INDIEGOGO IS CLOSED. HEAD OVER TO OUR WEBSITE AND ORDER YOUR BOOK:
What is Flavors of Oakland?
Flavors of Oakland is a cookbook created by Oakland, for Oakland. Through this project we have connected with people from all different backgrounds and neighborhoods in the city, collecting favorite recipes and stories, and compiling them into a narrative cookbook that celebrates what is beautiful about Oakland.
We share these stories through written biographies and photographs to capture the essence of each "flavor" of Oakland.
What We've Done
We were able to begin our interviews in January (thanks to you guys!) and pay for all of the necessary equipment, ingredients, and assistance to get things going. As of July, we finished the interview section of the cookbook, having collected all the recipes, taken all the photographs, and proof-tested the recipes. We are now ready for the next step.
We now have 20 wonderful stories and recipes that shine light on the rich culinary and cultural history of Oakland. Through the process of interviewing and cooking with these 20 Oakland residents, we have heard many stories of upheaval and strife, adventure, families pulling together, old and new communities, and amidst all of this people have come together to make and eat food. Food brings people together.
What's Next
We have launched this new campaign to raise the funds necessary to help us pay for printing costs, so that we can get this book into your hands!
The funds raised from this campaign will go directly to the costs of printing and shipping. We will be giving free copies of the book to interested public schools and libraries in Oakland.
Each dollar you donate will bring us closer to making the book accessible to ALL of Oakland.
Any extra funds we raise will go towards our book release party and offsetting ingredient costs.
Our book release party will feature the dishes from all of our interviews, providing an environment for Oakland residents from all backgrounds to gather and connect over a plate of food.
We carried out several rounds of recipe testing to make sure our recorded recipes were accurate. This exceeded our original budget, so the excess funds from this campaign will offset those costs.
About Us
Anya, 19, has lived in Oakland since she was three, and is a proud product of the Oakland public school and California Community College systems. She is currently a third-year student at UC Berkeley majoring in Political Science with an emphasis on American Politics. She has been working as a professional photographer for two years, and has established her own photography business—Kutography.
Elazar, 17, is a writer, cook, and student. Although he has not lived in Oakland his entire life, there is no place he would rather call home. Elazar has trained in several renowned Oakland restaurants (Pizzaiolo & Duende), worked for Riverdog Farm, and teaches at Cook!, a culinary summer camp in Emeryville. One of Elazar's greatest passions is food justice, and he has previously compiled a book on sustainable farming in partnership with The Local Butcher Shop in Berkeley. He is a senior in high school. Check out his personal website for more.
Other Ways You Can Help
As always, we appreciate everything you do, if a monetary donation is not a possibility for you right now, please take a moment to share this campaign.
The more people that hear about us, the more likely we are to reach our goal and be able to print this book.
$250-$500 Donation Options
Oakland Schools:
- Acorn Woodland Elementary School
- Allendale Elementary School
- Alliance Academy
- Bella Vista Elementary School
- Bret Harte Middle School
- Bridges Academy
- Brookfield Elementary School
- Burckhalter Elementary School
- Carl B. Munck Elementary School
- Castlemont High School
- Chabot Elementary School
- Claremont Middle School
- Cleveland Elementary School
- Coliseum College Prep Academy
- Community Day School
- Community United Elementary School
- Crocker Highlands Elementary School
- Dewey Academy
- Easy Oakland Pride Elementary School
- Edna Brewer Middle School
- Elmhurst Community Prep School
- Emerson Elementary School
- Encompass Academy
- Esperanza
- Franklin Elementary School
- Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy
- Fremont High School
- Frick Middle School
- Fruitvale Elementary School
- Futures Elementary School
- Garfield Elementary School
- Gateway to College at Laney College
- Glenview Elementary School
- Global Family School
- Grass Valley Elementary School
- Greenleaf Elementary School
- Hillcrest Elementary School
- Hoover Elementary School
- Horace Mann Elementary School
- Howard Elementary School
- International Community Elementary School
- Joaquin Miller Elementary School
- Kaiser Elementary School
- La Escuelita Elementary School
- Lafayette Elementary School
- Laurel Elementary School
- Life Academy
- Lincoln Elementary School
- Madison Park Lower Campus
- Madison Park Upper Campus
- Manzanita Community School
- Manzanita Seed
- Markham Elementary School
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School
- McClymonds High School
- Melrose Leadership Academy
- Metwest
- Montclair Elementary
- Montera Middle School
- New Highland Academy
- Oakland High School
- Oakland International High
- Oakland Technical High School
- Parker Elementary School
- Peralta Elementary School
- Piedmont Avenue Elementary School
- Place @ Prescott
- Ralph J. Bunche High School
- Reach Academy
- Redwood Heights Elementary School
- Rise Community School
- Roosevelt Middle School
- Roots International Academy
- Rudsdale Continuation
- Sankofa Academy
- Sequoia Elementary School
- Skyline High School
- Sojourner Truth Independent Study
- Street Academy
- Think College Now Elementary School
- Thornhill Elementary School
- United For Success
- Urban Promise Academy
- West Oakland Middle School
- Westlake Middle School
Oakland Libraries:
- Main Library
- 81st Ave. Branch
- Asian Branch
- Brookfield Branch
- Cesar E. Chavez Branch
- Dimond Branch
- Eastmont Branch
- Elmhurst Branch
- Golden Gate Branch
- Lakeview Branch
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch
- Melrose Branch
- Montclair Branch
- Piedmont Ave. Branch
- Rockridge Branch
- Temescal Branch
- West Oakland Branch
- African American Museum & Library
- Oakland History Room