36 / matters magazine / fall 2026 For further learning about the people of Afghani stan, The Last Free Women: A Daring Escape from Afghanistan and Coming of Age in America by Maplewood’s Rebecca Blumenstein and Diana Kapp was just released. A portion of the proceeds go to the Journalism Refugees Education Fund, providing local or international refu gees who worked for the media with financial assis tance to pursue educational opportunities. C hrista Kirby has always had a worldly perspec tive. An insatiably curious child and voracious read er, she dreamed of visiting every country and master ing every language. This fascination would eventually influence her landing in Maplewood, her career and her taste buds. Memories of 16 trips to Afghanistan, mostly in Kabul, remain scented with cumin, coriander and cardamom. Her work has taken her across North America, throughout western and northern Europe, and to other countries including Bosnia, Croatia, Romania, Estonia, Ethiopia, India and Singapore. Kirby uses the creative arts as a kind of univer sal language, designing learning experiences that address conflict resolution, civil society building, communication and change management for vari ous organizations worldwide. “When I explain the work I’ve done globally, it’s hard for people to understand what it feels like to be doing it,” she says. “I get such a depth of fulfillment from going to other places and helping people to see one another in their stories.” In her TEDx talk, “What Lies within Us: the Transformational Power of Creativity,” Kirby de scribes how stepping into a character’s story can offer people safe distance from their own trauma, letting them process grief, loss and hope before re connecting it to their own lives. She earned her master’s degree from NYU as a licensed creative arts therapist specializing in dra ma therapy. Her work is grounded in the idea that we make meaning of our lives through the stories we tell. Eventually, she would become vice presi dent of talent development and leadership prac tice director at Corporate Education Group. She integrates her global experience as a mental health professional with her passion for holistically devel oping leaders and teams. She spent five consecutive summers in Bos nia working with a team of therapists focused on healing and empowerment. Praised for “helping people see windows where they’d only seen walls,” Kirby earned an invitation to Afghanistan with an organization dedicated to addressing sexualized violence. That mission spanned six years. Meanwhile, Kirby’s friend, actor Mary-Louise Parker, was involved with the Worldwide Orphans Foundation, which was founded by Dr. Jane Ar onson, who is based in Maplewood. It has since been rebranded as Rise Alliance for Children. Parker connected her with Aronson when a group of orphaned children from Ethiopia were coming to Maplewood. Kirby worked with the children and their host families, helping them process the enormity of that journey. She fell in love with the community and planted roots here in 2008. When Kirby is not travelling, she finds pres ence and joy harvesting fresh herbs and vegetables in her backyard garden and cooking. “When you look at the story of a country, it gets baked into the DNA of the people and the food,” says Kirby. She remains struck by the patience of Afghan cuisine, a blend of Indian, Persian and Middle Eastern influences. It is characterized by slowly building flavor and toasting fragrant spices. Dishes such as eggplant borani, mantu dumplings and long rice transport her back to Kabul. “I fell for the food as much as the people,” she says. The recipes here are three dishes combined into one: a thin layer of garlicky Afghan yogurt sauce spread on the bottom of a serving platter, topped with sauteed pumpkin, ground lamb, drizzled with more yogurt sauce and finished with chopped herbs. Rice and bread are accompaniments. In Afghanistan, a traditional meal like this is communal, laid out on a dastarkhan, a cloth or rug spread across the floor, where family and guests sit cross-legged on cushions, shoes left at the door. The platter of food is eaten using torn pieces of naan or pita as a scoop rather than a fork. Although these recipes celebrate the rich fla vors that characterize Afghani cuisine, we also recognize a country facing a severe humanitarian crisis as we send peace and dignity from our com munity to theirs. Ilysse Rimalovski is a well-seasoned home chef and writer focusing on food, community and care. She is also an intergenerational aging advocate. Do you have a story to share? Please contact her at forilysse@icloud.com Cooking With Ilysse The food and people of Afghanistan BY ILYSSE RIMALOVSKI foodmatters Christa Kirby (center) says Afghan cuisine is a blend of Indian, Persian and Middle Eastern influences.
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