Aishah Alfadhalah's guest appearances

Aishah Alfadhalah

On The Record

The Truth In This Art Podcast

Wendel Patrick

D. Watkins

Erin Fostel

Kondwani Fidel

Jason Newton

Ana Rodney

Petula Caesar

Max Weiss

Arkady Martine

Shawna Renee

Brandon Soderberg

Brandon Scott

Frederick Douglass

Jay Leno

Richard Bell

OwlTail

Unlock the secrets of art and creativity with 'The Truth in This Art' podcast, guided by the talented Rob Lee and today's guest: Aisha Alfadhalah, a cultural broker and co-founder of Mera Kitchen Collective. Originally from Kuwait, she ventured to Baltimore for college and graduate school after arriving in the US at the age of eighteen. Passionate about connecting with Baltimore's refugee community, Aisha serves as a mentor and interpreter, immersing herself in their stories and experiences. She believes that stories hold the power to shape perceptions of refugees and immigrants, and her love for food as a collection of memories and feelings further strengthens her bond with diverse cultures. As a vital link to the refugee and immigrant community, Aisha ensures that Mera's decisions genuinely reflect their needs. Additionally, she actively contributes to Baltimore's Community Advisory Board for the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs. Don't miss out on her inspiring journey of building a sense of community through culinary connections.About Mera Kitchen CollectiveFood brings people together, no matter where you are from. It’s a ritual, we gather with our friends and family around the table, not only feeding our bodies but feeding our souls, connecting with people we care about.  Mera Kitchen Collective is a community-driven, food business and we’re building a worker cooperative. We focus on the empowerment of chefs from around the world by celebrating our skills and talents in the kitchen, highlighting the value newcomers bring to the fabric of our society. We love Baltimore. We also recognize that policies and systems can create structural barriers that make it harder for some individuals to gain access to resources and opportunities -- and easier for others. Our goal as a collective is to amplify our chef's skills and talents.Why 'Mera Kitchen'? We chose the name Mera Kitchen because it contains the Greek word Meraki, which has no direct English translation. Both a verb and an adverb, it connotes that when someone is doing an activity — like cooking — with so much care, devotion, and attention to the task at hand, they leave a piece of themselves in it. In a world where our attention is often divided, we believe that there is immeasurable beauty and power in the collective act of creating and sharing food made with love.What we do: Mera Kitchen Collective hosts pop-up events, and we offer catering services and cooking classes throughout Baltimore City. Mera's chefs come from all over the world; many are here seeking refuge, eager to put skills back to use to re-establish an independent, sustainable livelihood. We hope to connect you with our chefs and our chefs with their local community. And now we’re opening our first restaurant! In October 2021, we moved to our first space! We’re currently open for lunch and expanding hours weekly! We envision our new home as a place that represents our diverse cultures as a team at Mera, and the community that we integrated into Baltimore. It is a vehicle to share our cultures; the aroma of cardamom in a rice dish, the tangy spices of salsa verde, fruity, tropical baked goods, and the refreshing gingery mint juices of Burkina Faso. This space is an opportunity for our cooks and chefs to fully express themselves, re-invent their food, collaborate with one another, and most importantly take the Baltimore community on a culinary adventure around the world. We believe in the power of communing over food, on long tables, with shared plates, in conversation, and in pausing to connect with new and old friends.Mera Kitchen Collective is building a worker cooperative - we participate democratically as we build our business together. This allows each of us to only strengthen our culinary expertise and have a voice in the operations. We hope to use the cooperative model as a successful tool for wealth generation and fostering empowerment.For today's discussion: Delve into the heart of Mera Kitchen Collective's mission as they strive to foster a vibrant sense of community through the captivating medium of food. Explore how each dish they serve is a conduit to rich stories and cultural backgrounds, woven together to create a unique and unforgettable culinary experience. Discover the profound emotional connection that food ignites, as Mera Kitchen Collective showcases how it goes beyond mere sustenance. Uncover the power of food to bind people together, creating cherished memories and forging lasting relationships. Embark on a culinary journey with Mera Kitchen Collective as they expertly blend flavors and traditions from multiple countries and cultures. Unveil the art of crafting fusion dishes that pay homage to diverse culinary legacies, culminating in a delightful tapestry of tastes and influences. Follow Aishah's transformative role as a cultural broker and translator within Mera Kitchen Collective, where she becomes a vital force in bridging cultural divides. Dive into her efforts to foster understanding and empathy between different backgrounds, creating an inclusive and harmonious culinary space. Explore the dynamic growth of Mera Kitchen Collective and the principles that drive its success. Delve into their commitment to investing in members' skills and sharing financial wealth, as they expand their programming and operating hours, ensuring the collective's enduring impact on the community. You're in for a treat! Aishah shares her journey from Kuwait to Baltimore and the early days of building the collective. Mera Kitchen Collective is a cooperative that aims to create a sense of community through food. Aishah discusses the meaning of the word "mera" and how it aligns with the collective's values. She also talks about the importance of sharing cultural backgrounds through food and the challenges of marrying global foods to the Baltimore market. Aishah highlights the communal aspect of food and the role it plays in creating connections and memories. She also discusses the growth and future plans for Mera Kitchen Collective, including investing in members' skills and sharing financial wealth.Mentioned in this episode:Mera Kitchen CollectivePhoto Credit🎧🌟 Don't forget to rate and review this episode to support the best in podcasting! 🌟🎧 The Truth In This Art, hosted by Rob Lee, explores contemporary art and cultural preservation through candid conversations with artists, curators, and cultural leaders about their work, creative processes and the thinking that goes into their creativity. Rob also occasionally interviews creatives in other industries such as acting, music, and journalism. The Truth In This Art is a podcast for artists, art lovers and listeners interested in the creative process.To support the The Truth In This Art: Buy Me Ko-fiUse the hashtag #thetruthinthisartFollow The Truth in This Art on InstagramLeave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.THE TRUTH IN THIS ART IS SUPPORTED IN PART BYThe Gutierrez Memorial FundThe Robert W. Deutsch Foundation  ★ Support this podcast ★ 

Unlock the secrets of art and creativity with 'The Truth in This Art' podcast, guided by the talented Rob Lee and today's guest: Aisha Alfadhalah, a cultural broker and co-founder of Mera Kitchen Collective. Originally from Kuwait, she ventured to Baltimore for college and graduate school after arriving in the US at the age of eighteen. Passionate about connecting with Baltimore's refugee community, Aisha serves as a mentor and interpreter, immersing herself in their stories and experiences. She believes that stories hold the power to shape perceptions of refugees and immigrants, and her love for food as a collection of memories and feelings further strengthens her bond with diverse cultures. As a vital link to the refugee and immigrant community, Aisha ensures that Mera's decisions genuinely reflect their needs. Additionally, she actively contributes to Baltimore's Community Advisory Board for the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs. Don't miss out on her inspiring journey of building a sense of community through culinary connections.About Mera Kitchen CollectiveFood brings people together, no matter where you are from. It’s a ritual, we gather with our friends and family around the table, not only feeding our bodies but feeding our souls, connecting with people we care about.  Mera Kitchen Collective is a community-driven, food business and we’re building a worker cooperative. We focus on the empowerment of chefs from around the world by celebrating our skills and talents in the kitchen, highlighting the value newcomers bring to the fabric of our society. We love Baltimore. We also recognize that policies and systems can create structural barriers that make it harder for some individuals to gain access to resources and opportunities -- and easier for others. Our goal as a collective is to amplify our chef's skills and talents.Why 'Mera Kitchen'? We chose the name Mera Kitchen because it contains the Greek word Meraki, which has no direct English translation. Both a verb and an adverb, it connotes that when someone is doing an activity — like cooking — with so much care, devotion, and attention to the task at hand, they leave a piece of themselves in it. In a world where our attention is often divided, we believe that there is immeasurable beauty and power in the collective act of creating and sharing food made with love.What we do: Mera Kitchen Collective hosts pop-up events, and we offer catering services and cooking classes throughout Baltimore City. Mera's chefs come from all over the world; many are here seeking refuge, eager to put skills back to use to re-establish an independent, sustainable livelihood. We hope to connect you with our chefs and our chefs with their local community. And now we’re opening our first restaurant! In October 2021, we moved to our first space! We’re currently open for lunch and expanding hours weekly! We envision our new home as a place that represents our diverse cultures as a team at Mera, and the community that we integrated into Baltimore. It is a vehicle to share our cultures; the aroma of cardamom in a rice dish, the tangy spices of salsa verde, fruity, tropical baked goods, and the refreshing gingery mint juices of Burkina Faso. This space is an opportunity for our cooks and chefs to fully express themselves, re-invent their food, collaborate with one another, and most importantly take the Baltimore community on a culinary adventure around the world. We believe in the power of communing over food, on long tables, with shared plates, in conversation, and in pausing to connect with new and old friends.Mera Kitchen Collective is building a <a href="https://usworker.coop/what-is-a-worker-cooperative/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">worker cooperative</a> - we participate democratically as we build our business together. This allows each of us to only strengthen our culinary expertise and have a voice in the operations. We hope to use the cooperative model as a successful tool for wealth generation and fostering empowerment. For today's discussion: <ul> <li>Delve into the heart of Mera Kitchen Collective's mission as they strive to foster a vibrant sense of community through the captivating medium of food. Explore how each dish they serve is a conduit to rich stories and cultural backgrounds, woven together to create a unique and unforgettable culinary experience.</li> <li>Discover the profound emotional connection that food ignites, as Mera Kitchen Collective showcases how it goes beyond mere sustenance. Uncover the power of food to bind people together, creating cherished memories and forging lasting relationships.</li> <li>Embark on a culinary journey with Mera Kitchen Collective as they expertly blend flavors and traditions from multiple countries and cultures. Unveil the art of crafting fusion dishes that pay homage to diverse culinary legacies, culminating in a delightful tapestry of tastes and influences.</li> <li>Follow Aishah's transformative role as a cultural broker and translator within Mera Kitchen Collective, where she becomes a vital force in bridging cultural divides. Dive into her efforts to foster understanding and empathy between different backgrounds, creating an inclusive and harmonious culinary space.</li> <li>Explore the dynamic growth of Mera Kitchen Collective and the principles that drive its success. Delve into their commitment to investing in members' skills and sharing financial wealth, as they expand their programming and operating hours, ensuring the collective's enduring impact on the community.</li> </ul> You're in for a treat! Aishah shares her journey from Kuwait to Baltimore and the early days of building the collective. Mera Kitchen Collective is a cooperative that aims to create a sense of community through food. Aishah discusses the meaning of the word "mera" and how it aligns with the collective's values. She also talks about the importance of sharing cultural backgrounds through food and the challenges of marrying global foods to the Baltimore market. Aishah highlights the communal aspect of food and the role it plays in creating connections and memories. She also discusses the growth and future plans for Mera Kitchen Collective, including investing in members' skills and sharing financial wealth. Mentioned in this episode:<a href="https://www.mera.kitchen/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mera Kitchen Collective</a> <a href="https://stories.marquette.edu/the-world-is-her-kitchen-613ea7fc8847" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Photo Credit</a> 🎧🌟 Don't forget to rate and review this episode to support the best in podcasting! 🌟🎧 The Truth In This Art, hosted by Rob Lee, explores contemporary art and cultural preservation through candid conversations with artists, curators, and cultural leaders about their work, creative processes and the thinking that goes into their creativity. Rob also occasionally interviews creatives in other industries such as acting, music, and journalism. The Truth In This Art is a podcast for artists, art lovers and listeners interested in the creative process. To support the The Truth In This Art: Buy Me <a href="https://ko-fi.com/D1D81J7MZ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ko-fi</a> Use the hashtag #thetruthinthisart Follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Truth in This Art</a> on Instagram Leave a review on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-truth-in-this-art-an-arts-culture-podcast/id1497950772" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.THE TRUTH IN THIS ART IS SUPPORTED IN PART BY <a href="https://gutierrezmemorialfund.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Gutierrez Memorial Fund </a> <a href="https://www.rwdfoundation.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation </a> <a href="https://ko-fi.com/D1D81J7MZ" rel="payment nofollow" target="_blank">★ Support this podcast ★</a>

Culinary Connections with Aisha Alfadhalah: Building Community through Mera Kitchen Collective

Here’s a Stoop Story from Aishah Alfadhalah about the beauty and power of a shared meal. You can hear her story and many others at stoopstorytelling.com, as well as the Stoop podcast.You can also get a taste of the Mera Kitchen Collective’s offerings at the Baltimore Farmers’ Market on Sunday mornings or at one of their events.

Here’s a Stoop Story from Aishah Alfadhalah about the beauty and power of a shared meal. You can hear her story and many others at <a href="http://stoopstorytelling.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">stoopstorytelling.com</a>, as well as the Stoop podcast.You can also get a taste of the Mera Kitchen Collective’s offerings at the Baltimore Farmers’ Market on Sunday mornings or at one of their events.

Stories from the Stoop: Aishah Alfadhalah