Meet the creatives behind the local queer cooking platform, We Eatin’ Good
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAE HARTRICK
WORDS BY DEANA STEPANIAN
“It’s incredibly moving to make something for your community, with your community.”
There’s no denying food is a universal love language, and although I’m not the best cook I know that nothing screams ‘I care for you’ like giving away my last bite. And as anyone who grew up in an ethnic household will know, being served a plate of fruit by your parents was the ultimate gesture of love and affection. Whenever I’ve distanced myself from my culture, food has always been the first thing I’ve turned to in order to reclaim that connection.
Aside from all its obvious pleasures, cooking is a powerful way for many people with marginalised identities to preserve and share their cultures. We Eatin’ Good is a one-of-a-kind cooking platform committed to amplifying and exploring the voices and stories of young QTIBIPOC (queer, trans, intersex, Black people and people of colour).
Interested to hear how others navigate the world? Head to our Life section.
Naarm-based actor, writer and producer Matisse Laida and multidisciplinary creative Nisha Hunter are the two forces behind the community-based project. From facilitating Instagram takeovers to hosting a queer chef series, the duo have also recently co-produced a We Eatin’ Good documentary. Below they talk about their influences and the importance of fostering community spaces.
Tell us about what inspired you to create We Eatin’ Good?
Matisse: Cooking with queer people of colour and Black people, and feeling that sense of community and connection that you can only really get from food. I felt that a lot of the time queer people lose connection to their culture, [so] it’s really important for me to have and create spaces that nurture that.
Nisha: So often our stories, recipes and knowledge are co-opted by a White lens, so it means so much to us to… create a platform for community, by community.
How did you two meet?
M: Two hot queers living Northside. The rest is history. Maybe one day we’ll get married.
N: Classic queer love story. We started out by dating, and then became besties!
You recently came out with a We Eatin’ Good documentary! Can you share more about that and the process of producing it?
M: I knew I wanted to take We Eatin’ Good offline and do something more with the community and platform. I asked Nisha to come on as co-producer and director of photography (before we started dating). We got some funding and brought together a bunch of QTIBIPOC creators, and had the most beautiful and wholesome time making this film. I cried every day on set. It’s incredibly moving to make something for your community, with your community. [I’m] forever grateful to our cast for sharing such vulnerable moments with us.
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N: We felt that a documentary was [the] perfect medium to explore these topics and [provide] space for people to share their stories. Getting to listen to people’s stories and learn from each person in the doco has been amazing. It was such a small production that it really felt like an intimate hang-out where we could explore food, culture and queerness in a safe and comfortable environment.
What’s your favourite part of sharing this platform and collaborating with others in the community?
N: The connections and family we have created along the way. We are so grateful to everyone who has believed in us and put time into this project. It has been a blessing to work with such talented and amazing people!
M: I second that! And also watching it grow has been so wild. I remember when it was just me making silly TikToks, to then watching the takeovers from queer people worldwide, hosting events and then having the opportunity to make this insanely beautiful film. I’m just so shocked that a lockdown project has grown into an entire community.
How can members of the community get involved?
M: Takeovers!!! I know we’ve been slacking, but I miss seeing queers cooking on the Instagram stories every week. More on that soon, but know I’ll be harassing you guys online again. Also, come to the world premiere of our film on May 6!
N: I agree, we definitely want to focus more on our Instagram takeovers this year! Anyone from the community can use our platform to share their meals and stories. We want to set up more ways for the community to get involved over the next few months and allow people to use the We Eatin’ Good platform in ways that are comfortable for them, e.g. posting photos, infographics or Instagram stories.
What’s your ideal dinner party menu?
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M: I’m an island girl so definitely seafood! Raw preferably. [I’ve] been really into Pakistani, West African and Caribbean food recently so maybe some of that too. And martinis!
N: We love our seafood, anything with scallops or prawns! We also both share a love for goat curry, so that would definitely have to be on the menu. And anything with lots of chilli.
What’s next for We Eatin’ Good? Are any exciting projects in the works?
M: Our documentary is screening for the first time at the Human Rights and Arts Film Festival at Footscray Community Arts Centre on May 6. We would love to see the community there. Also, the Queer Chef series with Oko Restaurant will [continue] for the rest of the year, so keep your eyes peeled for more info on that!
N: We have also received more funding this year to continue [creating] content, and are excited to focus more on our online presence and social media takeovers.
Anything else to add?
M: Eat, drink and be gay!
N: Eat good bitches xx.
To find out more about We Eatin’ Good, head here.
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