® INDIE SUCCESS
42 BOOKLIFE, JULY 29, 2019
the perspective of a girl named
Kalamata and her stuffed alligator,
Al Dente. The stories also introduce
characters based on real chefs and
food personalities.
Though Kalamata’s Kitchen is
ostensibly all about food, there is
a deeper purpose behind the plat-
form: “Our mission is to create a
more curious and compassionate
generation of kids and grown-ups,
using food as a bridge to diverse
cultures and experiences,” Thomas
says. “When we talk about and share
our traditions, we suddenly have a
connection to, and understanding
of, this big flavorful world.”
Illustrating the series is the fine artist and graphic
designer Joanna “Jo” Edwards, who drew from her
childhood memories of trying new foods when
crafting the images: “I was the kid who ate any-
thing,” Edwards writes on the Kalamata’s Kitchen
website.
According to Amy Smith, who operates public
relations for Kalamata’s Kitchen, some synergy
must have been at work throughout Edwards’s
creative process. Though she hadn’t met Thomas,
“when the first iteration of Kalamata was sent to
the team, they were shocked that Kalamata was a
literal likeness of Sarah!”
Book one, Kalamata’s Kitchen (2018), features
chef Ilma Lopez, co-owner and pastry chef at Blue
Rooster Food Company and Piccolo in Portland,
Maine. In the story, Kalamata and Al Dente travel
to Lopez’s abuelita’s kitchen in Venezuela. There,
Kalamata learns about Venezuelan foods and tries
a new dessert.
In Kalamata’s Orchard Adventure, the characters
take a trip to an apple orchard with chef Trevett
Hooper, based in Pittsburgh. They taste apples
and, according to Thomas, “explore the idea of
what home smells like.”
The third book, À la Kalamata, features Eric
Ripert, chef at Le Bernardin in New York City (where
Thomas works as a sommelier). In the story, char-
acters based on Ripert and his son, Adrien, travel
with Kalamata and Al Dente to Southern France.
Ripert became involved with Kalamata’s Kitchen
after overhearing Thomas discussing the project.
“My food memories as a child are very importantto me, so I want to encourage kids to create con-
nections through food,” he says. “Kalamata’s Kitchen
does so in a unique way through storytelling.”
While collaborating on the story, Ripert reflected
on his experiences cooking with his son, who
became excited about trying international cuisine
at a young age. Ripert and Adrien would imagine
a new restaurant at their home each Sunday;
Ripert served as the head chef, while Adrien was
the maître d’ and created the menus. Ripert
believes that the best way to get kids interested
in cooking is to “make the process both fun and
delicious.”
In addition to the picture books, Kalamata’s
Kitchen has the online Taste Bud Travel Guide
series, which currently features 15 U.S. cities, with
10 more to come. The guides include photographs
of restaurants and favorite foods in each of the
locations. Online, the brand also sells games,
kitchen tools, aprons, and even temporary tattoos.
Thomas says that for her, there’s no such thing
as too many cooks in the kitchen. In fact, the team
has introduced a social content series, Taste Bud
Snacks, that welcomes more individuals from the
food community. Top Chef finalist Adrienne
Cheatham was featured in the first episode.
“It truly is a family effort,” Thomas says. “Those
of us who work on the brand—whether it’s my
cofounder, myself, or our partners—all feel a very
personal connection to the mission. At its core
lives a sentiment that is met with open arms and
excitement, and we couldn’t be happier to share
it with the world.” ■Author Sarah Thomas (l.) and chef Eric Ripert