Breaking Bread: Stories of Food and Family
This event is a project of the Community Wellbeing Program from the Santa Monica Bay Area Human Relations Council. It is presented in tandem with the Quinn Gallery exhibit Food and Family: African American and Intercultural Traditions.
SPECIAL EVENT
Breaking Bread:
Stories of food and family
DATE:Â May 16, 2026
TIME: 11am – 1pm
Chefs and educators share how breads across cultures carry stories of ancestry, memory, and belonging. Tasting included!
A food history event that brings the stories of our Quinn Gallery exhibition, Food & Family: African-American and Intercultural Traditions, to the community table.
Chefs, educators, and community voices Kathleen Benjamin, Martha Duran-Contreras, Parand Youssefi, and Clémence de Lutz of Petitgrain Boulangerie will explore how breads across cultures carry stories of ancestry, memory, hospitality, resilience, and belonging, from cornbread to croissants and baguettes; Mexican breads to flatbreads.
The event concludes with a shared tasting of the breads and traditions explored during the discussion.
Parand Youssefi is an Iranian American global citizen whose life journey spans Iran, England, Chile, and the United States, shaped by her Baha’i faith and a deep commitment to service. Now based in Los Angeles, she is a Senior Legal Advocate at the Jenesse Center, supporting women and families affected by domestic violence. Fluent in Persian and Spanish, Parand brings a rich cultural perspective to her work and community life. She has served for over a decade on the board of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Westside Coalition and currently chairs its Community Involvement Fair. A graduate of UCLA in both Design and Paralegal Studies, she is also a passionate home cook who enjoys yoga, film, and Latin music.
Kathleen Benjamin brings over four decades of experience in the culinary arts, with a career that spans serving the rich and famous, major organizations like the Boy Scouts of America, and everyday neighbors and community gatherings. As a private chef and caterer, she has created everything from elegant weddings and corporate events to retreats and intimate meals, always guided by a love of bringing people together through food. A world traveler and longtime Santa Monica resident of over 60 years, Kathleen is also a dedicated community leader, serving as President of the Santa Monica Area Interfaith Council. A licensed minister and advocate for peace, she believes food is a powerful expression of love and connection—making the story of food and family not just her work, but her life’s calling.
Clémence de Lutz is a French-born pastry chef, bakery owner, and beloved Santa Monica food educator whose life has been shaped by a deep love of sweets and community. She is the chef-owner of Petitgrain Boulangerie on Wilshire Boulevard, one of Los Angeles’s most talked-about bakeries, and co-founder of The Gourmandise School of Sweets and Savories, a warmly regarded cooking school known for its hands-on classes. Raised between France and the United States and deeply rooted in farmers market culture, Clémence believes that baking is a form of radical hospitality—a way to build relationships, honor ingredients, and nourish both body and soul.
Martha Duran-Contreras is a beloved educator and community figure whose career in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has spanned roles as both teacher and principal. Born in Mexico and raised in South Central Los Angeles, she studied at Loyola Marymount University and spent her junior year in Paris before settling in Santa Monica in the late 1980s with her husband and two young daughters. A former soccer player, banker, teacher, and principal, Martha describes her culture as an amalgamation—reflected in the books she reads, the cuisine she cooks, the languages she speaks, and the stories she tells. Whatever the role, the heart of Martha’s life has been and continues to be service to others.
