Dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. sharp at chef Marcella Kirakossian’s house in Candler, and it’s already starting to get dark when I arrive. Her 100-year-old farmhouse glows in the dimming light, looking quaint and inviting among the fallen leaves. She ushers me through the screen door and seats me at her kitchen table, which is set for six. I’m the first to arrive, and I have no idea who else is attending.
Kirakossian caters and teaches cooking classes in Asheville through her business Cook with K. A few years ago, she noticed that most of the people at her cooking classes were less interested in culinary technique than they were in the social element of the events. This inspired her to start a Dinner with Strangers series in 2022.
