Join us for an evening with Kimi Werner and Nicole Gormley as they discuss their new book Kimi's Kitchen: An Ocean Woman's Guide to Wild Home Cooking. Light refreshments will be served and copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
Kimi grew up getting lost in the magic of the ocean while tagging along with her dad on his spearfishing dives off the coast of Maui. Upon returning from freediving, Kimi's family would prepare his catches into wholesome meals. Though her family drifted away from this simple lifestyle, she reconnected with these practices at the age of 24—and is now one of the most celebrated spearfishers in the world.
For Kimi, going to the ocean and catching her own food reignited a sense of belonging with nature. Kimi’s Kitchen, a collaboration with award-winning filmmaker Nicole Gormley and food writer Jennifer Fielder, is both an intimate biography and a collection of recipes drawn from a lifetime in the ocean. From her roots in Hawaii and the food that raised her to the lessons and meals she’s learned from adventures around the globe, Kimi invites you into her world with each recipe, where sustenance is earned, gratitude is practiced, and every meal tells a story of connection. Her Simple Fried Fish is a generational recipe that made the whole family happy when she was a kid and now does the same for her son Buddy. Her mom's Ugly Dumplings were constantly requested at potlucks, and are a delicious way to elevate a variety of fish. With Lettuce Wraps, Kimi revisits her travels through Southeast Asia while dressing up wild game with fresh herbs and tangy dipping sauce. Every chapter is full of practical swaps and simple techniques, making the book accessible to beginners, seasoned cooks, and hunters alike.
Through 100 breathtaking photos, Kimi and her team take you on dives and into her kitchen, presenting a vibrant view of sustainable living. Her grounded, easygoing spirit reminds us that it’s okay to slow down and break a few rules. In cooking a little more wild, we might just rediscover something essential in ourselves.
Kimi Werner is a national champion free-diving spearfisher, chef, and an advocate for environmental conservation. She has been featured in Bon Appetit, Outside, Sports Illustrated, USA Today, as well as on National Geographic, Fox, the BBC, Gordon Ramsey: Uncharted, and Padma Lakshmi’s Taste the Nation, She lives in Waialua, HI, with her husband Justin Turkowski and son, Buddy.
Nicole Gormley is an award-winning filmmaker, photographer, and ocean advocate dedicated to telling stories that inspire people to rethink our relationship with the natural world. She has produced and directed projects for the world’s leading media outlets, including Netflix, PBS, and National Geographic, and received the Tribeca Film Festival’s Award for Best New Documentary Director.
