M.F.K. Fisher writes, “People ask me: Why do you write about food, eating, and drinking? The easiest answer is to say that, like most other humans, I am hungry. But there is more than that. It seems to me that our three basic needs, for food and security and love, are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others.” Food is something that is a universal need of every human being. Because of this common need, mealtime has become, for most people, a social time. There are elaborate customs and traditions that surround the creating and eating of a meal. Meals are the focus of so many celebrations and gatherings. This sharing of food and sustenance has transcended the primary objective of feeding our bodies into a nourishing of our soul through the act of experiencing mealtime in communion with others around us. As a product of a Southern protestant upbringing, I have truly felt the power of “soul food.” Yes, that macaroni and cheese or red velvet cake at the church picnic was very delicious, but the circumstances surrounding the preparation, choice, and serving of those delicacies are just as meaningful as the feeling of fullness that they leave after the meal in our stomachs. The superstitions,the blessings and graces, the celebrations and the super secret family recipes surrounding Southern communities are sometimes overlooked as practices in every day life, but what meaning is in these often trivialized customs amid the meals we share? How do our earthly appetites mingle with our spiritual ones? How is that our souls can be nourished just as much as our bodies by a meal?
As a cook, I want to create not just food, but that feeling of fullness in heart and body. I want to learn and teach others to appreciate all the hard working hands that touch our food before it ends up in our mouths. I want to share the feeling of gratification of using food you’ve grown or grown by someone you know personally. I want to share the joy of bringing food to neighbors and rejoicing over the bounty of your garden. I want to prepare and serve honest, healthy food and teach others to do the same. I want to use my strengths of working with youth to educate the next generation about our current food systems and the future of our food systems.
As a cook, I want to create not just food, but that feeling of fullness in heart and body. I want to learn and teach others to appreciate all the hard working hands that touch our food before it ends up in our mouths. I want to share the feeling of gratification of using food you’ve grown or grown by someone you know personally. I want to share the joy of bringing food to neighbors and rejoicing over the bounty of your garden. I want to prepare and serve honest, healthy food and teach others to do the same. I want to use my strengths of working with youth to educate the next generation about our current food systems and the future of our food systems.