Community Through Food

About Me:


So a little about me...I am a composer, college professor, husband, father of an 8 month old daughter, and home cook currently living in Eastern Washington.

About This Project:


Let me give you the back story about this blog and this project of mine. For the last several years I have enjoyed cooking at home, and a few months ago I focused my attention solely on authentic Mexican food. This is not the sizzling fajitas or tacos that you find at the "Bell". No this is food from the traditional Mexican culture. From everyday street food to the more celebratory Mole sauce.
Once I began to explore this food it became my ritual to cook a authentic Mexican meal on Saturdays. One Saturday, my wife and I were sitting down enjoying some Pork Verde and I made this comment:

"I would like to start a tradition where every Saturday I cook a big meal. We can invite people over for dinner, or when Maia gets older she can bring her friends over. The point being that people will always be welcome and there will always be food for everyone."

This idea of creating a community through food is something I have been thinking about a lot lately. It seems to me (and I am certainly not the first to say this) that America doesn't really have a food culture anymore. People don't cook together, or eat together. Instead we drive through, or heat up, or get our dinner out of the vending machine. I want to help create a food culture for my daughter. One where we share traditions, commune with friends, and share time together.

So my idea is this...Once or twice a month (at least to begin) our family will have some sort of food celebration. Sometimes large, sometimes small, sometimes grand, and sometimes simple. The food will be made from scratch, and will include either multiple hands involved in the cooking, or me cooking for everyone, or people bringing and sharing their food culture...and then I'll blog about it. Why? Because that's what any good modern trendy generation whatever I am would do. But seriously the idea is to have our community here and than share it with the community out there, and perhaps make you to want to have a food culture of your own. In addition to keep the sense of community going we will try to buy as much locally grown and raised food as possible. For a small town in the middle of nowhere we are blessed with a great farmers market 6 months out of the year as well a great food co-op.

Why Mexican?


My first trip to Mexico was in fifth grade. Believe it or not we took a class field trip and spent a week in the small town Erongaricuaro. I was entranced by the Mexican culture from that point on. I have been back to Mexico several times since and have always enjoyed the culture and the food.

To me Mexican food culture captures all the things that I am setting out to do. Generations of women prepare Mole together, men make stone soup for their wives. Everyone contributes and then shares the day together and eats together. That is what I want!

The simpler answer may also be that this is my favorite food. :) Full of flavor and complexity I always enjoy a real Mexican meal. As this project continues I am sure I will venture into other food. Perhaps food from my Jewish culture or Norwegian culture, but right now I am interested in the food of Mexico. So tune in next week as we start this project with Operation Tamale!