Every bit of this! All of it. I’m crying. I live for people in my kitchen and midst, eating and sharing and talking and laughing and crying and CARING. Being in this. I want to feed everyone something loving and just be together as we share stories. We are the species that cooks and cries and laughs and tells stories and dances and I love that for us. I love that for us in the kitchens we are lucky enough to meet in. Being fed with love is tangible somatic safety (even if it’s fleeting) when everything else is wildly unsafe. It’s always something to build from. And the communal cooking to lighten labor on the regular— assembly line meals like tamales and dumplings, block-feeding potluck, community casserole projects… it’s so much better together. What’s sweeter than feeling satiated and safe in a place filled with love? Wow I can’t even articulate any of this rn- you did it so well. I just want to hug you and have everyone over for a tasty respite while we get through. Your writing and choice to care is a little salve against cynicism, thank you. So much love to everyone. We are our own best thing. Venceremos xox
Thank you so much for writing this; I'm amazed at how much you managed to tackle in such a short post! We as a society have exhausted ourselves individually by creating a system that places so much value on self-reliance and success that can be empirically measured, and so little on community care. It's easy to forget in our isolation that not only is caring for one another in tangible ways necessary for all of us to function at our best, it also feels genuinely good to do! Nothing makes me happier than filling my home with loved ones and feeding them, or sharing extras from my garden, or even just getting a text from my mom looking for ideas of what to make with some of the things in her freezer... our way of living needs an overhaul, but there are so many ways we can start making it better for each other right away.
This post really got to me. It ties together so many of the themes and thoughts of my life. I feel like I make sense! Lots of great reading references too. Thank you for your work and your caring.
"... reframing the role of the food writer, where recipes become tools of care, of nourishment, rather than aspiration." I feel/think like this about recipes as well as about musical scores: giant opportunities to connect personally on a deeper and more vital level than just showing off technical prowess. Grateful to find your words here expressing the experience of wrapping each other in real and tangible care.
I’m simultaneously floored that folks would ask if you’ll sell tickets to your long weekend lunches and also not at all surprised. This weird fetishized monetization of hobbies/care work/being a person in community is really laid bare in that ask.
Every bit of this! All of it. I’m crying. I live for people in my kitchen and midst, eating and sharing and talking and laughing and crying and CARING. Being in this. I want to feed everyone something loving and just be together as we share stories. We are the species that cooks and cries and laughs and tells stories and dances and I love that for us. I love that for us in the kitchens we are lucky enough to meet in. Being fed with love is tangible somatic safety (even if it’s fleeting) when everything else is wildly unsafe. It’s always something to build from. And the communal cooking to lighten labor on the regular— assembly line meals like tamales and dumplings, block-feeding potluck, community casserole projects… it’s so much better together. What’s sweeter than feeling satiated and safe in a place filled with love? Wow I can’t even articulate any of this rn- you did it so well. I just want to hug you and have everyone over for a tasty respite while we get through. Your writing and choice to care is a little salve against cynicism, thank you. So much love to everyone. We are our own best thing. Venceremos xox
Thank you so much for writing this; I'm amazed at how much you managed to tackle in such a short post! We as a society have exhausted ourselves individually by creating a system that places so much value on self-reliance and success that can be empirically measured, and so little on community care. It's easy to forget in our isolation that not only is caring for one another in tangible ways necessary for all of us to function at our best, it also feels genuinely good to do! Nothing makes me happier than filling my home with loved ones and feeding them, or sharing extras from my garden, or even just getting a text from my mom looking for ideas of what to make with some of the things in her freezer... our way of living needs an overhaul, but there are so many ways we can start making it better for each other right away.
This post really got to me. It ties together so many of the themes and thoughts of my life. I feel like I make sense! Lots of great reading references too. Thank you for your work and your caring.
"... reframing the role of the food writer, where recipes become tools of care, of nourishment, rather than aspiration." I feel/think like this about recipes as well as about musical scores: giant opportunities to connect personally on a deeper and more vital level than just showing off technical prowess. Grateful to find your words here expressing the experience of wrapping each other in real and tangible care.
I’m simultaneously floored that folks would ask if you’ll sell tickets to your long weekend lunches and also not at all surprised. This weird fetishized monetization of hobbies/care work/being a person in community is really laid bare in that ask.