My Jamaican Table with Andre Fowles
Jamaican food enthusiasts, gather 'round! Join us to celebrate the launch of My Jamaican Table by Kingston-born chef Andre Fowles. Also known for his work with the Rockhouse Foundation and beloved NYC restaurant Miss Lily's, we'll hear from Chef about the foods that have inspired him throughout his career.
“I’ve always believed food is more than just what’s on the plate—it’s a story, a connection, and a legacy. Growing up in a tenement yard in Kingston, I was surrounded by bold flavors, proud traditions, and a deep love for the island’s culture. I learned about chopping, stirring, and tasting from my mother and grandmother, but more importantly, about Jamaica’s warmth, effervescence, and perseverance. I’ve cooked for dignitaries, celebrities, and food lovers all over, but my heart always comes back to Jamaica.”
In addition to a conversation moderated by Melissa Noel, we'll enjoy bites and a beverage inspired by the book.
Ticket Options
Standard: general admission to the event
Standard + Book: general admission + a signed copy of My Jamaican Table
Purchase your book in advance for a discount on your event ticket! Additional copies of the book will be available for purchase with personalized signings onsite.
More about the book
In the first major Jamaican cookbook of its kind, Kingston-born chef Andre Fowles presents modern and classic recipes for the best of Jamaican food capturing the tastes and traditions of the island—featuring a foreword from Bruce Springsteen.
Jamaican cuisine is the result of a rich blend of cultural influences: Indigenous, African, Indian, Chinese, and European. Each dish tells a story of resilience and adaptation and reveals the culinary identity of Jamaica itself—dynamic, colorful, and always evolving. In this culinary journey through the heart and soul of Jamaica, celebrated Kingston-born chef Andre Fowles presents 100 iconic and innovative recipes infused with the spirit of a life where meals are shared, stories told, and bonds strengthened.
The recipes in My Jamaican Table celebrate the bold flavors of iconic Jamaican dishes like Jerk Chicken, Pepper Shrimp, and Ackee and Saltfish alongside new spins like Oxtail and Gnocchi, a fish-and-chips-inspired Escovitch Fish Sandwich, and Rum Cake Tiramisu. With easy-to-follow instructions, accessible ingredients, full-color images, and stories, My Jamaican Table brings a taste of Jamaica to home kitchens.
More about the participants
Chef Andre Fowles is an award-winning Jamaican-born chef, three-time Chopped champion, international restaurant consultant, and culinary ambassador for the Rockhouse Foundation, helping to raise money to build all-expense-paid schools for children with special needs in Jamaica. A graduate of the HEART Trust Academy in Kingston and the Culinary Institute of America in New York, his work has been featured in Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, The New York Times, and Eater. Chef Fowles has cooked for a long list of celebrities, including rock legend Bruce Springsteen and his family. Follow him on Instagram @cheffowles.
Melissa Noel is an award-winning Guyanese American media entrepreneur, journalist, and producer leading globally resonant cultural storytelling and strategic initiatives with a focus on Caribbean and African Diaspora narratives. As Founder and CEO of Mel & N Media Group, she leads a culture-driven media and production firm. Through partnerships with institutions, tourism boards, and global brands, Mel & N Media Group designs narrative strategy, produces live experiences, and builds platforms that move culture and commerce forward.
Her forthcoming docuseries, Destination Diaspora®, uncovers how African culture has traveled, transformed, and thrived across the world through food, music, language, dance, and tradition, illuminating the living cultural connections that shape contemporary diasporic identity. Destination Diaspora® won the 2025 BET+ and Black Travel Summit Passport to Storytelling competition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, positioning cultural storytelling as a bridge between history and the present and highlighting how shared heritage continues to unite communities across continents.
More about BEM
BEM Cultural Foundation (BCF) is the sibling nonprofit to BEM | books & more, a bookstore and culinary hub dedicated to global Black foodways and storytelling.
Established in 2025, BCF creates programs and experiences that deepen the public’s knowledge of Black culinary and literary traditions across the diaspora. BCF prioritizes communal gatherings, creating space to celebrate and explore Black food through literature while serving as a home for readers, writers, cooks, and eaters passionate about Black cultures in all their diversity.