On this cold Wednesday morning, I’d love to ask: What foods are meaningful to you? Maybe because of your background, your friends, your family? “Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate,” says philosopher Alan Wolfelt, and I agree.
First on my list are the candle-lit cakes (above) that we presented to the boys, when they were little, on the night before the first day of school each September. We hoped they helped nervousness feel more like excitement.
My aunt Lulu is a genius at serving meals to giant groups of relatives, and one of her tricks is to always include lots and lots of toast…
…she’ll replenish the toast rack four or five times during lunch, so everyone fills up on bread and butter along with salad, soup, and whatever else is on her menu that day.
One of my dad’s hyper-specific love languages is stocking our Brooklyn house with European cereals.
And my mom always makes creme brûlée with for the boys when we visit her in Michigan. Nothing more thrilling than torching your own dessert.
For her husband’s birthday, my friend Alison ordered an ornate jet-black cake with just two words: “You’ve aged.” Still makes me laugh to think about it.
Bagels with friends, of course. Bonus points if it’s warm enough to sit outside.
Finally, a couple years ago, when I was feeling very overwhelmed, our beloved sitter sent the boys into my bedroom, where I was working, to deliver me warm pasta and fresh fruit for lunch. Reader, I cried.
What about you? What foods are meaningful to you? I’d love to hear…
P.S. 12 readers share their favorite birthday celebrations (sob!), and a very low-key winter checklist.
