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:

1. Acorn Woodland Elementary School
2. Allendale Elementary School
3. Alliance Academy
4. Bella Vista Elementary School
5. Bret Harte Middle School
6. Bridges Academy
7. Brookfield Elementary School
8. Burckhalter Elementary School
9. Carl B. Munck Elementary School
10. Castlemont High School
11. Chabot Elementary School
12. Claremont Middle School
13. Cleveland Elementary School
14. Coliseum College Prep Academy
15. Community Day School
16. Community United Elementary School
17. Crocker Highlands Elementary School
18. Dewey Academy
19. Easy Oakland Pride Elementary School
20. Edna Brewer Middle School
21. Elmhurst Community Prep School
22. Emerson Elementary School
23. Encompass Academy
24. Esperanza 
25. Franklin Elementary School
26. Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy
27. Fremont High School
28. Frick Middle School
29. Fruitvale Elementary School
30. Futures Elementary School
31. Garfield Elementary School
32. Gateway to College at Laney College
33. Glenview Elementary School
34. Global Family School
35. Grass Valley Elementary School
36. Greenleaf Elementary School
37. Hillcrest Elementary School
38. Hoover Elementary School
39. Horace Mann Elementary School
40. Howard Elementary School
41. International Community Elementary School
42. Joaquin Miller Elementary School
43. Kaiser Elementary School
44. La Escuelita Elementary School
45. Lafayette Elementary School
46. Laurel Elementary School
47. Life Academy
48. Lincoln Elementary School
49. Madison Park Lower Campus
50. Madison Park Upper Campus
51. Manzanita Community School
52. Manzanita Seed
53. Markham Elementary School
54. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School
55. McClymonds High School
56. Melrose Leadership Academy
57. Metwest
58. Montclair Elementary
59. Montera Middle School
60. New Highland Academy
61. Oakland High School
62. Oakland International High
63. Oakland Technical High School
64. Parker Elementary School
65. Peralta Elementary School
66. Piedmont Avenue Elementary School
67. Place @ Prescott
68. Ralph J. Bunche High School
69. Reach Academy
70. Redwood Heights Elementary School
71. Rise Community School
72. Roosevelt Middle School
73. Roots International Academy
74. Rudsdale Continuation
75. Sankofa Academy
76. Sequoia Elementary School
77. Skyline High School
78. Sojourner Truth Independent Study
79. Street Academy
80. Think College Now Elementary School
81. Thornhill Elementary School
82. United For Success
83. Urban Promise Academy
84. West Oakland Middle School
85. Westlake Middle School

Oakland Libraries:

1. Main Library
2. 81st Ave. Branch
3. Asian Branch
4. Brookfield Branch
5. Cesar E. Chavez Branch
6. Dimond Branch
7. Eastmont Branch
8. Elmhurst Branch
9. Golden Gate Branch
10. Lakeview Branch
11. Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch
12. Melrose Branch
13. Montclair Branch
14. Piedmont Ave. Branch
15. Rockridge Branch
16. Temescal Branch
17. West Oakland Branch
18. African American Museum & Library
19. Oakland History Room