Location: 1000 Richmond Terrace, Building A, SI, NY 10301
$35 per person

Join renowned chef BJ Dennis in conversation with horticulturist Wambui Ippolito for an interactive exploration of the culinary traditions of the Gullah, a distinctive group of Black Americans from coastal South Carolina and Georgia. A series of rice tastings are matched with discussion around the history and culture of this all important seed and special link between the Gullah and the people of West Africa.

Benjamin “BJ” Dennis IV is a chef born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, whose cooking is inspired by Gullah Geechee culture, with its origins in West Africa. Dennis studied culinary traditions in St. Thomas before returning to the Lowcountry to cook at various restaurants including Anson’s, Carolinas, Hank’s Seafood, and 82 Queen. He now cooks at various events across the country and pop-up dinners across the Lowcountry.

American Gardens and the African Diaspora and From Seed to Supper is funded, in part, through Staten Island Arts’ Expanding Audiences and Cultural Participation program, which has been made possible through the generosity of New York Community Trust, The Staten Island Foundation, and the Altman Foundation.

Space is limitted. 

American Gardens and the African Diaspora and From Seed to Supper is funded, in part, through Staten Island Arts’ Expanding Audiences and Cultural Participation program, which has been made possible through the generosity of New York Community Trust, The Staten Island Foundation, and the Altman Foundation.