Stories from the table
The food that raised us, in the words of the people it raised.
Lola's Lumpia starts with a family's own card. Our other published stories pair cultural context with the studio's kitchen versions, not contributed family memories. Shirts come last, and only sometimes.
Wondering how to preserve family recipes from your own kitchen? Start with the free guide. For the dishes already on the shelf, explore the family recipe shirts.
Published stories
Korea · Kimchi
Seoul style kimchi — aged to perfection
One head of cabbage, one big jar, and a tradition built for winter.
Philippines · Adobo
Manila classic adobo — better tomorrow
Vinegar, soy, a head of garlic. The dish a whole country argues about, one guarded pot at a time.
Photo: Madhura Vaze · CC BY-SA 4.0 · unaltered photograph
India · Samosa
Punjab-style samosas — the fold you learn by watching
Potato, peas, a pastry cone. The ingredient list fits on a card. The fold is worth learning beside someone.
Philippines · Lumpia
Lola's lumpia — and the Sunday it takes
The recipe was written down. The rest you learned by watching.
Mexico · Tamales
The tamalada — why nobody makes a small batch
Masa, husks, a folding table and a lot of hands. A look at the Mexican tradition of making tamales together.
Mexico · Conchas
Pan dulce mornings — the shell on top of the concha
A tray, a pair of tongs and a sweet bread shaped like a seashell. A look at conchas and the Mexican panadería.
Vietnam · Pho
Pho before sunrise — a broth that can't be rushed
Bones, charred ginger, star anise and a pot that simmers through the night. A look at Hanoi-style pho.
Kitchens we are working on
We have the dishes and recipes for these kitchens. Their stories are still being gathered with the families who cook them — we publish nothing we haven't been given.
- El Salvador · Pupusas
- Ethiopia · Injera
- China · Dumplings
- Poland & Eastern Europe · Pierogi
- Jewish Diaspora · Challah
- Thailand · Mango Sticky Rice
- Iran & Persia · Tahdig
- Mediterranean & Balkans · Börek
Cooked one of these at home? Tell us about the dish.