I’m feeling a bit sentimental today. When I thought about the idea of this blog post and what it truly means, I was hungry.
Now that my appetite has been satisfied, it’s time to think about why the food I just ate was important. We can talk about its nutritional values, its price, etc. But, I ate that buffalo chicken sandwich all by myself in a crowded sandwich shop.
How could I feel so alone in a crowded place? How can that be possible if food is a comfort to the hungry?
Well, it’s because recently, I’ve changed my eating habits. Not in a nutritious way, mind you; in a way that allows me to share my food and my experiences with my friends.
Every Sunday night for the last month, my friends and I come together and create gigantic feasts to share amongst ourselves and our close friends. We’ve made fajitas, ribs, fried chicken & waffles, and we’ve even made our own crawfish boil.
This isn’t a brag fest about my friends and I being able to cook these; anyone can cook these. What I’m trying to relay is the togetherness of the dishes we make.
Before our guests arrive, my roommates and I prepare the meal while listening to music that relates to the dishes we are serving. For example, when we made the crawfish boil, we listened to old, New Orleans style jazz. When making the fajitas, we listened to Hispanic flute and dance music.
It’s some of the most fun I’ve ever had. With the fun preparation of the food and the bond of friendship, it makes the end product that much better(it tastes delicious anyway).
After the meal is cooked, a handful or two of friends swing by for good times. The last dinner we had, I finally took a step back to appreciate the culture we’ve created for ourselves. I can’t call myself a southern chef or a boil master and neither can a lot of people that prepare meals for their families or friends. We leave those titles to the professionals that cook.
But who are the professionals? No matter where they come from, no matter the ethnicity, and no matter the food they cook, these professionals are all just people who want to make everyone feel good through food. They want to bring together people of all shapes, sizes, and colors to share food and experiences.
When I took a step back this past Sunday and felt what hopefully anybody who has prepared food for others before, I figured out the togetherness of food. Food satisfies us all.
I’ve said it before, of course food satisfies our hunger. We need it to survive. But, love and togetherness can also keep a suffering world alive.
I urge anybody to try to replicate this feeling of togetherness and love. Take a step back with loved ones and friends of old and new to share food. Prepare a dish from scratch and bring together the aspects of your life onto one plate and in one place.
Food and togetherness are both experiences that should be served alongside one another. Although you may want to sit in a sandwich shop by yourself, just try once a week to share a meal with someone and appreciate it.
Appreciating the time spent over food makes the meal that much more memorable and much more satisfactory.
I hope that everyone can experience togetherness in a time of divide over a meal with friends.
(My friends and I are making a rum ham this Sunday…..I hope it’s good. Regardless, we’ll be doing it for the experience and the togetherness).
~DS
The Danny Diaries 