Whet Your Appetite for Stony Brook Southampton's 2018 Food Lab Conference

Food is one of the defining qualities of culture, and with so many unique cultures around the world, the diversity in the culinary world is immense. Stony Brook University is hosting the Fourth Annual Food Lab Conference, themed “Eat Global…Cook Local,” at the Southampton Campus on September 14–15 as a celebration of that diversity and a great learning experience for all who attend.

Preceding the conference on Friday, Food Network’s recent Chopped champion, Chef Nicholas Poulmentis, will conduct a cooking class from 2:30–4:30 p.m. in the South Fork Kitchens space of the Amagansett Food Institute located at the Student Center, displaying his modern take on classic Greek dishes. Assistant Professor of Nutrition at Stony Brook Health Science Center and advocate for the Mediterranean diet Chrisa Arcan will attend the demonstration for conversation, cultural context and tips on technique. The demonstration will be videotaped to be screened later for conference attendees. Admission is $50, and space is limited.

The conference officially begins with an opening reception at the Literary Landmark Windmill, from 6:30–8 p.m, where cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Welcoming remarks will be given by Creative Arts Associate Provost Robert Reeves and Food Lab Executive Director Geoffrey Drummond. Shane Weeks, Cultural Ambassador of the Shinnecock Nation, will offer a blessing and a song, and then Laura Luciano will offer a lecture titled Eat Global…Cook Local: Nourishing Community and Understanding Through ‘Slow’ Food.

On Saturday, the Southampton campus will be filled with speakers from television, food writing, wellness and nutrition. Colin Ambrose, chef and owner of Estia’s Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor, will speak with Biddle Duke, founding editor of EAST magazine. After lunch, Pati Jinich, a James Beard Award-winner and Emmy nominee for hosting Pati’s Mexican Table. Florence Fabricant, New York Times food journalist and host of Guild Hall’s Stirring the Pot series, will join Lisa Gross and Sonya Kharas, founders of League of Kitchens, in a panel discussion.

Other conference participants include authors Dr. Frank Lipman MD and Seamus Mullen. The conference will conclude with One Long Table, a wine, beer and spirits tasting/small plates buffet from Carolina Santos-Neves and League of Kitchens.

Tickets to the Food Lab Conference are $150, or $75 for farmers and students. Visit thefoodlab.org for more info.