The Chef Bayview Community Center's Xiong Cooks for All

Photo essay by Esther Launstein

A tall stack of colorful plates sit in the sink at Bayview Community Center. The stovetop is dotted with grease from lunch's french fries and fish sticks. Crumbs litter the counters and crunch under shoes, but Mee Xiong, the community cook, moves calmly — peacefully. She's done this dance many times.

Xiong, 44, started at Bayview as a volunteer, then as a subcontractor and now as the community chef, a role she's had for about a year.

The Process

If Xiong wants to eat something, she learns how to make it.

Originally from Laos, Xiong's history with cooking goes way back. She didn't learn to cook from any formal training or teaching, but she gets a lot of practice making different dishes for her four children, who she describes as "picky eaters." Xiong is also Hmong, so she makes a lot of meals for gatherings. She says cooking is fun and keeps her active.

Though Xiong learned a lot of her recipes from family members, she doesn't have any written down. Instead, she relies on recall, and she gets a lot of practice at Bayview and at home.

Xiong doesn't use measuring tools. She just taste-tests, eye-balls and adds more chili pepper.

Xiong's apple salad recipe, with sweet apples and tomatoes and a dash (or several) of bird's eye chili.

The Menu

Xiong rotates through different meal options each day, sometimes making french fries and chocolate-filled croissants, and other times make stir fry with sticky rice.

It's hard to know how much food to make, says Pa Der Lor, Xiong's supervisor. Since adults don't have to register for community meals, sometimes nothing is left but a crumb, and other times Xiong is left with a mountain of rice.

Still, this meal is often important to community members, especially those who can't cook all the time.

Xiong is used to operating in the kitchen alone, preparing food for dozens of people, from start to finish. Today, she had help.
Volunteers from Madison College dodge boiling oil and wash dozens of plates and silverware.

Veronica Vega, Bayview's family support coordinator, hurried to the kitchen at the start of the meal to help pass out food. She insisted the volunteers take a break for lunch.

The Product

The Feast

Vega (top left) and other members of the Bayview community sit down for food, friends and conversation after a cut-throat game of food bingo.
"The meals bring a lot of people together and is like building community." - Xiong (translated by Pa Der Lor)

More than anything, Xiong values the joy people feel when eating her food, especially knowing that many of them rely on these meals.

While Xiong isn't greeted by a standing ovation, many residents peek into the kitchen after eating and thank her for the food. She could say "You're welcome" or simply nod, since she doesn't speak much English yet.

But instead, Xiong smiles in a way that wrinkles her cheeks and says, "Thank you for coming."