Reconnecting with Joy

The happiest moments in my life happened around a dinner table or somehow managed to be food adjacent. Somewhere along the way, the outside problems seeped in. The dinner table disappeared, the family gatherings stopped, and the homemade hours d’ourves and main dishes became takeout, the group effort of clean up became a solo act, and the family became distant in both a literal and emotional sense. Somewhere along the way we realized that we don’t really like each other even though no one would ever truly admit it.

Maybe it was because of political division, or the realization that the forced family belief system being pushed on us was toxic. Maybe the traumas and betrayals I went through make it difficult to pretend everything is ok. Either way, I miss that food. I miss the warmth of gathering and eating together, I miss the lack of judgement, and the laughter. The stories, even the pre- and post-dessert cleanup.

I initially started this page to promote my book on portion control. I think I would rather use it to document my journey to reconnecting with food and its power to build connection. Maybe share a recipe or seven. Who knows.

They say that being in your 30s is just reconnecting with the shit you geeked out over in your teens and for me that was food. So maybe that’s all this is, but I’m running with it. Join me?