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Kia Damon, who was head chef at Lalito while it was open and is a recent winner of Food Network’s Chopped, has been busier than ever. Along with a series of pop-ups, virtual events, and private cooking jobs, Damon has co-founded Auxilio — a food-centered space that supports queer, Black, trans, and indigenous communities in New York — and founded the Kia Feeds the People Program, another nonprofit aimed at combating food apartheid. With everything else going on, she is adjusting her home-cooking routine accordingly.
As told to Jane Starr Drinkard
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For Kia's full Grub Street diet, click the link below.
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Grub Street: Kia Damon
5 Places
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Kia Damon, who was head chef at Lalito while it was open and is a recent winner of Food Network’s Chopped, has been busier than ever. Along with a series of pop-ups, virtual events, and private cooking jobs, Damon has co-founded Auxilio — a food-centered space that supports queer, Black, trans, and indigenous communities in New York — and founded the Kia Feeds the People Program, another nonprofit aimed at combating food apartheid. With everything else going on, she is adjusting her home-cooking routine accordingly.
As told to Jane Starr Drinkard
---
For Kia's full Grub Street diet, click the link below.
Herbert Von King Park
Park
"Working from home, eating from home, cooking from home — it all blends into one experience. I try to play hooky, getting up to walk outside. I’ve been trying to practice a lot of that. Taking walks, heading to Herbert Von King Park, just to bring some humanity back into my schedule."
BK Bagels
Bagel shop
"I went to this place BK Bagels on Broadway after the gym with Stasia and got a chicken-caesar-bacon wrap. It was so good."
Chelsea Market
Market
"After that, I made Louisiana-style red beans and rice in my Instant Pot because I had some ham from Chelsea Market. It was my first time seeing tasso ham in New York. So that was a moment."
Clementine Bakery
Bakery
"I wanted a pastry from Pilar, but they were closed so we walked farther to Clementine, which is vegan. We got some poppin’ strawberry vegan cream-cheese Danishes. I had never experienced a vegan version of that. I was very impressed! I have to note I don’t have a gigantic sweet tooth. It just really has to hit me. I also picked up a super-chunky fudge-y walnut brownie they had."
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