Savor

I once was elbow-deep in a bowl of brownie batter because I misunderstood “mix by hand”.

For a long time I thought okra was a fish. Did you know that jello includes animal parts or that eating local honey may help fight allergies?

I’m learning to love the adventure that food can be, with all its options and versatility.

Meals are intimate experiences hidden inside a common need.

Every meal is an opportunity to connect. To the God who dreamt it. To the earth that nurtured it. To the ones you share it with.

I like the way my mom freezes balls of raw cookie dough so I can bake one when I need to feel her spirit in the kitchen. And how my dad’s shrimp enchiladas are so coveted they’ve become a stake in family bets. Or that my high school reunion included people asking after my grandpa, because “I still think about those cookies he’d bring to us at every track meet.”

I’m growing citrus trees because seed to harvest may be the most rewarding, especially when your brother and sister-in-law know how to turn them into damn good desserts.

I like how I can learn about my body by listening to its responses to food. And how those messages change as I age.

As I try new dishes, I like to research the history because that offers a deeper taste of all the flavors that have gone into it.

I like how preapring food is a science and an art all in one.

Sometimes I still “mix by hand” because I like feeling the transformation from separate ingredients to single ball of dough. Plus when I scrub it from my fingernails, I think of my grandfather joking to double the tortilla recipe to account for the masa that will be lost when kneading with long nails.

Food is the great unifier.

Sharing it is how I show love.

So…let’s do lunch?