Community Dinner: Malaysian and Italian Squid (Second Seating)

A one-plate dinner with beer and wine available for sale. This is not a cooking class. This seating is limited to 35 guests. Review our registration and cancellation policies here. Proof of full vaccination is required at the door. Masks are recommended.

Let's start the 2023 Community Dinner series with a cross-cultural plate of comfort. Two of our most seasoned and acclaimed chef instructors, Linda and Viola, return to Community Dinner to riff on squid with inspiration from their Italian and Malaysian culinary knowledge. While these countries may be far away on the globe, Linda and Viola's inventive, collaborative menu will be a delicious harmony!

This ticket page is for the second seating from 7:30-8:30 pm. We do not have reserved seating and dining will take place at communal tables. We are limiting the capacity of this seating to 35 guests. We also have an option for guests who prefer to take their meal to go: click here to reserve a plate for pick-up only. For our first seating at 6 pm, please click here.

MENU

Buah Keluak & Squid Ink Fried Rice and Egg

Calamari ripieni di pane e ’nduja al forno—Baked calamari filled with bread and spicy Calabrian sausage

Seasonal Salad

This menu contains the following common allergens: Egg, Tree Nuts, Wheat, shellfish, fish If you have allergies or dietary restrictions that concern your ability to attend, please e-mail info@18reasons.org before purchasing a ticket. Because we are cooking in large batches, we are very limited in accommodating allergens and dietary restrictions.

Viola Buitoni, chef instructor and food writer, was born in Rome and raised in Perugia, Italy. With stories and knowledge from six generations, her dishes cross the best of California agriculture with the finest Italian food imports. After moving to the US to attend NYU, Viola started Buitoni & Garretti, a catering kitchen and Italian fine foods shop in New York City. She later moved to San Francisco where she began lecturing and teaching Italian food tradition workshops at the SF Italian Cultural Institute and Italian Consulate. She teaches Italian cooking at 18 Reasons, The Civic Kitchen, and Milk Street year-round, and at the Puglia Culinary Center in the summer. In October of 2021, she will lead an immersive fall foraging workshop in Le Marche. She is a regular contributor to La Cucina Italiana US. She lives in the Mission District with her husband, son and tiny dog.

Linda Tay Esposito is a teaching chef whose food represents a tribute and commitment to the authenticity of the cuisines of the Pacific Rim. For the last 18 years, Linda has shared her passion and knowledge of East & South East Asian cuisines through Bay Area cooking schools - Cavallo Point, Sur La Table, Parties That Cook and Whole Foods Market. Linda’s teaching philosophy is to make these cuisines approachable to the home cook, while respecting the cuisine’s heritage and authenticity in taste. Besides 18 Reasons, Linda also shares her Nyonya food passion with Milk Street Kitchen and leads a community culinary program on Asian vegetables for Radical Family Farms.

An all-around food professional, Linda’s consulting work centers around helping food businesses flourish through the intersectional lens of food, sustainability and equity. Her past experience includes growing Hodo Foods from an artisanal producer to nationwide distribution, and building inclusive food places. Most recently she led the development of La Cocina Municipal Marketplace – using food as a creative approach to economic development by offering affordable, healthy food options and safe spaces while providing accessible business opportunities for low income, immigrant, women food entrepreneurs. Linda is a member of the Good Food Foundation advisory board and serves on their Equity Task Force. Linda lives in San Francisco. In her free time, she plants Asian herbs at the community garden at Fort Mason. Follow her on Instagram @flavor_explosions

ABOUT COMMUNITY DINNER

Once a month, we open our doors to friends new and old, welcoming all to our share a table and a delicious meal. Every month is something different, but tickets are always $18 and always tasty. Wine and beer are for sale at the event. Kids welcome! 

_{Photo Credit: Linda Tay Esposito}