The Caribbean Cookbook with Rawlston Williams
Join us to celebrate the launch of The Caribbean Cookbook by Rawlston Williams. Chef Rawlston, who ran the beloved Brooklyn restaurant The Food Sermon for many years, set out to reflect the ingenuity and beauty of Caribbean cuisine from across the region and gathered over 300 home cooking recipes into a coffee table-worthy tome published by Phaidon.
In addition to the talk moderated by Manolo Lopez, Chef Rawlston will prepare bites from the book for you to enjoy.
Ticket Options
Standard: general admission to the event
Standard + Book: general admission + a signed copy of The Caribbean Cookbook
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 Caribbean Cookbook, chef Rawlston Williams celebrates the diverse foods, flavors, and culinary traditions of this vibrant region. Featuring more than 380 recipes from 28 countries and island nations, the book includes classic marinades, sauces, and preserves; broths and soups; rices, grains, and vegetables; and chapters dedicated to Sea & River, On Land, Flour, Sugar, Juice, and Rum. The iconic ingredients synonymous with the Caribbean - citrus, nutmeg, coconut, tamarind, pimento, pineapple, rum - are showcased throughout, with spices as the stars, elevating other ingredients to create layered and satisfying dishes.
This intensively researched recipe collection includes both beloved classics and lesser-known specialties. Home cooks around the world will discover Jamaica's Jerk Chicken and Dominica's Callaloo Soup; Puerto Rico's plantain-based Mofongo; Green Fig Salad from Saint Lucia; Haiti's Seafood Creole; a sweet Cashew Cake from Aruba; and other authentic dishes. There's plenty for armchair travelers to enjoy, too: Rawlston's descriptions of the islands' histories, culture, and traditions bring each recipe to life, while stunning color photography of the food and landscapes offers a whirlwind journey across one of the world's most beautiful destinations.
Beautifully designed in bold tropical shades, The Caribbean Cookbook is a powerful, joyful ode to the many flavors of this incredible region.
More about the participants
Rawlston Williams is a Caribbean chef with a deep passion and knowledge for his region's food culture. Born in Kingstown in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, he has lived in New York since 1987. A graduate of the French Culinary Institute, for many years he was the chef-owner of the award-winning Brooklyn restaurant The Food Sermon, which focused on dishes inspired by Caribbean cuisine.
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.