Preeti Mistry: I'm a Queer Brown Immigrant Chef. I Don't Have the Luxury of Staying Silent

It was on Sept. 11, 2001, that I decided to become a chef. As the horror unfolded that day, we didn’t know what to do but stay glued to our televisions. That evening, I went into the kitchen and started making dinner for my girlfriend—now my wife—and me. After a day of not really knowing what to do with myself, the act of cooking a meal connected with something in my soul. This was a pure act. It was optimism in the face of devastation.

It was on Sept. 11, 2001, that I decided to become a chef. As the horror unfolded that day, we didn’t know what to do but stay glued to our televisions. That evening, I went into the kitchen and started making dinner for my girlfriend—now my wife—and me. After a day of not really knowing what to do with myself, the act of cooking a meal connected with something in my soul. This was a pure act. It was optimism in the face of devastation.