Detail of painting by Janet K. Miller.
The preparation of food and its consumption can be a very personal and meaningful occasion.
Sitting down to a meal made with care and love and then shared with good friends or even strangers can be a joyous occasion. It bonds people in ways that are not only subliminal but leave one with a sense of community and humanity. This is why some type of food culture always accompanies holidays and frames the occasions.
Last year I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful dinner that celebrates those dishes that have come to us from those who have passed on. The Remembering Dinner, a small part of that larger celebration All Souls Procession, focuses on recipes that deceased relatives and friends shared with those present.
It was a lovely evening that took place at Solar Culture with about 20 folks who gathered around a long banquet table and told stories about the food they had brought. People enjoyed each other’s company and were reunited with the memory of food and loved ones.
This is part of a larger project being facilitated by Stephanie Chace. She is gathering the recipes and the stories behind them for the eventual publication of a cookbook that will be sold to raise funds for the All Souls Procession.
This year’s dinner will again take place at Solar Culture, 31 E. Toole Ave., on Oct 20 at 7pm. Music will be provided by the Auld Snatwell Family. Participants are asked to RSVP and to bring a dish that can serve 6-8 people along with their own plate and cutlery.
The event is free. To make a reservation and submit your recipe, go to AllSoulsProcession.org/projects/remembering-dinner.
