Yes! As the daughter of an immigrant, food is one of the main things that keep me close to my roots. When I return to my home country (I wasn't born there, but it definitely feels like a part of me), it is always the first comfort I crave.
It's so sweet to hear that you have such an heirloom from your grandmother as a cookbook. My grandmother passed away suddenly a couple of years ago and I don't think I've ever eaten something remotely similar to her cooking since then. I wish I could relive those moments in the kitchen with her as well, or have more samples of it like the handwritten recipes that were passed down to you.
thank you for sharing this—it’s so touching how food serves as such a profound connection to your roots and your memories of your grandmother. those moments in the kitchen truly feel like sacred spaces.
They do, it’s no wonder that humans have ritualized cooking and time spend in the kitchen for essentially all of history. I appreciate your response, you’re always so thoughtful
Such a beautiful piece I'll definitely be reflecting on as I cook this week 🤍 Food really is the grand connector finding a way to ground us to who we are and once have been
I think you would like "Like Water for Chocolate" if you haven't already read it. It touches on themes of gender, race, class, and the connection between self + culture and food. It's a wild and beautiful book that follows a young woman who is forced to never marry due to a strict family tradition. One of her soul comforts is cooking and with every dish, she influences those around her. It's magical realism + historical fiction.
I would also recommend the film "The Taste of Things". It just came out. It follows the love of an older couple and their shared bond over food. It's slow and beautiful. The cinematography is gorgeous and guides viewers through the creation of each dish. Highly recommend.
Such a beautiful essay - one of my favorite lines -“food is, in so many ways, a storyteller.” I grew up a Jewish child in Georgia where kreplach met fried chicken. There was a jar of schmaltz in our refrigerator and a bottle of pot liquor on the table of my elementary school cafeteria. Food holds so many indelible moments even today. Some of my favorite restaurants serve great food in idyllic spaces. Thanks for your beautiful surprise.
oh that playlist! Girl! How did you put it together? I've literally been looking for this playlist for my entire life (with the commercials included! Gah!)
I admire so so so much writers. I always talk about this but in much simpler words, half sentences and I have such a hard time expressing this sentiment. I wish I could share this essay to everyone I know and expect them to read it. Because it kinda summarizes my love for art and all it forms. As an artist I find myself trying to connect with people by nostalgia and there is no better way than food. My dream is to make a living from cooking a special meal for people that wishes to connect to those tender memories. Anyways, thanks for sharing this for free, otherwise I think I wouldn’t be able to afford such masterpiece. Have a great day! Thank you again.
Jaw on the floor right now because I, too, was raised as a seventh-day-adventist (though, also like you, am no longer. I feel like we need to be friends?).
This was such a beautiful piece. I, too, am taken back to haystacks and casserole potlucks on certain Saturday afternoons. Sometimes I'll make a haystack simply for that childhood nostalgia because, as you so beautifully said, "food is, in so many ways, a storyteller." Thanks for this lovely reminder of the many ways food connects everything <3
Yes! As the daughter of an immigrant, food is one of the main things that keep me close to my roots. When I return to my home country (I wasn't born there, but it definitely feels like a part of me), it is always the first comfort I crave.
It's so sweet to hear that you have such an heirloom from your grandmother as a cookbook. My grandmother passed away suddenly a couple of years ago and I don't think I've ever eaten something remotely similar to her cooking since then. I wish I could relive those moments in the kitchen with her as well, or have more samples of it like the handwritten recipes that were passed down to you.
I hope you have a wonderful Sunday
thank you for sharing this—it’s so touching how food serves as such a profound connection to your roots and your memories of your grandmother. those moments in the kitchen truly feel like sacred spaces.
They do, it’s no wonder that humans have ritualized cooking and time spend in the kitchen for essentially all of history. I appreciate your response, you’re always so thoughtful
Such a beautiful piece I'll definitely be reflecting on as I cook this week 🤍 Food really is the grand connector finding a way to ground us to who we are and once have been
i couldn't agree more <3
I think you would like "Like Water for Chocolate" if you haven't already read it. It touches on themes of gender, race, class, and the connection between self + culture and food. It's a wild and beautiful book that follows a young woman who is forced to never marry due to a strict family tradition. One of her soul comforts is cooking and with every dish, she influences those around her. It's magical realism + historical fiction.
I would also recommend the film "The Taste of Things". It just came out. It follows the love of an older couple and their shared bond over food. It's slow and beautiful. The cinematography is gorgeous and guides viewers through the creation of each dish. Highly recommend.
Such a beautiful essay - one of my favorite lines -“food is, in so many ways, a storyteller.” I grew up a Jewish child in Georgia where kreplach met fried chicken. There was a jar of schmaltz in our refrigerator and a bottle of pot liquor on the table of my elementary school cafeteria. Food holds so many indelible moments even today. Some of my favorite restaurants serve great food in idyllic spaces. Thanks for your beautiful surprise.
thank you so much for your kind words! i love how your memories intertwine such rich cultural and regional influences <3
oh that playlist! Girl! How did you put it together? I've literally been looking for this playlist for my entire life (with the commercials included! Gah!)
I admire so so so much writers. I always talk about this but in much simpler words, half sentences and I have such a hard time expressing this sentiment. I wish I could share this essay to everyone I know and expect them to read it. Because it kinda summarizes my love for art and all it forms. As an artist I find myself trying to connect with people by nostalgia and there is no better way than food. My dream is to make a living from cooking a special meal for people that wishes to connect to those tender memories. Anyways, thanks for sharing this for free, otherwise I think I wouldn’t be able to afford such masterpiece. Have a great day! Thank you again.
I love the photos in this post. Also love many of the books and movies mentioned
Jaw on the floor right now because I, too, was raised as a seventh-day-adventist (though, also like you, am no longer. I feel like we need to be friends?).
This was such a beautiful piece. I, too, am taken back to haystacks and casserole potlucks on certain Saturday afternoons. Sometimes I'll make a haystack simply for that childhood nostalgia because, as you so beautifully said, "food is, in so many ways, a storyteller." Thanks for this lovely reminder of the many ways food connects everything <3