Book cover titled "Plated Stories: Legacies from Home to Table," featuring various dishes and snacks, including potato wedges, popcorn, hummus with pomegranate seeds, a plate with stuffed grape leaves, and other Middle Eastern cuisine, with scattered flower petals and small tomatoes.

Plated Stories

I teamed up with Refugee Services of Texas, the refugees they empower, and a dedicated group of volunteers to create the cookbook Plated Stories - Legacies from Home to Table.

Compelled to shine a light on the lives of asylum seekers, refugees, and trafficking survivors, we brought the project together to create a lasting testament to the human spirit through conversation, photos, and food.

The result is a collection of more than 50 delicious recipes alongside extraordinary biographies.

Plated Stories invites you to celebrate our common humanity through the mutual languages of food, tradition, and community.

Crew:

Client: Refugee Services of Texas

Photographer: Nitya Jain

Location: Texas

A plate of spicy tabbouleh salad with chopped tomatoes, parsley, mint, bulgur, and lemon juice.
A woman with dark wavy hair, wearing a patterned colorful jacket, beige turtleneck, gold hoop earrings, and a beaded necklace, holding a small glass pitcher of red liquid and smiling at the camera.
A bowl of Indian curry with visible chunks of vegetables and herbs, placed on a yellow surface. Surrounding it are a spoon, a sprig of green herb, a lemon wedge, and a plate with flatbread, sliced onions, and cilantro. There is also a small bowl of d
Three glasses filled with white drink topped with roasted pine nuts, on a green textured surface. There are yellow flowers and green leaves nearby.
Person holding a partially eaten samosa filled with dark vegetable mixture, with a plate of more samosas and dipping sauces in the background.
A black plate with golden spring rolls on a woven rattan placemat, accompanied by a small bowl of dipping sauce.
Close-up of sliced fresh papayas arranged in a circular pattern.
A woman with dark hair sitting indoors, wearing a white garment with colorful embroidered patterns on the shoulders, cuffs, and chest.
Dessert in a glass topped with diced mango, with tapioca pearls and cream inside, on a decorative plate.
Person wearing a colorful, patterned jacket holding a opened date fruit, with a bowl of dates and date parts on a table.
Stack of six thumbprint cookies filled with caramel, dusted with powdered sugar, on a black surface with a blurred autumn background.
A woman with shoulder-length dark brown hair, wearing a black top with a silver necklace, stands outdoors in front of green foliage.
Skewers of grilled meat with barbecue sauce, garnished with cucumber chunks, onion slices, and lime wedges on a black plate.
A man with dark hair and wearing a black shirt and checkered apron, standing against a green wooden wall.
A bowl of chicken soup garnished with cilantro, green onions, and onion slices. A wooden spoon rests inside the soup. A small bowl of soy sauce with chopped green onions is visible in the background.
Two bowls of creamy soup garnished with cilantro and chopped herbs, served with a side of fried bread slices with lemon wedges on a rustic wooden table.
A close-up portrait of a man with dark skin, short curly hair, wearing a light-colored button-up shirt and a dark blazer, against a soft orange background.

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