Are there intersections between food and spirituality? Food is as essential to life as breath, and many cultures talk about food in a spiritual manner, from "soul food" to saying grace before a meal. Kamal Hammouda's life didn't follow the path he expected. He became a cook by accident and an Imam by default. But whether serving food or giving a sermon, he is nourishing others. Here he shares his story about rediscovering faith, finding love, struggling as a restaurant owner, and ultimately feeling a sense of belonging.
Kamal Hammouda is a restaurateur and Imam at Grinnell College. Seeing a lot of hunger in their own community inspired Kamal and his wife to form a non-profit organization, The Iowa Kitchen, in 2021 to serve a free community meal each week. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx