CasSEArole: a SE Asian x Midwest culinary adventure begins!

Sabaidee (hello)! Some of you may know me and some of you may not, so I'm pleased to do a quick introduction.👋🏽 I'm Vilay, well, that's Auntie Vilay if you're nasty (okay I'm happily aging myself and I don't care cause Janet rules).

I'm a first-generation Lao-American creative producer and community connector. I was born in a refugee camp near the Mun River in the SE Isan Region of Thailand and attribute my DIY personality, sharp instincts, and "bo bpen yung" attitude ("don't sweat it/worry about it" Lao motto) to my humble beginnings. As you might have read in my bio, I'm currently exploring creative ideas rooted in my diasporic intersectionality, focusing on shared histories, the loss of my native languages, and preserving and honoring my Isan and Lao identity/culture.

What is CasSEArole? It's my newest creative project that is being supported by the Artists Respond: Rural-Urban Solidarity grant (thank you Springboard for the Arts). Artists Respond is an ongoing series of programming that brings together artists, culture bearers, community organizers, and thought leaders as a cohort that creates new work in response to Guaranteed Income, repair, and solidarity.

Over the last decade, the so-called “urban-rural” divide has increasingly become a political strategy to provoke division and fear, rather than supporting solutions, common ground, and shared meaning across our geographical differences.

In the upcoming election year, which is likely to be a heated political season, what might happen if we take the time to discover and affirm the ways in which urban and rural people share a future together? How might some of the daunting challenges of our time be re-framed, and how could new or deeper connections across geographies lead to more equitable and human-centered solutions?

---

Introducing...

The concept behind CasSEArole is how these places (Laos, Thailand, and the Midwest) have shaped me through my experiences with food. I'll be unpacking my childhood memories of long road trips to our closest Asian grocery store (something I find myself doing again living in rural MN), my encounters with Midwest delicacies (i.e. our first housewarming casserole dish as FOB refugees), and finding the courage to share other personal moments. I will be exploring and sharing stories about myself (and others I meet along the way) while experimenting with recipes that blend Lao/Thai cultural dishes with classic Midwestern fare. My goal is to host my first pop-up "Auntie Vilay's Supper Club" dinner this Fall where I'll be able to debut one/some of my newly crafted dishes IRL. ❤️

I'm humbled and honored that you're here and I look forward to sharing updates, meals, recipes, and whatever else that might spark joy, create memories, and bring us together. ຂອບໃຈ (thank you)!