Kumusta! My name is Aileen Suzara. I started this blog because I believe that kwentos, or stories, are the lifeblood of a community. Stretching from the kitchen to the farm to the street, they are the heart and soul of food traditions that sustain us.
I'm a second generation Filipina/American who was born in the deserts of Washington and raised in California and Hawai’i. Our family diet reflected the cultural crossroads we lived in America. Growing up, I ate everything from fried Spam, bibimbap, poi, spaghetti, chicken tenders, to Pop Tarts…but few of the foods my ancestors ate.
A hunger for connection to traditional foods opened the door to something bigger: to questions of how and what we eat are connected, or disconnected, from the earth, the people and places we call home.
Kitchen Kwento is where I write, document, and share stories on the relationships between food, stories, and land.
When I'm not writing, I'm an educator, environmental justice advocate, cook, and organic farmer-in-training. I recently graduated from the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems farm apprenticeship and serve on the board of the Filipino/American Coalition for Environmental Solidarity (FACES). I am inspired by and committed to revitalizing communities through culturally relevant foods and healthy relationships to the land.
Thank you for visiting! I'd love to hear from you. Send me your thoughts at kitchenkwento@gmail.com.
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