Timothy Pakron in Conversation for Garden Variety

Cookbook people tend to be at their best when they get to talk, and this Saturday morning session puts two of the most recognizable names in plant-based cooking on the same stage. Timothy Pakron, the voice behind @mississippivegan, sits down with Joanne Lee Molinaro, known online as @thekoreanvegan, for a conversation presented as part of Garden Variety. It is one of the more food-minded things happening in Los Angeles this month.

When: Saturday, October 10, 2026, 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM Where: Now Serving, Far East Plaza, Chinatown Price: From $11.49 on Eventbrite Tickets: Eventbrite listing

What to expect

The format is a conversation rather than a demo, so plan on stories, recipes talked through in words, and the kind of back and forth that comes from two writers who both build their cooking around family, memory and place. Pakron is known for Southern cooking reimagined without animal products. Molinaro is known for pairing short storytelling videos with Korean-rooted vegan food. Expect the talk to wander between the two traditions.

Garden Variety is the series name on the listing, and the organizer describes the evening as a conversation between the two authors. The Eventbrite page is the place to check for any added details such as signing arrangements or book purchase options before you go.

About the venue

Now Serving is a cookbook and culinary shop inside Far East Plaza in Chinatown. A bookstore devoted to cooking is a natural home for this kind of event: you can browse shelves of recipe books before or after the hour, and the room is small enough that a conversation feels close rather than staged.

Getting there

Far East Plaza sits along North Broadway in Chinatown, and the shop is listed at suite 133. Parking in the area fills up on weekends, so give yourself extra time or take the Metro A Line to Chinatown Station and walk. Because the session starts at 11 AM, it works well as the opening to a day of eating around the neighborhood.

If you are putting together a list of LA events this weekend or looking at upcoming events in Los Angeles for food lovers, this one is easy to pair with a long Chinatown lunch afterward. Tickets are sold through Eventbrite, and the listed price starts at $11.49 with the range running higher depending on the ticket type, so check the final total at checkout.

Browse more arts and culture events across the city.