Founded by Chef Art Smith and artist Jesus Salgueiro in 2003, Common Threads grew out of the belief that family and food have the power to nurture and strengthen us, to connect us to culture and community, and to teach and excite us about our world.

By sharing the delight of cooking and delicious recipes, in conjunction with practical life-skills in health and nutrition, Common Threads can change lives.

Making its debut in Miami, the Cooking for Life Festival brought together several renowned chefs, both local and from around the country, in support of the Common Threads organization. The events included intimate cooking demonstrations, yoga sessions and more. The festival weekend included with a gorgeous Sunday brunch held in the vintage-inspired Crown Room at Thompson Hotel Miami Beach.

Sunday’s “Beachside Brunch” drew more than 275 attendees to sample classic brunch dishes prepared by Chefs Michelle Bernstein, John Besh & Drake Leonards, Stephanie Izard, Diego Oka, Justin Flit, Eileen Andrade, Jamie DeRosa, Fabio Viviani and Max Santiago. Some spectacular standouts included FINKA Chef Eileen Andrade’s deconstructed fruit parfait with homemade blueberry greek yogurt. Our favorite, Besh and Leonards mouthwatering cheesy, jalapeño grits with savory crawfish atop a perfectly runny poached egg.
The brunch concluded with a heartfelt moment with a speech by one Common Threads family. The Cooking For Life Festival raised over $40,000 all directly benefitting Common Threads.