What I Found at Big Queer Food Fest
Witnessing a community form around food, and being part of it.
I'm Here—and Something Beautiful Happened
It's been over a month since my last note, and I've missed writing to you. April slipped away from me, not because I didn't want to connect, but because I've been deep in the final stretch of bringing Potluck Desserts: Joyful Recipes to Share with Pride to life.
What no one really tells you is that marketing a cookbook is a full-time job in itself. If I'm lucky enough to do this all again (book two? fingers crossed), I'll take everything I've learned into the next round. But right now, my focus is on ensuring this labor of love finds its way into the hands and kitchens of the folks it was made for.
Potluck Desserts publishes June 3. Less than a month away. Let that sink in!
But first, let me tell you something extraordinary about last week.
Why a Queer Food Festival? Why Not?
A question I hear far too often:
Why do you need a Pride parade? Why a whole month? Why a queer food festival?
And my answer is always the same:
Why not?
We celebrate because we exist. And our existence, especially in a world that often tries to erase us, is a form of resistance. We've been marching in the shadows for centuries, slowly claiming space, building community, and daring to be joyful. We deserve to gather, to take up space, and to be celebrated.
So when I was invited to the first-ever week-long Big Queer Food Fest (BQFF) in Boston, my "yes" was instant and loud.
I've long dreamed of a food space where queerness wasn't an afterthought or a token, where it wasn't something to be sanitized or spotlighted only when convenient. A space where queer and trans chefs, bakers, bartenders, farmers, and food lovers could be centered. Where we could be fully ourselves.
BQFF was precisely that. (Give them a follow in IG)
Nourishment Beyond the Plate
The week-long celebration overflowed with community:
Opening night parties
Queer bar takeovers and brewery meetups
Panel discussions and a cocktail battle
Dinners featuring chef collabs
A full-blown Grand Tasting across two days at High Street Place
It was… electric.
Sure, I've been to plenty of Prides, marches, and queer events. But something shifts when food is at the heart of it all. A different kind of intimacy and trust happen when you gather around food—when you share bites, stories, and laughter at communal tables. It's nostalgic and nourishing, but also exciting and new. A kind of synergy I didn't know I was missing until I felt it.
Because let's be real: queer folks are the food and hospitality industry. We always have been. We're line cooks, sommeliers, pastry chefs, hosts, servers, dishwashers, owners, farmers, and friends. We're the hospitality behind the menu. We're not new to the table—we helped build the table.
A Space Without Shame
Here's what hit me hardest as a food professional: this was the first festival I've attended where I didn't feel the need to shrink or disguise any part of myself.
At so many food and wine events, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, and microaggressions lurk in the corners—sometimes subtle, sometimes loud. There's a quiet code-switching we do to stay safe, to blend in, to avoid confrontation. Not here.
I had a quiet moment during the Grand Tasting when I stepped back and choked up.
Because I realized: This is what I've been writing about in Potluck Desserts.
This feeling. This chosen family. We built this table for each other when the world forgot to set one for us.
I found a professional space that felt like home for the first time. That let me show up fully—pastry chef, queer creative, writer, and proud member of this ever-growing community.
Every event felt like a reunion. Whether we were longtime friends, mutuals from Instagram, or just fans of each other's work, the love was immediate. Hugs happened before handshakes. Compliments flew before credentials.
And when the Grand Tasting kicked off? We couldn't help but cheer each other on. We weren't competing—we were celebrating. We hyped each other up like it was second nature, because it was.
The nights ended with community dinners where we didn't trauma dump. We thrived. We shared, supported, schemed up collabs, swapped numbers, and made plans to lift each other up in our own cities.
We started building something bigger—something that doesn't end in Boston.
Pre-Orders Matter
Potluck Desserts drops on June 3, and pre-orders are everything. They help booksellers, publishers, and media understand that this book matters. Our stories belong on shelves, in kitchens, and at potlucks nationwide.
If you haven't already, I'd be honored if you placed your pre-order today:
👉 Pre-Order Potluck Desserts here or from your favorite bookseller!
And if you have? Thank you, it means so much! Truly.
The Book Tour Begins (Part One!)
It's happening! The Potluck Desserts Book Tour is officially kicking off in June. And let me tell ya, it's gonna be big and very queer! Each stop will be a little different—some bookstore signings, pop-up events, maybe even a few potlucks. I'll share all the details soon, but for now, save the date(s).
Part One: Potluck Desserts Launch
June 3: Pub Day!
June 5-6: Portland, ME with Community Plate and Great Falls Pride
June 8: D.C. with Bold Fork
June 12-14: Seattle, WA with Book Larder and Seattle Baking Club
June 21: Buffalo, NY with Read It & Eat and GLYS Western New York
June 25: Durham, NC
June 29: Los Angeles, CA with Now Serving
More details are coming soon and will be announced here and on Instagram!
But, wait! There's MORE!
Part Two: Potluck Summer Nights (July–Sept)
Keep an eye out for Part Two announcements. I'll be bringing Potluck Desserts to my friends' restaurants, bars, and other fun locations where we take Potluck Desserts and breath queer nightlife into it. Who doesn't love an al fresco potluck under market lights with a few Drag Queens!
Part Three: Final Celebrations
More to come on this! But, let’s show Potluck Desserts a fantastically queer closing celebration!
One Last Thing
As I approach the Pub Date for Potluck Desserts, I’m also approaching the next phase of Taste This. For those who subscribed early on, I made a commitment that Taste This would be a safe space for us to cook and share together once the cookbook published.
And that is what it precisely will be. Starting this summer, expect recipes, shared stories from my food professional peers, and much more.
Thank you for subscribing and joining this community. Things have only gotten started!