Introducing Dirty Kitchen — Our Partner in Food, Memory, and Story
As we prepare to celebrate KKC’s 1st anniversary, we’re honored to partner with Dirty Kitchen: An Ilokano American Story — a beautiful labor of love that weaves together food, family, and cultural memory.
Dirty Kitchen - An Ilocano Story
Dirty Kitchen centers on a deeply personal narrative: children spending a day with their Lola, learning to cook in her “dirty kitchen” — the warm, lived-in space where recipes, language, and heritage are passed down.
Their Kickstarter campaign (which has drawn around 140 backers and raised over $8,500) seeks to bring this story to life in book form — complete with visuals, recipes, cultural context, and art.
What makes Dirty Kitchen special is how it doesn’t just recount recipes — it preserves memory. In one story, Danilo recalls making pinakbet with his Lola in their modest, everyday kitchen: the smells of bagoong, the heat, the laughter.
Why We’re Aligned
At KKC, we believe in the power of stories to root us, to connect us across time and culture. Dirty Kitchen brings that to life through food — a universal language. Our mission aligns with theirs in preserving identity, fostering intergenerational dialogue, and celebrating roots.
In co-hosting this anniversary (along with Remagination Farm), we hope to offer a richer experience: not just speeches and readings, but sensory connections, shared meals, stories that linger in your memory.
About the Creative Team behind the book:
Illustrator
Marielle Navasca Atanacio (she/her) was born in Manila, Philippines on a street lined with her Ilokano family and Bulaqueña family members. She immigrated to the Bay Area in the 90’s. Her ancestral Ilokano roots are from Paoay, Ilocos Norte and Agno, Pangasinan. Her other ancestral roots are from Rizal, Bulacan, and Cebu.
She is a mother, artist, and a storyteller that loves to learn dishes from her parents and lola, amongst listening to all their memories. When she’s not holding a pencil or a crayon, she’s most likely in her garden taking a nap, or coming up with ways to procure food.
Author
Melisa Anne "Missy" Bagasao Bautista (she/her) is an Ilokana American and Pinay born and raised in Southern California in the city of Long Beach and La Palma. Her ancestral roots in the Philippines are in Paoay, Illocos Norte, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya and Narvacan, Illocos Sur.
She enjoys cooking and eating delicious meals, being in the Sun, by bodies of water, hiking, and walking/sitting amongst the trees. She hopes to one day have a garden to grow all her own food, herbs, citrus trees, and flowers.
Author
Jean Torres Juarez (she/her) was born in Delano, CA and raised outside of her birth city in a place called Richgrove, CA. She is an Ilokano American daughter, sister, auntie, and wife. Her ancestral roots are in Kariskis, Luna, La Union and Pasandalan, Lebak, Sultan Kudurat.
One of her goals in this life is to learn her favorite Ilocano dishes from her mom, like batso nga tabungaw and dinengdeng na rabong.
Author
Kharyl Anne Bugaoisan Piano (she/her) is an Ilokano American Pinay with roots in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, and Asingan, Pangasinan, Philippines. She was born in Delano, CA and was raised in Sacramento, CA.
Kharyl is a mother, wife, daughter, auntie, and speech language pathologist. She loves spending time with family, enjoying Ilokano/Filipino dishes, reading children’s books, listening to music, and relaxing by the water.
Join Us
We invite you to share in this celebration — come, taste, listen, remember. Keep an eye on both KKC and Dirty Kitchen’s channels for updates.
Together, we carry forward stories that nourish, sustain, and connect.
