Join us after the Ethiopian Arthouse film: FAYA DAYI for a multi-course feast by James Beard Nominated Chef, Alganesh Michael of A TASTE OF ABYSSINIA! A networking party to celebrate our GRRLS TO THE FRONT Collaboration with Vermont Women’s Fund and The Stone Church!

ABOUT THE CUISINE: Ethiopia and Eritrea are countries in the horn of Africa. The two staple components of this authentic cuisine are injera and berbere. Injera is a staple food, usually made from teff flour, and it is unique to both countries. It is a fermented, sourdough flatbread served with variety of stews & curries of meats and veggies, also called wet, on top. Berbere is a traditional spice blend that is the backbone of Ethiopian & Eritrean cuisine. It’s used in many different dishes, including the national dish, Doro wet (chicken stew). Traditionally, the food is eaten by hand from a common platter, communal dining tradition; don’t be afraid to dig in!

MENU FOR TONIGHT’S FEAST:

1. Curried chicken

2. Spiced lentils

3. Collard greens

4. Ginger cabbage with shredded carrots

5. Injera (fermented bread)

6. Rice (gluten free option)

ABOUT THE CHEF: Alganesh Michael lives in South Burlington with her husband and two daughters. She is a former nurse turned homemaker for the last 16 years. Although not a chef by trade, Alganesh loves to cook and entertain family and friends. Over the past 6 years, she has been working in collaboration with many local restaurants, as well as in schools and various communities, to introduce authentic Ethiopian & Eritrean cuisine to Vermont. Ethiopian & Eritrean cooking relies on a diverse range of herbs and roots to develop characteristics quintessential to the cuisine. Alganesh cooks in a traditional way with authentic spices, served on a large, family-style platter atop of Injera. Injera is unique staple food to both countries and also serves as an edible utensil. It’s best known as a spongy sourdough flatbread; one can’t really have an authentic Ethiopean/Eritean feast without it!

ABOUT THE FILM: FAYA DAYI (2021, 120 mins). Ethiopian legend has it that khat, a stimulant leaf, was found by Sufi Imams in search of eternity. Inspired by this myth, Faya Dayi is a sublime cinematic work of personal vision by the Mexican Ethiopian filmmaker Jessica Beshir. Through the prism of the khat trade, Faya Dayi weaves a hypnotic tapestry of intimate stories of people caught between violent government repression, khat-induced fantasies and treacherous journeys beyond their borders, and offers a window into the dreams of the youth who long for a better life.

“Like smoky tendrils from a tray of incense, Faya dayi unfurls in a languorous haze. The film is a portal into a woven dream of partial remembrance, timeless mythic cycles, and the present urgencies of migration and the climate crisis.” -Criterion

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