Conceived during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown and the accompanying rise in anti-Asian bigotry, Word of Mouth: Asian American Artists Sharing Recipes is an artists’ cookbook featuring stories and artwork from twenty-three Asian American and Asian diaspora artists from across the United States, with contributions that range from Los Angeles–based performance artist Kristina Wong’s “Recipe for Political Action” to New Orleans–based painter Francis Wong’s family recipe for stir-fried Szechuan alligator.
Word of Mouth was first published as an online exhibition through the Virtual Asian American Art Museum. This print version features a new introduction by art historian Michelle Yee, expanded essays, and brand-new recipes. Each contribution is accompanied by an original illustration and enriched by the artist’s reflections on how their cuisine has been impacted by histories of war, migration, relocation, labor, or mixing.
A pandemic project turned illustrated cookbook, this unique collection disrupts genre expectations to celebrate how artists use food to nurture and sustain their diverse communities and artistic practices as well as to build connection during times of isolation, grief, and loss.
Laura Kina is a queer, disabled, mixed-race Okinawan American artist and educator whose work focuses on Asian American art and identity. Kina is a Vincent de Paul Professor at the Art School at DePaul University in Chicago and is the coeditor of War Baby / Love Child: Mixed Race Asian American Art and Queering Contemporary Asian American Art and the illustrator of Lee A. Tonouchi’s award-winning children’s book Okinawan Princess: Da Legend of Hajichi Tattoos.
Jave Yoshimoto is a recipient of the 2015 Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant and a recognition award from the Friends of the United Nations in New York and associate professor of art at the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he teaches painting compositions and professional practices. He is a visual artist, competitive axe thrower and cat lover. His works represent the visual history of humanitarian struggles.
INTRODUCTORY ESSAYS
Pandemic Comfort Cooking
Laura Kina
Departures and Connections
Jave Yoshimoto
An Artists’ Cookbook:Forging Community in Isolation
Michelle Yee
RECIPES
Double-Fried Garlic Chicken
Anida Yoeu Ali
Kebab Karahi
Ruby Chishti
Kimchi
Hyegyeong Choi
Tripe Stew
Hasan Elahi
Rabokki 라볶이
Aram Han Sifuentes
A Recipe for Survival
Spinach Casserole
Robert Farid Karimi
Red October Dal
Baseera Khan
SPAM Musubi and Auntie Nora’s Mac Salad
Laura Kina
Chinese Milk Bread
Phoebe Kuo
“I’m a Pepper, You’re a Pepper,Wouldn’t You Like to Be a Pepper, Too?”
Chicago/LA Kalbi Marinade/Serenadeand Trader Vic’s Mai Tai
Larry Lee
Milkfish Congee 虱目魚粥
Kathy Liao
Dumplings
heather c. lou
Vegan Kare Kare
Kiam Marcelo Junio
Pancit Guisado 2.0
Mia Matlock
Ground Pork Japchae
Jarrett Min Davis
Pork My Buns XXXX
Genevieve Erin O’Brien
Sourdough Starter Jian Bing
Valerie Soe
Okonomiyaki
Taro Takizawa
Beef Chow Fun (Fried Rice Noodles)
Heinrich Toh
SPAM and Eggs
Mathew Tom
Lien’s Fried Banana Cake
Lien Truong
Szechuan Spicy Alligator
Francis Wong
Recipe for Political Action:The Auntie Sewing Squad
Kristina Wong
Jave’s Omega Mapo Tofu and Kimchi Fried Rice Flavor Explosion
Jave Yoshimoto
“Word of Mouth provides a rich tapestry of Asian American cuisine through the lens of personal stories and culinary traditions. This captivating book delves into the diverse flavors, cultural influences, and experiences that Asian Americans bring to the table.”
—Anita Mannur, American University
“Word of Mouth is a colorful feast of images and words—chockful of delicious stories and pictures of Asian American conviviality. More than a cookbook, it is a bountiful meal.”
—Martin F. Manalansan IV, Rutgers University–New Brunswick
“Laura Kina and Jave Yoshimoto foreground care, exchange, and the power of collectivity during the perilous time of COVID-19 and heightened anti-Asian violence in this truly beautiful publication. The illustrations in Word of Mouth are as individual and gorgeous as the work of these artists and their poignant messages on racism and the power of family, storytelling, and healing for our time.”
—Alexandra Chang, Rutgers University–Newark
