class. This project's cooking lessons should be open for everyone so that more people would be interested in cooking and different cultures.

Then I thought of a food truck. A truck loaded with full kitchen equipment can go anywhere, and an instructor can teach 3 to 4 people at a time inside intimately. It may not be the most efficient and cost effective way to transmit the idea, but the participants can get the first hand experience by smelling the aroma, hearing the searing sound, seeing the glossy texture, tasting samples, and maybe by the accent of the instructor and demeanors. There are certain things media can't transmit.

The current big goal for me is to get a Fiscal Sponsorship, so that the project can get a nonprofit status. If it happens, I can apply for grans and get some tax benefits. I will report the result here. I am also in the process of setting up social networking outlets. I will report them as well as soon as they are ready.