Prologue
When I was very little, my mother invited my best German friend to a Korean meal. This was a big deal for my mother and I, as the invitation was a symbol of friendship, warmth, and integration. I was only worried he wouldn’t like gim (dried seaweed), kimchi (fermented cabbage), or mandu (Korean maultaschen) because he had never tasted anything like this before. If he didn’t like the meal, I was worried that it may end our friendship.
Authentic Korean food was — and still is — very uncommon in Germany, but my friend loved it all. My mom explained everything, from the traditions behind the food to the proper technique for eating it. Though he had never been to Korea, he got to experience Korean culture, through food, in a way that no restaurant could replicate.
For the most part, I love restaurants. When I travel, I spend most of my money in restaurants or food markets. In New York, you can go to Flushing, Queens and have amazing authentic Chinese food in tiny dining rooms you won’t read about in the food press. Still, that experience cannot compare to inviting that same chef into your home, to cook for you. It’s more than just food.
Recently, I had a few friends visit from Germany, and I wanted to take them to a nice restaurant in the East Village, but I couldn’t get a table. Instead, I invited them to my home for a Turkish feast with Chef Ozlem Oguzcan. My home became the restaurant I wanted, and Chef Ozlem created a memory my friends and I will share for years. These are the type of meals that make me happy.
Two years ago, we started Kitchensurfing, and we’re changing the way people eat.
“At Kitchensurfing, we believe that a shared meal is humanizing in a way that little else can be, that people should take more time to enjoy food and enjoy it with others, and that the work you do should be intellectually rewarding, but also afford the opportunity to see real smiles on faces.” — Chris Muscarella, CEO of Kitchensurfing
What an amazing journey. Thank you, Mom and Dad for teaching me that food is more than a commodity. Thank you to Chris Muscarella, my friend and cofounder at Kitchensurfing, who took a simple thought and developed in into what Kitchensurfing is today.
Come join us at our home table.
