June 14, 2024
🏡 Next Thursday, I am leaving my beloved apartment and moving home.
Y’all, I’ve struggled with this decision and even sharing about it. cough SOCIETY 🤮
There are a lot of things I’m looking forward to (a backyard! 🌳) and of course a few things that I will be sad to be “losing” (my current routine) but there’s one thing I really wanted to talk about…
Communal Meals!!!
I am beyond excited to cook and eat with other people again!!!
For the past four years that I’ve been in my apartment, my most common dinner companions are the TV 📺 and my dog 🐶. And while the latter is super cute, she doesn’t contribute much to the conversation. (Though she’s definitely a fan of my cooking!)
💞 There are so many reasons why it is important to eat together: from increasing happiness and life satisfaction to just taking a break from hustle culture and all the apps that demand our attention.
🍽️ Growing up, dinnertime was sacred in my family. We always ate together.
I remember a few times when my sister or I would be panicked 😱 about an upcoming test in school or a paper due at midnight. 😭 When we were particularly stressed, my parents would say that we could eat later. “No,” my sister and I would reply. Papers and tests did not supersede dinnertime. We set aside the looming deadline and joined the rest of the family for a good meal. 🥰
Even in college, I stopped working so that I could connect with others at dinner. But living alone in grad school and pandemic-times changed that.
I had grown used to the sound of voices and interesting ideas and stories while I was eating that I sought out TV shows and books to fill the void. But here’s the thing…
Escapism is not the same as rejuvenation.
I escaped into 👩🏽💻 TV shows and books, distracting my brain from the chaos and stress of the day. But I rarely felt rejuvenated after dinner. 🥱
Communal eating did that.
And more.
Mealtime required me to be social. 💬
It required me to take stock of the day and then to set it down. (cue Elsa singing “Let it Go” ❄️)
It required me to stop being ‘productive’ and just to focus on existing. 🧘🏽
So yes, I am beyond excited to get back to communal eating!
What do you think about eating together? 👈🏽 Hit reply and let me know!
🥞 This weekend is Father’s Day and I wanted to give a MAJOR shoutout to the Dads out there who cook!
Let’s face it, kitchens are still seen as a ‘woman’s domain’ (ESPECIALLY a mom’s domain) in this day and age.
Dads on the other hand?
Dads are known for 🥩 grilling and 🍳 **weekend breakfast spreads. Not for the day-to-day 🍝 meal prep or 🥪 school lunches.
My dad was different. 👨🏽🍳 He cooked.
(Note: My dad is still alive, but I’m reflecting on childhood, so it would be weird and inaccurate to refer to him in the present tense. Anyhoo… carrying on)
He and my mom both taught me to cook. Sure, they switched responsibilities based on who was working from home. But they both knew the popular recipes by heart and were experts at cooking yummy and delicious food.
Now, you know me, I love a good holiday to think about family traditions. And this weekend is Father’s Day — so, I’m curious…
What foods do you associate with your dad? Or dads in general?
Announcing a BRAND NEW blog post all about 🧳 the amazing foodie Adventurers who changed the way we eat!!!
From Marco Polo's legendary travels along the Silk Road to Padma Lakshmi's modern-day exploration of global foods, we share 11 of our favorite fearless food Adventures who have pushed boundaries and explore the world through food!
Are you an 🧳 Adventurer? Take our food personality Quiz to find out!
🍉 The best foods to celebrate Juneteenth
Learn why watermelon, red velvet cake and other red foods are a BIG part of the celebration.
🎂 Abu Hani had not planned on making cakes in Rafah.
I really loved this article and short IG video about a Gazan baker helping people celebrate birthdays and anniversaries in the midst of death and starvation.
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