Acclaimed Native American chef and Food Network competitor Crystal Wahpepah will bring her debut cookbook, A FEATHER AND A FORK: 125 Intertribal Dishes from an Indigenous Food Warrior (Rodale, 2026), to delicious life, Sept. 11-12, at Coastal Table and Tales, 408A Bull St.

Wahpepah is a registered member of the Kickapoo Nation of Oklahoma and the creative tour de force behind the inventive, healthy, and delicious dishes served at her Oakland, CA. restaurant, Wahpepah’s Kitchen. An inductee into the Native American Almanac, Wahpepah was a finalist for the James Beard Emerging Chef Award and has appeared on Food Network’s Chopped, Alex vs. America, and Beat Bobby Flay. She serves as a U.S. State Department culinary ambassador and has catered for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and for the American Indian Film Festival. Wahpepah has devoted her life to restoring the connection between food and the land it comes from. Through her healing dishes, powerful story, and community work, she champions the movement for food sovereignty.

"Every chef we bring to Coastal Table and Tales adds a new voice to Savannah's table," said Dawn Anderson, founder of Savannah’s only cookbook shop and global recreational cooking space. "Crystal Wahpepah's is one of the most vital voices in food right now. Her cooking is a living reminder that food sovereignty isn't a trend; it's a return to what's always been true."

During her stint in Savannah, Wahpepah will participate in three events:

Kickapoo Chili Cooking Demonstration, 6 to 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11

Wahpepah will cook her signature Kickapoo Chili and Sweet Blue Cornbread, dishes based upon her tribal heritage. During the cooking demo, she will be in conversation with award-winning Savannah-based journalist Amy Paige Condon, Wahpepah’s collaborator on A Feather and a Fork. Guests should come hungry, come curious, and leave with a signed copy of the cookbook that offers a deeper appreciation for the food heritage that's always belonged at the table.

A Feather and a Fork Cooking Class, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12

Pulling recipes straight from the cookbook and using fresh-from-the-farmers’ market ingredients, guests will cook alongside Wahpepah as she assembles a brunch of Corn Cakes with Wild Onions, Bison-Blueberry Sausage, Strawberry-Sumac Salad with Maple-Sage Vinaigrette, and Blackberry-Cornbread Pudding. This event with limited seating is an opportunity to dish and dine and get your book signed with the chef.

Stories on a Plate Cookbook Club, 6 to 8 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12

Pick a recipe from A Feather and a Fork and bring it, potluck style, to Coastal Table and Tales’ monthly cookbook club gathering. Chef Wahpepah will join members for a group discussion of the book, its stories, and its powerful message that good food is good medicine.

Seating is limited. Reserve your place at the table today at coastaltableandtalessavannah.com.