Beyond the Plate: Cooking & Conversation with Tanya Holland & Ann Delisi

Spend an evening with award-winning chef, restaurateur and author Tanya Holland, in dialogue with WDET's Ann Delisi. Using food as a starting point, Holland and Delisi will explore stories of culture and community and the connections we make around the table.

The evening begins with a cocktail hour featuring complimentary hors d'oeuvres inspired by Tanya Holland's California Soul and live music from Spin Inc., followed by an onstage conversation and live cooking demonstration. The program will bring Holland's perspective on food, hospitality and community to life, with the conversation touching on food access, childhood hunger, environmental stewardship, and inclusion and equity in the hospitality industry.

Holland's approach to modern soul food is rooted in Black Southern traditions and shaped by seasonality, sustainability and place. Her cooking is informed by the history of African American migration that brought her own family from the Deep South to the West Coast, reflecting how recipes can carry stories and meaning across generations. An in-demand public speaker and lecturer, Holland frequently leads conversations nationwide, using food as a powerful entry point into issues that are both timely and personal. The conversation reflects themes at the heart of The Henry Ford's Edible Education initiatives, which encourage us to think deeply about the food that sustains us.

Holland is no stranger to The Henry Ford. In 2024 she participated in The Henry Ford's Farm to School Lunch Across America Pilot Program through her work with the Michelle Obama School in Richmond, California. The initiative amplifies the importance of farm-fresh, seasonal meals for schoolchildren nationwide, bringing together culinary experts, farmers, food advocates and communities around the need for accessible, locally sourced food.

The evening concludes with a brief Q&A and book signing, with the opportunity to purchase a copy of Tanya Holland's California Soul, featuring more than 80 seasonally inspired recipes that celebrate the traditions of soul food through a distinctly California lens.

Acclaimed for her inventive take on modern soul food, as well as comfort classics, Tanya Holland is the Executive Chef/Owner of the internationally renowned and beloved Brown Sugar Kitchen restaurant in Oakland, California.

The author of The Brown Sugar Kitchen Cookbook and New Soul Cooking, Holland competed on the 15th season of Top Chef on Bravo, was the host and soul food expert on Food Network's Melting Pot, appears on HBO Max's Selena + Chef featuring Selena Gomez, and is the host of Tanya's Kitchen Table on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Holland also leads a critically acclaimed podcast, Tanya's Table.

She is a member of the board of trustees and a frequent contributing writer and chef at the James Beard Foundation, and Brown Sugar Kitchen has received multiple Michelin Bib Gourmand awards. She is an in-demand public speaker and lecturer who frequently leads the conversation on inclusion and equity in the hospitality industry.

Holland has served as the president of the prestigious Les Dames d'Escoffier San Francisco chapter. The City of Oakland declared June 5, 2012, as Tanya Holland Day for her "Significant Role in Creating Community and Establishing Oakland as a Culinary Center."

Holland holds a Bachelor of Arts in Russian Language and Literature from the University of Virginia, as well as a Grande Diplôme from La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine in Burgundy, France.

Ann Delisi is a beloved radio personality, DJ, podcaster and business owner who is involved in multiple aspects of Detroit culture and can be heard on Detroit's WDET-FM public radio station on programs such as Ann Delisi's Essential Music, Ann Delisi's Essential Conversations and Ann Delisi's Essential Cooking with Chef James Rigato.

In addition to expanding the breadth of music played on the stations where she has worked, Delisi has taken listeners deeper with artist interviews and live in-studio performances.

Delisi is also a business owner, operating the natural food market Sprout House in Grosse Pointe with WDET colleague Lisa Brancato. Delisi's continued dedication to the spectrum of Detroit's culture and many years on the air led to her being recognized with a Spirit of Detroit Award by the Detroit City Council in 2023.

Evening Schedule

• 6 p.m. | Doors Open
  Guests should enter through the Museum Welcome Center. The program will be hosted in the Museum Plaza.
• 6-7 p.m. | Cocktail Hour
  Enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres inspired by Tanya Holland's California Soul, live music, and a cash bar before the evening's main program.
• 7-7:15 p.m. | Seating
• 7:15-8:15 p.m. | Onstage Conversation, Cooking Demonstration & Q&A
  Join Tanya Holland and Ann Delisi for an engaging conversation about food, culture and community, along with a cooking demonstration then an audience Q&A.
• 8:15-9 p.m. | Book Signing
  Meet Tanya Holland and have your copy of California Soul signed.

Parking

• Free parking is available in the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation lot off Oakwood Boulevard, near the Museum Welcome Center.
• Please note that parts of Oakwood Boulevard may be impacted by construction. Be prepared for traffic delays or detours. We apologize for any inconvenience.

The Henry Ford is committed to making our events accessible to everyone.

• Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation is fully accessible.
• This event will be ASL interpreted.

If you require an additional accommodation or service to fully participate, please contact our accessibility team via email at accessibility@thehenryford.org.